Christian Meditation

Christian Meditation for Children

Several times a year, the Religion Consultant for the London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB) sends out an invitation to educators to attend an overnight silent retreat for twelve teachers to learn the art of Christian Meditation for children at the home of the Sisters of St. Joseph in London, Ontario. In early February, twelve eager participants arrive to learn and practice the simple steps of Christian Meditation as taught by the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM).

Following a delicious dinner, comradery, and basic instructions, the group enters a world of silence and stillness in preparation for meditation. Cellphones and outside distractions are set aside to fully enter the retreat experience. Three Sister facilitators and their consultant companion, amid candlelight and stillness in a prayerful atmosphere, explain the age-old practice of the desert fathers and mothers.  As early as the third century, these early meditators fled the noise, chaos, and commerce of their society to live a prayer-centered life. Similarly, teachers today know the noise, distraction, anxiety, and turmoil that surrounds our youth. Educators see that learning the art of Christian Meditation could be an antidote to present chaotic ills. Placing Christ at the centre of meditation raises simple meditation as a wellness to a spiritual encounter.

One by one, our retreatants shed their coat of fatigue and distraction to embrace an aura of silence. It is time to breathe deeply and experience the world of meditation. Step by step, a quiet, reverent voice leads the group in the rudiments of Christian Meditation. She instructs: “Sit still in your chair, your back straight; feet flat on the floor; place your hands quietly on your lap; gently close your eyes; notice your breath; slowly repeat the mantra, ‘ma-ra-na-tha’”. This word, in the language Jesus spoke, means, “Come Lord Jesus.”

A chime indicates that fifteen minutes of meditation have elapsed. The meditators quietly leave and peacefully proceed to their rooms for the night’s repose.

Throughout the following day, the participants begin with meditation and learn the background of World Community for Christian Meditation which Fr. John Main established in France in 1927. It is now a global movement with a centre in Montreal. Today, there are thousands of adults and children practicing Christian Meditation throughout the world.

At retreat’s end, the teachers leave looking forward to introducing Christian Meditation to their students. They know that pausing during the workday to embrace Centering Prayer is bound to bring personal and communal peace to the classroom and hope to our shaken world. As we wave goodbye to one group of educators, another one is waiting in the wings to join us in prayer and Christian Meditation.

-Sister Jean Moylan, CSJ

An Interview about Christian Meditation

My grandson and I have had a nice chat about Christian Meditation. He thought that writing the blog as an interview would be easier for him. 

Hi Sister Ann,

In my blog my Grammy calls me James, that’s my middle name. Thank you for starting Christian meditation, it really got me to believe in God,and I do it all the time, thanks to you. Peace be with you.

Q. What is the best part about Christian Meditation for you?

A. Peace and quiet with God and having a good relationship with God.

Q. How do you get the peace with God?

A. How I get peace with God is easy, I go to a special place in my school and I do Maranatha.

Q. Where is your special place at school?

A. My special place is at the big field and then there is a cabin and right behind the cabin I do Maranatha.

Q. Do you only do Christian Meditation at school?

A. No actually I do it all the time, if I get mad in my house I just go up to my room and I do Christian Meditation. It is very peaceful up in my room. And when I’m done I feel very calm and relaxed. And I’m not angry anymore.

Q. Do you only do Christian Meditation by yourself at school?

A. Actually I do, I used to do it with friends but now I don’t. They all got bored of it.

Written by James.

From James’ mother:

James has definitely benefited from meditation. When we have noticed him getting frustrated and angered he then takes a few minutes to himself and he feels so much better. James has even caught me when I was feeling frustrated and would ask if I needed “maranatha time”? -Cheri, James’mother

Christian Meditation

The Fruits of Christian Meditation

For several years I was introduced to many different forms of meditation. Meditations of loving kindness, meditation of soft music, and many forms of guided meditation. I always expected something out of the ordinary to pop into my mind or some great aha moment. Hmmm, but little did I know...my grandson James, who attended the SK class at St. Ann Ancaster practised meditation.

We had just finished playing a game at the kitchen table and he was going to play in the other room while I made lunch. But as he walked across the room he turned around went back to the chair he was on before, he crossed his legs and put his hands on his knees, closed his eyes and began to meditate. I was truly amazed, I had no idea he was learning meditation. When I asked James what he was doing he said “my teacher told me that this is what I should do when I feel like this“. So I had not noticed any change in his demeanour. So when I asked why he felt he needed to meditate, he explained .....because he was feeling a bit sad because he was missing his parents.

At that young age he had been taught to recognize negative feelings and to react with positivity and to feel closer to God for comfort. Not all classes at his school offer Christian meditation so he went for a few years without that guidance but now at the age of nine the teacher he has this year has the students involved in Christian meditation. I am so very grateful to the teachers who feel that meditation can bring the fruits of the spirit alive in a child thereby enriching a healthy environment for students and teachers.

I’m a grateful Grandmother that my wee little grandson listens to his heart and feels God with him.

P.S. I too am blessed to be practicing Christian Meditation. 

Could it be the ripple effect of that one teacher with one child?

-Holly Kropf, Companion of the Sisters of St. Joseph

Prayer of the Heart - Christian Meditation, Pt.III

Part III in a Series on Meditation and Faith

Father John Main writes “The most important thing to know about meditation is how to meditate”. The why is also important, but first know the how.  The link below, by Paul Demeyer is 9 minutes and gives good information on the practice.

The mantra, maranatha, means Come Lord Jesus.  It is Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke.  When I explained that on one occasion a young student asked, when did Jesus learn English?  A great question from an engaged student which brought a smile to my face.

I think of the mantra as an ego suppressant as it takes the spotlight of consciousness off ourselves. Father Laurence Freeman describes it as a bloodless sacrifice, a dying to self. However, distractions are sure to come, stay calm and focused and return to saying the mantra when you become aware that you are distracted.  Don’t judge your prayer; be faithful to the discipline of the daily practice. Don’t look for success, meditation is an act of faith and even if you think nothing happened during your prayer, persevere. Our job is to show up, what happens during prayer is God’s business - grace. Mother Teresa is quoted as saying, “God wants fidelity not success.”

“what happens during prayer is God’s business”

Contemplation is a process of transformation writes Father Willigis Jager, osb. Over time a contemplative practice awakens in us an awareness of our false self, our shadow, our constructed self.  We become aware of our biases, assumptions, beliefs, and world views that separate us and cause us to react to others in ways that put up barriers.

Image: Unsplash/Dingzeyu Li

Through fidelity in meditation gradually your whole life is changed in your attitudes, and behaviour; a peacefulness that is new moves you to say, ‘Thank you Jesus’ keep it coming.

Amen.

-Sister Ann Marshall, csj

Sister Ann Marshall works on Christian Meditation in the classroom, in partnership with teachers in the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board.

Image: Unsplash Colton Sturgeon

Prayer of the Heart - Christian Meditation

PART II IN A SERIES ON MEDITATION and FAITH

We learned in the last blog that we are born meditators: contemplative prayer, meditation, is found in some form in every major world religion.

Christian Meditation is a tradition introduced by the mothers and fathers of the desert in the 3rd and 4th century and reintroduced to the western world by Father John Main in 1974. The word meditation and its connection with the Latin -  sto in medio, ‘I stand in the center’ indeed means learning to live out of your center. Your center is the place deep inside where God, Supreme Being, Creator, resides - bringing life, beauty, and truth.

When we pray we use the mind and the heart. Most of our training in prayer, however, is limited to the mind which thinks, questions, plans, worries, fantasies.  The heart is what knows – it loves.

We were taught as children to say our prayers; praying was talking to God about needs, desires, wants, ours or others.  But this is only half of the mystery of prayer. When we pray from the heart we are not thinking of God or talking to God or asking for anything.  We are simply being with God who lives in us as the Holy Spirit, the gift of the risen Christ - John 16:7.   It is in the silence of meditation we come to self-knowledge and self-acceptance in God which is a very different kind of knowledge than that which comes to us from other sources. 

Christian Meditation is utter simplicity; it is an act of faith. In meditation we turn the spotlight of consciousness off ourselves. The ego of course doesn’t like being suppressed or controlled.  This is achieved by saying a prayer word or mantra continuously from the beginning of the prayer time to the end.

Practice 

  • Choose a time and place.

  • Honour the time faithfully even though you think you are not getting anything out of it. 

  • Sit comfortably with your back in the upright position.

  • Feet on the floor.

  • Eyes lightly closed.

  • Hands resting comfortably on your lap.                                             

  • Be aware of your breath  and start saying your mantra, prayer word.

A recommended mantra is maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.  It is Aramaic the language Jesus spoke. 

Say it in 4 distinct syllables in sync with your breath – ma ra na tha.  At first it feels awkward but persevere. For further information check out the World Christian Meditation link at  www.wccm.org

Stay tuned.

-Sister Ann Marshall, csj

Sister Ann Marshall works on Christian Meditation in the classroom, in partnership with teachers in the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board.            

Reference: Christian Meditation by Laurence Freeman, OSB | NOVALIS