Wednesday, June 15, 2005

What is Christian Meditation?

What does it mean to be a Christian Meditator? Up until about 5 years ago, I didn't even know that there was a deeply rooted tradition of meditation in the Christian faith - and me, a good Catholic girl, no less! Interestingly, these days, my path leads me away from the Church and closer to Christ, my teacher and my spiritual companion. And I believe I owe this primarily to my daily practice of Christian meditation.

As written by John Cassian, a 4th-century monk sharing the teaching he had received from the Desert Fathers: “The living Spirit of God dwells within us, giving new life to our mortal bodies. The all-important aim in Christian meditation is to allow God’s mysterious and silent presence within us to become more and more not only a reality, but the reality in our lives; to let it become that reality which gives meaning, shape and purpose to everything we do, to everything we are.”

Today, the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) carries on these teachings by promoting a practical experience of this living, vibrant spirituality. And this weekend, I will be joining Christian meditators from across the country at the National Conference of the Canadian Christian Meditation Community, right here in my own backyard. If you're curious, join us for a public talk on Friday evening with Fr. Laurence Freeman, OSB - Director of the WCCM. He is an inspired speaker and will be giving a talk on "Return to the Centre: The Universal Quest for Silence and Stillness".

OK. Way too many links in this post! So be it...

No comments: