Some frequently asked questions

What is meditation?Are there different ways to meditate?Is this Christian? Within a Catholic or Christian framework?Is is the same as yoga?

MEDITATION IS SILENTLY SITTING IN THE PRESENCE OF THE TRINITY,WITHIN THE CIRCLE OF THEIR LOVE

Open my minds eye so I may see and feel Your shining light presence close to me.Give me inner strength for my stumbling feet as I battle the crowd on life's busy street.And widen the vision of my unseeing minds eye so in passing faces I'll recognize not just a stranger, unloved, and unknown, but a friend with a heart and soul that is much like my own.~Author~Ruth Ann Mahaffey

Points for Ignatian Meditation1. Find a quiet place to pray. This may be in your room, a chapel, your office with its door closed.2. Establish a sense of inner peace and tranquility. Let the cares and concerns of the moment slip away. Sometimes reciting a decade of the Rosary or a favourite prayer from memory will help to ease you into the prayer.3. As you relax into God's presence, take a moment to greet the Lord. Ask God to give you the grace to see what God desires for you.4. Slowly read a passage from scripture. Get a sense of its geography and flow. Is there something that stands out to you?5. Read it again. Is there something in particular that is touching your heart - either enlivening or frightening you?

6. Now be a child: place yourself in the scene. Are you a main character? A spectator? Think about the following:1. What are you wearing?2. What are the sights? Smells? Textures? Sounds?3. What is going on around you?4. Who else is there? Do you recognize those around you?7. Surrender to the story. Interact with your surrounding, allow yourself to be guided by the Spirit as you speak and engage with others.8. Do not try to control the prayer. Surrender! Let the Spirit guide you.9. How are you feeling? Is your "heart on fire?" 10. As you bring your prayer to a close, perhaps you might take a few minutes to speak to the Lord about your experience. Be candid - tell God what/how you have felt.

Guided Meditation

Using resources which lead into prayer through storytelling and/or imagination

What is Christian

Meditation?- Christian Meditation is SILENT

prayer with a Mantra

Children and young adults are born contemplative but in our Western world we are bombarded from an early age with noise, stimulus and a message to keep busy. The aim of this teaching program is to provide teachers and others who work with students a guide to teaching stillness, silence, simplicity and Christian Meditation.

Meditation is a way of self-knowledge and self acceptance. This is the indispensable first step towards any knowledge of God.

The solitude of meditation awakens us to our deep interdependence with other people and so “meditation creates community”

Christian Meditation is PrayerChristian Meditation is simple

Christian Meditation is a journeyChristian Meditation is

experientialChristian Meditation is

supported by the Church

The Townsville Catholic Education Office with the support of Bishop

Michael Putney launched a program to teach Christian Meditation to children in the Diocese as part of the Religious Education Program in schools, 2006.

Christian Meditation can be taught as part of the prayer section from the Religious Education Guidelines,page 28 &29.(Also page 40 and 41 of Coming Home).

Christian Meditation will be taught sequentially from Pre-School to Year 12

Christian Meditation will be taught by teachers who have been trained in the process of teaching Christian Meditation

Christian Meditation is a form of prayer and as such should be practiced.

By allowing children to experience Christian Meditation for themselves John Main believed they would discover their “True selves in their real participation in the reality of God”.

What is Christian Meditation??

The Meditation experiences found in this program are designed to help children enter into the mystery of the sacred, the heart of true Faith.

SilenceSilenceSt Ignatius of Antioch once St Ignatius of Antioch once said, “It is better to be silent said, “It is better to be silent and real than to talk and be and real than to talk and be unreal.” Jesus seems to be in unreal.” Jesus seems to be in agreement: “In praying, do agreement: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be who think that they will be heard because of their many heard because of their many words”words” (Matthew 6:7)(Matthew 6:7)

As John Main says, “Prayer is As John Main says, “Prayer is not a matter of talking to God, not a matter of talking to God, but of listening to Him, or being but of listening to Him, or being with Him … Only in and through with Him … Only in and through silence do we become fully silence do we become fully conscious”conscious” (Word into Silence, p22, 83)(Word into Silence, p22, 83)

Christian Meditation is NOT Christian Meditation is NOT guided Meditation or Ignatian guided Meditation or Ignatian meditation (with images) . It meditation (with images) . It is SILENT prayer.is SILENT prayer.

What about secondary school?

e.g. I only see the class three times a week?...

I can’t afford to have it replace my Religion lesson…

It is hard to encourage the class to settle….

And other issues:-

We recommend:

•Use meditation in class as you would any other prayer

•Offer opportunities at retreats, voluntary before , after school, lunch breaks for interested students.

•Encourage and train student prayer leaders

Christian Meditation does not Christian Meditation does not replace the Religious Education replace the Religious Education lesson or other forms of lesson or other forms of prayer. It is ONE of the forms prayer. It is ONE of the forms of prayer children will learn.of prayer children will learn.

Marian Pre schoolers’ Prayer Bear

WHEEL OF PRAYER

EUCHARIST

OTHER SACRAMENTS

LECTIO DIVINA’PRAYING

SCRIPTURE

RO

SA

RY

INTERCESSORY PRAYER

PETITIONARY PRAYER

HEALIN

G P

RAYER

DE

VO

TIO

NA

L P

RA

YE

R

JESUS CHRIST

AT THE HUB OF THE WHEEL, AT THE CENTRE OF PRAYER, YOU FIND STILLNESS.WITHOUT STILLNESS AT THE CENTRE THERE COULD BE NO MOVEMENT

OR GROWTH AT THE CIRCUMFERENCE. MEDITATION IS THE WORK OF FINDING AND BECOMING ONE WITH THIS STILLNESS.

The Fruits of Meditation

Christian Meditation is proven:

• To Make children calmer and more relaxed

• Christian meditation helps create a sense of wonder in children

• Christian Meditation helps create a sense of God in those who meditate

• Christian meditation helps to create a sense of community

• Christian Meditation allows children a chance to be silent and experience God in the silence

• Christian Meditation allows children a chance to enter into the present moment

If children have little or no experience of silence you may wish to begin with relaxation exercises, guided meditation Ignatian contemplation (Gospel stories) until they are “at home”

Approximately the child’s age.

Eg. 7 years = 7 minutes15 years = 15 minutes

How long can children meditate in silence?

What is Christian What is Christian Meditation?Meditation?

By allowing children to experience By allowing children to experience Christian Mediation for themselves Christian Mediation for themselves John Main believed they would John Main believed they would discover their “True selves in their real discover their “True selves in their real participation in the reality of God.”participation in the reality of God.”

The Meditation experiences found in The Meditation experiences found in this program are designed to help this program are designed to help children enter into the mystery of the children enter into the mystery of the sacred, the heart of true Faith.sacred, the heart of true Faith.

• Christian Meditation is, PrayerChristian Meditation is, Prayer

• Christian Meditation is simpleChristian Meditation is simple

• Christian Meditation is a journeyChristian Meditation is a journey

• Christian Meditation is experientialChristian Meditation is experiential

• Christian Meditation is supported by Christian Meditation is supported by the Church.the Church.

The Benefits (or Fruits) of The Benefits (or Fruits) of MeditationMeditationChristian Meditation is proven:Christian Meditation is proven:• To make children calmer and more relaxedTo make children calmer and more relaxed• Christian Meditation helps create a sense of wonder Christian Meditation helps create a sense of wonder

in childrenin children• Christian Meditation helps create of sense of God in Christian Meditation helps create of sense of God in

those who meditatethose who meditate• Christian Meditation helps to create a sense of Christian Meditation helps to create a sense of

communitycommunity• Christian Meditation allows children a chance to be Christian Meditation allows children a chance to be

silent and experience God in the silencesilent and experience God in the silence• Christian Meditation allows children a chance to enter Christian Meditation allows children a chance to enter

into the present momentinto the present moment