Is meditation sinful?

[Diamond93]

Another thought to dwell on would be how you can’t and shouldn’t generalize all Catholics just because a few of them have done evil. In the same way you wouldn’t say all doctors are bad just because you may have had bad experiences with a few of them, not all teachers are bad just because some of them may be, so on and so forth, same here. How is it any different here? Not accusing you of this, but I find it very frustrating how quick people are to pounce on Christians when we fail, and hold us up to ridiculously high standards, while other religions or people who aren’t religious at all, aren’t judged nearly as harsh. Yes, as Christians I agree that we should do better as a whole, but to demand perfection out of any one group of people is very immature and unfair. That includes Catholics. We’re not perfect, just forgiven.

 

[petra22]

I was feeling the same way. Then I read it is 4-6 % of priests doing sexually evil. That means 94-96% are doing good and I try to concentrate on the good. (Someone else recommended this to me.) I hate the evil that has been done and pray for the perps and victims. I would like the perps REMOVED… but still I pray for the good priests that help us so much and bring us Jesus in the Eucharist…

 

[Bluebright]

Christian mediation is different to this other mediation that you hear of… very different.

I dont know much about that other kind… eastern mediation from what I gather is about clearing your mind. I am not sure what you are supposed to put in there, I think nothing though how you do that I dont know. Christian mediation, usually focuses on a topic, like say a line from scripture or something you wish to understand or consider. The point being to bring it to God. So you would put yourself in the presence of God or rather note that you are ask God for help considering this topic say an act of contrition acknowledging your sinfulness etc. There are various ways of continuing depending on which way you follow but the focus is always on God. You always take something to God with the intention of God’s response. So God is very much a part of the whole act, it is filling up with God there is no emptying of your mind (the eastern thing) as God is there with you, it’s what comes from the meditation. Usually you would thank God afterwards and perhaps write down the reflections and emotions you felt during the time in a journal . I find it does well to leave it a while before the next one as God may bring me more answers about my topic after the time in His own way and in my daily life so I continue learning. God teaches all of us differently as He knows best so it can be that we get distracted during the mediation time so just do the best you can. Google a guide online if it’s your first time… choose a Catholic mediation or if you like Carmelite, St Ignatius, St Francis de sales or Benedictine, Dominican etc then choose one of them. The reason I say make sure to pick a guide is otherwise you might end up doing an eastern one which won’t really help you. God Bless

 

[Vico]

Is meditation sinful? I mostly hear about it when it’s associated with New Agey type of stuff. So is it sinful to practice this? Or is it not always a New Age thing where it would be OK if a Catholic were to practice this?

Excerpt from: PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR CULTURE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE
JESUS CHRIST THE BEARER OF THE WATER OF LIFE

For Christians, the spiritual life is a relationship with God which gradually through his grace becomes deeper, and in the process also sheds light on our relationship with our fellow men and women, and with the universe.
…
The essential element in Christian faith, however, is God’s descent towards his creatures, particularly towards the humblest, those who are weakest and least gifted according to the values of the “world”. There are spiritual techniques which it is useful to learn, but God is able to by-pass them or do without them. A Christian’s “method of getting closer to God is not based on any technique in the strict sense of the word. That would contradict the spirit of childhood called for by the Gospel. The heart of genuine Christian mysticism is not technique: it is always a gift of God; and the one who benefits from it knows himself to be unworthy”.(60)

For Christians, conversion is turning back to the Father, through the Son, in docility to the power of the Holy Spirit. The more people progress in their relationship with God – which is always and in every way a free gift – the more acute is the need to be converted from sin, spiritual myopia and self-infatuation, all of which obstruct a trusting self-abandonment to God and openness to other men and women.

All meditation techniques need to be purged of presumption and pretentiousness. Christian prayer is not an exercise in self-contemplation, stillness and self-emptying, but a dialogue of love, one which “implies an attitude of conversion, a flight from ‘self’ to the ‘You’ of God”.(61)
…
*Perhaps the simplest, the most obvious and the most urgent measure to be taken, which might also be the most effective, would be to make the most of the riches of the Christian spiritual heritage . The great religious orders have strong traditions of meditation and spirituality, which could be made more available through courses or periods in which their houses might welcome genuine seekers. This is already being done, but more is needed. Helping people in their spiritual search by offering them proven techniques and experiences of real prayer could open a dialogue with them which would reveal the riches of Christian tradition, …

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/p...s/rc_pc_interelg_doc_20030203_new-age_en.html

 

[Shasta-Rose]

As it happens, I recently posted this quote somewhere else.

“Half-an-hour’s meditation each day is essential–except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.”

St. Francis de Sales

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Your idea is an elementary form of Christian meditation, where we visualize some Scripture or even a mystery of the Rosary.

The emptying of the mind in Christian Meditation is the same as Eastern Meditation in that we empty the mind of thoughts which do not have to do with the focus of our intention and that is being in the presence of God who dwells within.

St John of the Cross wrote much about detachment from what he referred to as the “appetites,” of the soul. These are the various desires and thoughts we’re attached to, which interfere with out focus on Christ.

In Christian Meditation, we detach from all the thoughts and ideas we have about God, in order to just be in the presence of God as He is, not as we have created him in our image.

The practice of Christian Meditation is also known as Quiet Prayer, where we sit in His presence, merely saying the name of Jesus or some other Sacred word, and bring ourselves to our center where God dwells. There we allow God to do with us as He wills. The method of prayer does not make this happen, for it is God alone who brings us into Contemplation.

In all, the only way to know God is to experience God.

Jim

 

[Bluebright]

Yes you are right, my answer is a simple answer explaining a basic form of meditation. It was my opinion of what the question required. I don’t claim to be an expert in any way, apologies if I sounded if I did, my bad.

You can and do of course give the poster a more thorough answer.

I agree that the only way to know God is to experience God.