Laurence Freeman and CM

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According to the World Community of Christian Meditation founded by John Main and headed by Laurence Freeman,:
_Meditation is a universal spiritual wisdom and a practice that we find at the core of all the great religious traditions… In Christianity this tradition became marginalised and even forgotten or suspect…
Open to all ways of wisdom but drawing directly from the early Christian teaching John Main summarised the practice in this simple way:
Sit down. Sit still with your back straight. Close your eyes lightly. Then interiorly, silently begin to recite a single word – a prayer word or mantra. We recommend the ancient Christian prayer-word “Maranatha”. Say it as four equal syllables. Breathe normally and give your full attention to the word as you say it, silently, gently, faithfully and above all – simply. The essence of meditation is simplicity. Stay with the same word during the whole meditation and from day to day. Don’t visualise but listen to the word as you say it. Let go of all thoughts (even good thoughts), images and other words. Don’t fight your distractions but let them go by saying your word faithfully, gently and attentively and returning to it immediately that you realise you have stopped saying or it or when your attention is wandering…
Meditate twice a day every day.
 
Here’s one view on CM
Pardon me. I’ve been fed by the strong food of the Doctors of the Church. I can recognize baloney and hotdogs when I see them.
 
goodcatholic said:
_Meditation is a universal spiritual wisdom and a practice that we find at the core of all the great religious traditions… In Christianity this tradition became marginalised and even forgotten or suspect…
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Yes, “marginalized and even forgotten or suspect” in Protestant tradition, but not at all in Catholic tradition. There is a long, richly developed Catholic tradition of meditation and contemplation.
However, the “CM” meditation you describe is indeed “lite” and superficial. Catholic meditation is not navel gazing or emptying the mind with a mantra word; it is rather a loving gaze at God. As long as you are focusing on God, you can use a meaningful word of praise or an attribute of God to do this kind of meditation.
Many of us meditate every day on, for example, the Rosary. Many of us do contemplation as well. Why not skip the “lite” stuff and read up on these rich Catholic forms?
 
Christian Meditation as described in the OP goes back to the 4th Century Christian Mystics like Abba Isaac and his student, St John Cassian.

It shouldn’t be confused with “centering,” in the New Age.

Here’s the method of Centering Prayer, as taught by Father Thomas Keating.


The Eastern Orthodox have held onto Christian Meditation better than Catholics in the West have.

Their use of the Jesus Prayer, is used as a Sacred Prayer Word.

Jim
 
I rather like Saint Alphonsus Liguori’s method for meditation.
 
Essentially the same thing

Christian meditation has to do with the focus of intention, i,e, Jesus Christ, dwelling within.

Jim
 
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