R
rodi
Guest
My Doctor has suggested I start meditating to reduce stress. Is this ok? The philosophy is Buddhist or Hind in nature, from what I can tell. Is this acceptable for Catholics?
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J
JeffersonD
Guest
I wouldn’t meditate in a Buddhist or Hindu way as you open yourself up to demonic spirits. Instead pray the rosary and meditate on each mystery. Close your eyes when you say the rosary and bind yourself to Jesus as He takes up His cross. Any type of prayer will help you relieve stress but the rosary has helped me and a lot of other people as well deal with stress. Ever since I’ve prayed the rosary I have been depression/anxiety free thanks to our most wonderful Lord and His blessed mother.
God bless
Jeff
God bless
Jeff
S
Shin
Guest
You shouldn’t do Buddhist or Hindu meditation, or use the techniques from those religions. Some of those techniques are self hypnotizing, or contain mantras which one must not use. We’re not syncretists.
If you want to learn how to meditate like a Catholic, try the instructions here.
They’re stress reducing too, and also educational.
I personally prefer using books for meditations, because they guide you through what to reflect on.
You can also try Lectio Divina.
L
LaLucia
Guest
Every time you feel stressed out just start praying and you will start to relax and find peace.
My favorite type of meditation is visualizing myself spending time with Jesus or Mother Mary when they lived in Isreal. It is a great experience.
My favorite type of meditation is visualizing myself spending time with Jesus or Mother Mary when they lived in Isreal. It is a great experience.
T
tbcrawford
Guest
Some CATHOLIC meditation websites i hope you may find useful
As Catholics, as Christians, daily prayer enriches our spiritual lives and all forms of prayer can strengthen our relationship with our Lord
www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayer_saint.htm -
www.theworkofgod.org/Catholic_prayers.htm -
www.theworkofgod.org/Devotns/meditate.htm -
The Meditation Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
My God and My All!
Catholic Meditation – tradition and practice
Meditation is a very special method of praying. Prayer is bringing your mind, soul and spirit to God’s presence, to God Almighty himself. In a regular prayer, you use words to articulate your thoughts (out loud or silently). But when you meditate, instead of using your voice, you use your imagination – thoughts inside your mind.
What is Catholic Meditation?
“Meditation” in the Roman Catholic Traditions is a completely different experience from the concepts of eastern religions, where “meditation” involves not thinking about things and exercises emptiness of the mind. Catholic (or Christian) meditation is simply the opposite: it is a very active mental task, a kind of prayer where we are trying to reach the depth of God’s message to us. The best meditation will be based on The Holy Scriptures and texts written when inspired by the Holy Bible.
Meditations by Padre Pio
Science, my son, for all its greatness, is still compared an inferior thing; it is less than nothing when compared to the formidable mystery of Divinity.
You must take another road. Cleanse your heart of numdane passions, humble yourself in dust, and pray! In this manner, you will be sure to find God who will give you the peace and serenity of this life, and the eternal beatitude of the next.
No matter where you are, even in the big city, look around and admire God’s creation. A bird flying in the sky. A gentle breeze blowing the leaves of a tree. Children laughing and playing on a playground. The smile of a stranger. The beauty and rushing sounds of a waterfall. If you have a special place you love – such as the mountains or the beach – go there and admire the beauty of God’s creation around you. If you can’t get to your favorite place, close your eyes and imagine you are there.
God bless
As Catholics, as Christians, daily prayer enriches our spiritual lives and all forms of prayer can strengthen our relationship with our Lord
www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayer_saint.htm -
www.theworkofgod.org/Catholic_prayers.htm -
www.theworkofgod.org/Devotns/meditate.htm -
The Meditation Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
My God and My All!
Catholic Meditation – tradition and practice
Meditation is a very special method of praying. Prayer is bringing your mind, soul and spirit to God’s presence, to God Almighty himself. In a regular prayer, you use words to articulate your thoughts (out loud or silently). But when you meditate, instead of using your voice, you use your imagination – thoughts inside your mind.
What is Catholic Meditation?
“Meditation” in the Roman Catholic Traditions is a completely different experience from the concepts of eastern religions, where “meditation” involves not thinking about things and exercises emptiness of the mind. Catholic (or Christian) meditation is simply the opposite: it is a very active mental task, a kind of prayer where we are trying to reach the depth of God’s message to us. The best meditation will be based on The Holy Scriptures and texts written when inspired by the Holy Bible.
Meditations by Padre Pio
Science, my son, for all its greatness, is still compared an inferior thing; it is less than nothing when compared to the formidable mystery of Divinity.
You must take another road. Cleanse your heart of numdane passions, humble yourself in dust, and pray! In this manner, you will be sure to find God who will give you the peace and serenity of this life, and the eternal beatitude of the next.
No matter where you are, even in the big city, look around and admire God’s creation. A bird flying in the sky. A gentle breeze blowing the leaves of a tree. Children laughing and playing on a playground. The smile of a stranger. The beauty and rushing sounds of a waterfall. If you have a special place you love – such as the mountains or the beach – go there and admire the beauty of God’s creation around you. If you can’t get to your favorite place, close your eyes and imagine you are there.
God bless
M
Marie5890
Guest
Best way for me to reduce stress with Catholic meditation is to visualize myself with the Lord and His mother by the sea of Galilee. No words are spoken. Just sitting there with them on a beautiful day. Just being in their presence.
R
rodi
Guest
Thank you all for taking the time to help me. All these suggestions are what I was looking for. I would feel funny evertime I thought about meditating in the secular way, so I knew it was not the answer for me. Thanks again to all. Christ’s Peace. Rodi
O
onegreenclover
Guest
Ummm really!? I’m a Buddhist Catholic and I’m pretty sure that I am not opening myself up to demonic spirits. I don’t know too much about Hundu (a religion) but Buddhism is NOT a religion. You don’t worship buddha and there are many buddhas. It just means enlightened.
Please realize that since Buddhism is a philosophy, many cultures have meshed it with their religions so it can get confusing at first glance. At the core it’s a philosophy though and it has nothing to do with demons!
S
Shin
Guest
No such thing as Buddhist Catholic, only Catholic.
S
Stephentlig
Guest
Repeating the words ‘‘Come Lord Jesus’’ ‘‘Maranatha’’ is helpful or getting yourself a prayer rope and praying the Jesus prayer which is ‘‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner’’
Pax Christi
Stephen <3
Pax Christi
Stephen <3
O
onegreenclover
Guest
Well, then I don’t exist?No such thing as Buddhist Catholic, only Catholic.
C
callmeChris
Guest
Catholics shouldn’t meditate in the field of Hindu or Buddhist practices. Meditation is a particular method of praying. Prayer is raising the mind and heart to God. In vocal prayer, you use words as in a conversation (either out loud or silently). But when you meditate, instead of using speech like this, you use the imagination.
It is easy to preform a ‘perfect’ meditation.
The 1st step is to place yourself in God’s presence.
This doesn’t mean you must be physically in a church. You just need to think of yourself being watched over by God, not being alone. He is always very close, waiting for us to come to Him.
Before beginning to meditate, it is important to bring to mind God’s presence. Sometimes this can be done quickly, sometimes it can take quite a while. But even if it doesn’t come easily, it is important to do that before beginning to try to meditate.
Personally, I find this easiest to do in church, before the tabernacle, or before the Blessed Sacrament exposed. If I can look at the Blessed Sacrament or at the tabernacle which has the Blessed Sacrament inside, I can usually place myself in God’s presence quickly and easily.
The 2nd step is to ask for God’s help.
A person can do no good without God’s help. It is necessary to recognize that fact, that any benefits from meditation are God’s free gift and not the result of our own natural thought processes.
In addition to asking God for His help directly, it is wise to ask for help from the saints as well. We can ask for the Blessed Mother to intercede in gaining God’s help in the meditative prayer. If you’re in a church, it makes sense to ask the saint to whom the church is dedicated for his help too.
A Guardian Angel is standing by to assist too so it’s also good to ask him to help in prayign. You can also seek the help of any other saint you feel inclined to turn to.
The 3rd step is the actual meditation.
The meditation consists of 2 parts:
First you thank God for helping you to meditate.
It is easy to preform a ‘perfect’ meditation.
The 1st step is to place yourself in God’s presence.
This doesn’t mean you must be physically in a church. You just need to think of yourself being watched over by God, not being alone. He is always very close, waiting for us to come to Him.
Before beginning to meditate, it is important to bring to mind God’s presence. Sometimes this can be done quickly, sometimes it can take quite a while. But even if it doesn’t come easily, it is important to do that before beginning to try to meditate.
Personally, I find this easiest to do in church, before the tabernacle, or before the Blessed Sacrament exposed. If I can look at the Blessed Sacrament or at the tabernacle which has the Blessed Sacrament inside, I can usually place myself in God’s presence quickly and easily.
The 2nd step is to ask for God’s help.
A person can do no good without God’s help. It is necessary to recognize that fact, that any benefits from meditation are God’s free gift and not the result of our own natural thought processes.
In addition to asking God for His help directly, it is wise to ask for help from the saints as well. We can ask for the Blessed Mother to intercede in gaining God’s help in the meditative prayer. If you’re in a church, it makes sense to ask the saint to whom the church is dedicated for his help too.
A Guardian Angel is standing by to assist too so it’s also good to ask him to help in prayign. You can also seek the help of any other saint you feel inclined to turn to.
The 3rd step is the actual meditation.
The meditation consists of 2 parts:
- The first thing to do is to imagine the scene you have chosen to meditate on.
Think about what the environment might have looked like. The more detail you can add, the better. Picture the place and the people: what they look like, what they are doing.
Besides imagining the appearance, also imagine the sounds that would be heard there. Imagine hearing the people involved in the scene saying the words they are saying.
Include any background noises there might be.
First you thank God for helping you to meditate.
S
SHoJ
Guest
Praying the Rosary has been the best form of meditation for me, and it has greatly reduced my anxiety disorder and clinical depression. Praying it out loud without rushing allows you to control your breathing, which helps to reduce stress (and anxiety, etc.). 
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