Denton St Marys Mediation

Meditation

Despite the fact that your life can be hectic at times, you don't need to go to a monastery or search for a deserted place in the woods in order to pray. You simply need to make a transition of focus so that you can become more in tune with God's presence in your activities. St. Ignatius of Loyola taught a form of reflective prayer, also known as meditation, that invites you to use your mind and imagination to engage in prayerful conversation with God and to recognize his presence in your daily life. Reflective prayer involves the following simple steps.

Find a quiet place where you can be alone for 10 or 15 minutes. Assume a comfortable position and, if you wish, close your eyes or ask the Holy Spirit to guide your prayer. Try to open yourself to God’s presence by imagining God the Father looking upon you, or Jesus sitting next to you or the Holy Spirit dwelling within you.
Take 2 or 3 minutes to slow down as you become aware of God’s presence—You can remain quiet or choose a special word or phrase, such as Jesus or My Lord and My God, and repeat it when you are distracted to bring your attention back to God's presence.
Select a brief passage from Scripture and prayerfully read it. If the passage you select is a Gospel story, use your five senses to imagine yourself as a participant in the story (What can you see? What sounds do you hear? What can you feel?). Imagine a setting in which you can talk with Jesus and listen to him speak to you. You can respond to what Jesus is saying or doing in the story, or you can simply talk about something that has happened to you recently or about a forthcoming event in your life.
In addition to using Scripture in your reflection, you can also use writings from or about the saints as well as other inspirational literature or prayer books. Likewise, you can choose to concentrate on a sacred object such as a crucifix, or reflect on a sacred image, such as an icon of Jesus or a favorite saint. If in church you may gaze on the Eucharist. Talk to God as you would to a friend.
Close with one or two minutes of contemplation, time to rest silently in God's presence. As adults, we come to recognize more and more that God speaks to us in times of silence. Take a few moments at the end of your reflection to enter into a few silent moments, resting alone with God.

Through reflective prayer you can begin to more readily recognize God's presence in your daily life to welcome Him and to reject temptations or distractions. In addition, make an act of faith, hope or love. At the end thank the Holy Spirit for the gift of time in prayer.

Catholic Diocese of Lincoln