Meditation

    Our Monastic life is ordered, through silence and spiritual practices, to foster the habit of meditation. Meditation here can be thought of in two ways: first, the practice of meditating upon God's Word through Lectio Divina, the Divine Office, the Liturgy of the Word, and spiritual reading; second, the practice of prayer as internal image-less openness before God.

     From the first days of formation, the novice director trains the novice in the practice of Lectio Divina. A key element in this training is to carry some phrase or word that stood out during Lectio with the monk throughout the day. This word or phrase can be memorized or written down, what ever is most helpful. Throughout the day this word or phrase is remembered and meditated upon. In this way, a continual mindfulness of God is fostered.

     Along with Lectio Divina, the novice practices mental prayer as image-less, openness before God several times a day. This practice has different names but most commonly is called "meditation". This type of meditation is diametrically parallel to the active meditation described above. Here, thoughts are allowed to pass through the mind without engaging them and the blank attention is focused on God. This practice slowly purifies the mind, allowing for an ever greater openness to the Lord.

+ Fr Chris