Chapter 23
Meditation
CATECHISM OF THE
The Catechism describes meditation as "above all a quest. The mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking" (2705). And what the Lord asks in a special way is that he be known by us: "By revealing himself God wishes to make [men] capable of responding to him, and of knowing him, and of loving him far beyond their own natural capacity" (52). In meditation, we take advantage of the riches of revelation - especially Sacred Scripture - in order to respond to God's offer of love and intimacy in a way that exceeds our own feeble means.
The Essence of Christian Meditation
Meditation is a gift and a
privilege. As we embark on the quest of meditation, we follow in the way of the
Blessed Mother who, as she witnessed the worship of shepherds before her infant
Son, "kept all .these things, reflecting on them in her heart" (Lk
The essence of all Christian
meditation is reverent remembering. At the Last Supper, in offering the
disciples his Body and his Blood, Jesus commands them: "Do this in memory
of me." The Lord knows well our inclination to forget, to become
absentminded, to lose focus. Christ gives the Church
the Eucharist as a memorial to keep us mindful of the way to salvation by
directing our thoughts to the passion and resurrection. In this sacrifice we
grasp the dynamic at work in all meditation.
The Lord shows great solicitude
in providing this way of purifying our minds and keeping our thoughts on the
things of God. For, as he acknowledges, "from the
fullness of the heart the mouth speaks" (Mt
Every Christian who makes
meditation a personal priority is like the good steward of the Gospel. After
relating the parables of the kingdom, Jesus asks: "Do you understand all
these things?" This is the question underlying each moment that we
meditate on the Christian mystery. For "every scribe who
has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old" (Mt
The Effects of Meditation
At the same time, meditation brings about three important spiritual effects. Meditation enables us to appropriate the things of God. As the Catechism explains, "To meditate on what we read helps us to make it our own by confronting it with ourselves. . . . We pass from thoughts to reality . . . we discover in meditation the movements that stir the heart and we are able to discern them" (2706).
One ancient and esteemed method for such appropriation is lectio divina – the reverent, devotional reading of Scripture and other spiritual texts. This specialized form of meditation equates us with the seed the farmer sowed on good soil: "The seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred- or sixty- or thirtyfold" (Mt 13:23). Like the seed that grows into a robust plant, through meditation the Word of God takes root in us, blossoms, and becomes fruitful.
Through meditation we also
identify more deeply with Jesus. "Christians owe it to themselves to
develop the desire to meditate regularly. . . . The important thing is to
advance, with the Holy Spirit, along the one way of prayer: Christ Jesus"
(2707).
One of the great masters of
Christian meditation, St. Ignatius of Loyola, suggests this method of praying:
"The person praying should say the word 'Father,' and continue to consider
the word as long as meanings, comparisons, relish, and consolations connected
with it are found. The same procedure should be continued with each word of the
Our Father, or of any other prayer which one wishes to use in this manner. . .
. If one finds in one or two words matter which yields thought, relish, and
consolation, one should not be anxious to move forward, even if the whole hour
is consumed on what is being found." Such concentration and commitment
opens up to us powerfully the wonders of God's love, and enables us to unite
ourselves more deeply to it.
And finally, by immersing what is most human about us in meditation, our personal conformity to Christ becomes intensified. "Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotions, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ" (2708).
Without the kind of meditation
that produces recollection and rectitude, our own unredeemed thoughts take over
and run wild. They conform us - not to Christ - but to
the venal and selfish things of the world. Fervent meditation is one important
way that we fulfill the command of Jesus: "You shall love the Lord, your
God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with
all your mind" (Lk.