Welcome friends,
Thank you for being here and opening yourself up to learning the five methods of prayer by Saint Teresa of Avila.
Personally,
I used to wonder if meditation was aligned with my Christian faith.
I knew the scientific benefits of it,
But I wasn't sure of how I could apply it to my daily life as a child of God.
This method of prayer by Saint Teresa is a proposed systematic way of conversing with our Lord.
She understood our psychological mechanism and human nature so much that she designed this to be suitable to our often wondering minds.
It turns out,
Not only is meditation a part of our Christian faith,
It is vital.
Saint Alphonsus Deliguri supports this and says,
It is morally impossible for him who perseveres in mental prayer to continue to sin.
He will either give up meditation or renounce sin.
Let us begin.
Method number one.
Preparation.
A good beginning is half the battle.
This is when we make a firm resolution to persevere in prayer.
We don't just say,
I am going to give it a try,
But we actually have the intention to persevere in it,
To make it a part of our daily habit.
One should determine the precise time one should meditate.
It could be during the day or at night,
And only in rare occasions one should deviate from the designated time.
Choose a good time to meet Christ and have a conversation with him.
As far as position goes,
Any comfortable position will do,
As long as it is not too comfortable for one to be drowsy.
We may walk,
Sit,
Or stand.
And if you are in a place that has possible distractions,
You may close your eyes or simply lower your gaze.
Method number two.
Selection of the material.
Having reminded oneself of Christ's presence during the preparation,
We are next obliged to select a subject for the day's conversation or meditation.
We may leverage the Gospels,
New Testament.
We may read a spiritual book for two,
Three,
Or five minutes.
We call this meditative reading.
We may reflect on the passion,
Or heaven,
Hell,
Life of Christ.
We may read slowly and attentively.
Any method will do,
For just as there are many mansions in heaven,
So there are many roads to them.
Method number three,
The consideration,
Or what is most commonly referred to as meditation in the modern world.
After Christ's presence has been recalled and the proper material has been selected,
We may now begin the examination of the day's matter.
Consideration in the methods of St.
Teresa of Avila is actually only a prelude to the real function of meditation,
Which is conversation with Christ.
This is when we use our imagination.
This is when we think about the time,
The place,
The details of our material.
We may even consider vague general picture of the event,
For example,
The passion or the birth of Christ.
One may imagine that they are standing right there,
And reflect on the scene that they are witnessing.
One may investigate and meditate from any angle of the particular event,
Place,
Or material that they have chosen.
Method number four,
The conversation.
This is the focal point of meditation.
This is when we talk slowly and sincerely with Christ.
We talk to him as if we are talking to our friends,
As if we are talking to our close friend.
We speak frankly and freely,
And we forgo the formality.
We talk in our own words and expressions,
And we can be as awkward or as ungrammatical in this conversation.
We may choose to talk to him in words.
We may choose to talk to him in silence.
We may adore him,
Thank him,
Be contrite.
Petition,
Or we may simply tell him about our day.
Depending on the length of the meditation or mental prayer,
One could go back and forth between consideration and conversation.
Not everyone by nature has an imagination capable of meditating,
But everyone is capable of love.
The soul profits not in thinking much,
But in loving much.
So your meditation could be creative,
Your imagination could go on and on,
Or it could be simple,
Straightforward,
And direct.
Sit and enjoy God's presence and keep him company.
He became the center of your memory,
Your mind,
And your heart.
Lastly,
The fifth method is the conclusion.
This is an optional step,
But we feel it to be of great value in making progress in prayer.
This crowns the work,
So to say.
This is a finale to our conversation with Christ,
This is when we express our gratitude and we could even examine what we could do better for our next conversation with him.
So that brings us to the conclusion of today's lesson.
A significant change in someone's life can happen when they start meditating.
A well-made meditation enhances and enlivens vocal prayer.
And not only is meditation a part of your Christian faith,
It is a necessity.
I pray that you would be able to use these five methods of prayer by St.
Teresa to provide a framework for a heart-to-heart conversation with Christ,
Which is the ultimate aim of meditation.
Thank you and God Bless.
