Alone with a friend in silence

We are very fortunate indeed when we have that certain friend or companion or spouse or confrere who is able to be with us in silence, where there is no need to carry on a conversation. I had an experience like that over the holidays, riding to New York in the car with a confrere, enjoying extended moments of silence when we simply rested in one another’s company. There wasn’t even a need to fill the space with music. It was not an experience of being alone or lonely, and certainly not an experience of being bored; no, it was an experience of being fulfilled and at peace.

Such moments can happen during times of prayer as well. There are times in our lives when we sense a greater call to solitude, to quiet, to contemplative prayer, times when we begin to discover that the greatest joys in our lives are those times when we are alone with the Lord, simply resting in His presence. These moments are gifts.

How can we prepare to receive these gifts? The first and most important thing is to be in a place where there is silence and privacy. Then we make a gentle (always gentle) effort to calm down our bodies by breathing slowly and deeply and by focusing our attention on our breath, not evaluating or changing it but simply allowing it to be. If our mind wanders, as it is sure to do, once we are aware of it we simply return to the breath. Perhaps we repeat a word or a brief bit of prayer, in union with our breathing. By doing this we quiet the mind, and begin to realize that we do not have to be dragged here and there by any thoughts or emotions which arise. We simply let them pass through us, realizing that we are not our thoughts or emotions, but rather we are the thinker of the thoughts, the feeler of the emotions. Simply let them pass and return to the breath and to the repetition of a word or phrase.

If you find this interesting and you have never tried it before, give it a go. If you would like more information about it, just do an Internet search of the term “centering prayer.” There is a wealth of material available for you to peruse.

As for myself, I find that after a good 20 minutes or so of this type of prayer, the words cease and I am able to sit and enjoy being in God’s presence. It is an exquisitely satisfying experience, and has a great impact on the time I spend after my prayer time has ceased. I hope you can find the same.

Making Room for Wisdom

Wisdom, part 2.

O come, O Wisdom from on high,

who orders all things mightily:

To us the path of knowledge show

and lead us in her ways to go.

Rejoice!

I don’t know about you, but there are times when I seem to be all filled up with “mind stuff: ” Things I’ve learned, things I think I have figured out, my continually rehashing of things from my past and constant predictions about what the future will bring (which are almost always nothing more than fantasies). In addition to this, of course, I have my own attitudes, opinions, attractions and distractions to deal with minute by minute and moment by moment.

This is a serious problem. If my mind is already full of stuff, how can I possibly expect Wisdom to come to me, to show me where true knowledge lies, and to lead me in a wise and holy path?

We’ve got to make room for Wisdom. In order to do that, we’ve got to do some serious housecleaning, some serious letting go. We’ve got to put our thoughts on “hold” and silence the constant internal chatter so that we can begin to hear the voice of Wisdom prompting us to a new way of life.

This is where and when meditation, or Centering Prayer or mindfulness  becomes so important. It doesn’t matter what you call the process or technique: the process is always the same.

If you’ve never meditated before, do a search for one of the methods I’ve named above or seek out one of the many excellent books on the subject. But, for what it is worth, here is meditation in a nutshell:

Sit quietly and focus you attention on your breathing. Notice the breath as it goes in and out of your body. If possible, count the breaths up to 10 and then begin again. Keep your attention on your breath (or on some phrase such as ”Come, Lord Jesus.” You mind will begin to wander and thoughts and feelings will arise that take your attention away from your breath or your phrase. When you notice this happening, gently return to your meditation. This will continue to happen, and each time it does, return to the basic meditation.

After a time, you will come to realize that you are the “space” through which thoughts and feelings move. You are not your thoughts; you are not your feelings. You are the one who has thoughts and feelings passing by in an endless parade. Let them pass through.

If you do this on a regular basis (15-20 minutes is good), you will begin to discover and realize many things that you have not realized before. Perhaps this is the voice of Wisdom speaking to you . . .

Blessed Advent to you.