Solitude, compassion and community - walking in the footsteps of Jesus
Christian Meditation: Weekly Teachings PodcastShow Notes
The contemplative practice of Christian meditation has its foundation in the teachings and prayer life of Jesus. Jesus frequently withdrew to solitary or deserted places to pray. The Gospel writers skillfully record a pattern of solitary prayer, engaged compassion, and the creation of community. We don't need to find any special way of getting in touch with God. God wants to simplify us through the simplicity of silent prayer.
More from Christian Meditation: Weekly Teachings Podcast
In the first Beatitude, Jesus points to the wellspring from which all the Beatitudes flow: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus is not speaking about the economically poor, but of those who know their utter dependence on God, who no longer need to exercise power and control over others and the world in order to sustain their sense of identity.
A member of our practice community recently emailed and said:
A contemplative reading of the story of the Parable of the Prodigal Son can yield a rich teaching for the practice of meditation and the cultivation of attention.
There is a beautiful story of a young monk so eager to do his tasks correctly that he was oblivious to what was hiding in plain sight.
In his excellent book The Beatitudes of Peace, the prominent peace activist Fr John Dear recalls visiting Gandhi’s ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in India.