Q U I C K S C A N

Can anyone meditate?
Is meditation simple?

Readers reflect on Friar Jack’s musings

by Friar Jim Van Vurst, O.F.M.

Can anyone meditate?

Many years ago, there was a Franciscan priest, Father Florence Hoste, O.F.M., who was an assistant at my parish located just north of Detroit, Michigan. This was back in the 1940s. He was convinced that any person could meditate on religious topics and issues. Now, most people generally believe that meditation is something only for special people who are advanced in the spiritual life (e.g., nuns, monks and a few very holy people). For ordinary people, most  think all they can do is to say a prayer they’ve been taught all their lives such as the Our Father or Hail Mary.

Father Florence believed all people already meditate daily about all kinds of things in their ordinary lives. Wives and mothers often meditate on what they are going to fix for supper and even imagine the preparation and the family enjoying and appreciating a tasty meal. Men may reflect and think about their upcoming golf game on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. They imagine themselves enjoying the outdoors, the first tee and the peaceful atmosphere. Father Florence was right: People meditate often during the day without even realizing it.

Is meditation simple?

Just translate what I have described, and consider making the thoughts and reflections about something concerned with Jesus’ life in the Gospels. There are just three simple steps involved in this kind of religious prayer that we call meditation.

Step I: Read something or recall something from a Gospel scene. You probably know more stories or incidents than you give yourself credit for. Let me suggest just a few: a) The story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), especially when the father runs down the hill and embraces his returning son; b) the woman caught in adultery (John  8), who was dragged before Jesus and threatened with being stoned to death for her sins; c) the scene of Jesus on the cross with Mary, his mother, Mary Magdalene and John holding each other in terrible pain and sorrow (John 19); d) Mary and Joseph making their way to Bethlehem (Luke 2) for the birth of Jesus. (If you saw The Nativity Story, you have vivid scenes to draw from.) Remember the story in some detail. It is the story that is giving you material for reflection and meditation.

Step II: Now that you have the story in your mind, quietly begin to examine it closely and to try to become part of the scene in your mind. You are standing by the father as he embraces his son; the Prodigal Son is in tears of repentance. Or you look closely at the poor woman before Jesus. In your imagination, can you touch her to reassure her that Jesus will help her? Stand right next to Mary by the cross; hear the sounds around that terrible scene. See the faces of those who hate Jesus: the faces of the soldiers, who could not care less if the three on the cross suffer. Let your mind, heart and emotions get involved in any one of these scenes, and enter into the very image you bring to mind.

Step III: Once you have placed your mind and heart in the scene as an observer, the time comes for you to talk to the Lord in relation to the scene. Have you ever been the prodigal son or daughter? Have you ever been the father or mother who has gratefully welcomed back a son or daughter? Thank the Lord for his compassion for the woman and for the times he has been compassionate to you when you felt down and out. Tell Jesus on the cross of your sorrow for your sins. Talk to Mary, and tell her how much you love her for all she has borne because of our sins.

When you follow these three simple steps, you can truly meditate. I’m not talking an hour in length or even a half-hour. A few minutes may be the way to start. As you do this regularly, you will find yourself spending more and more time thinking, imagining and praying in this meditative way.

What is really amazing to many people was that Father Florence tried this with fourth- and fifth-grade schoolchildren, and they found that they indeed could spend some very wonderful moments reflecting and meditating about the Lord and all his wonderful gifts.

Give it a try. Be patient with yourself. But I think you can trust that the Lord will help you in this wonderful endeavor.

Friar Jack’s Inbox

Readers respond to Friar Jack’s musings on “The Dreams of St. Francis.”

Dear Friar Jack: I was very moved by the photo of St. Francis on his horse that was featured in your e-newsletter. You could feel the sadness that St. Francis felt when he had to put aside his own dream. And like us, he was totally unaware of what he would accomplish when he embraced the enormous dream God had planned for him. I would like very much to find a copy of this photo or artwork that could always be framed. Thank you for your interesting e-newsletter. Lydia

Dear Lydia: I am pleased that you like the photo of the dejected St. Francis on his horse. You also seem to understand well that by trusting in God even when our dreams seem to fall apart and by embracing God’s ongoing guidance, our dreams can still come true in wonderful and unexpected ways. Regarding your question about getting a copy of that photo, I’m sorry we cannot help you on that account (even though I took the photo myself). We simply do not have the staff and resources to fulfill these kinds of requests. Protecting copyrights regarding photos is just one more part of the problem. The same photo, by the way, was also requested by another e-mail writer. Again, I’m sorry to say we can’t help in this regard. Friar Jack

Also regarding “the dejected St. Francis on his horse:” I received two e-mails from other readers who visited Assisi before the year 2000 and did not remember seeing the statue of the sad St. Francis on his horse near the Basilica. The reason they did not see the statue (in 1999 and 1997) is that the statue was not yet there. I was informed by a friar, who is a frequent visitor to Assisi, that the statue only appeared within the last two or three years. Let me take this occasion to thank all the others who sent e-mails after receiving my musing and to remind you that you are in my prayers. Friar Jack

Send your feedback to friarjack@americancatholic.org.

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