EXPERIENCE OF GOD THROUGH CHRISTAN MEDITATION: JOBIN THAYYIL

EXPERIENCE OF GOD THROUGH CHRISTAN MEDITATION

JOBIN THAYYIL

There are different methods of prayer. Quietism, rationalism, speculative, apophatetic,  kathaphatic, pietism, encratism, affective, etc. The most important aim of prayer is to experience God. Christian meditation is one of the methods for experiencing God. Christian meditation is a silent prayer with a repeated Mantra. Meditation is a way of self-knowledge and self acceptance.

For Christian meditation there are there important things. First stillness which means keeping our mind always steady. Secondlysilence meaning to make our mind and body quiet and pay attention to God. Then lastlySimplicity, meansdo not use our head and our reasons. There are four important things to be kept in mind for good meditation. We should discipline ourselves do not evaluate the result of meditation because we are allowing God to work within us and He has His own time to work.  Then do not expect something before dong meditation and start with zero.

For me Christian meditation is easier than other methods of prayer. Because for other methods we are more inclined to use our intelligent and reason. But for Christian meditation Holy Spirit is guiding us and more than the head the heart is used. We are entrusting ourselves fully to the will of God. The means for doing that is denying ourselves. Jesus says in the gospel of Luke 9:23 “if you want to come with me, you must deny yourself, take up your cross every day, and follow me.” If we are not ready to deny ourselves Holy Spirit cannot work in us. To deny ourselves means to avoid our ego. The signs of our ego self are desire to dominate, desire to keep, desire to be advance , desire to hold on everything etc. so for doing the will of God we have to avoid our ego and deny ourselves even it is against our will.We can see this in the Holy Family. They did not do anything according to their will. But they deny themselves for the will of God. They always seek and act according to the will of God.

 Through Christian meditation we can find our true self. We are the image of God and this is our true self. Our duty is to avoid our false self that is ego and find our true self that is the image of God. Christian meditation is an egoless prayer. We do not desire to possessGod but to love Him and experience His love.

Christian meditation is the prayer of faith. Through this we are having a good relationship with God. It will increase our faith in God and encourage us to trust fully in God. we are the part of Jesusbody. That is our true self. Through meditation we can find our true self and become a good child of God.