Meditation

In today’s Gospel, Mark recounts for us how the disciples came back to Jesus to share their experiences of healing and casting out demons in his name.  The first thing that Jesus says to them is “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Mark 6:31

Jesus knew the importance of stepping away from a task in order to rest.  It is through rest that we are able to rise refreshed to continue the work of the day; the work that God has planned for us.

The opportunities for rest and relaxation are far and wide, however, I think that what Jesus wants for his disciples, the original twelve and all of us in the current era, is to find true spiritual rest.  Spiritual rest involves quieting our minds and setting the world aside for a time in order to hear God speak.  Long ago I learned the art of meditating; however, I have allowed the busy-ness of life to keep me from this spiritual gift.  Yoga has also been an outlet of spiritual rest for me which I have recently re-introduced to my life thanks to the Women’s Guild and the ladies who participated in Praying with the Body.

Every year, the Diocese of Youngstown Office of Religious Education offers those in parish ministry a retreat opportunity.  This year the retreat was held at Villa Maria Spiritual Center in Villa Maria, PA.  I feel so refreshed after spending a few days at the Villa.  First of all, the grounds are beautiful.  Nature itself affords us so many opportunities for retreat when we slow down enough to notice.  This was also very apparent at the Jesuit Spiritual Center.  Benches, Adirondack chairs, placed perfectly under trees, tucked away in quiet spaces beckoning you to come and sit and listen to God speak through nature.  Each facility also offered the labyrinth; a journey of walking with God.  Oh, what joy when you can push everything out of your mind and simply walk with God.

One session which I attended at the Villa was guided meditation.  Now, I may have shared this already, but the memory is so very clear I can’t help but talk with you about the experience.   I had really been struggling with the death of my mom.  I felt so far away from her being that she is in heaven and here I am still on the earth.  As Sister was preparing us for meditation, she asked us to find a word upon which we could focus.  As we took a breath, we were focus on the word.    After just three breaths, I was filled with such a bright light and piercing of my heart that I started to weep and nearly left the room.  The feeling was too intense for my human body to hold.  I stayed . . . breathed again . . . and let my spiritual being accept what God was showing me.  I exclaimed, “ah, there you are God!  There is my Mom, right there in my innermost being, the center of my heart.”  So, when I am weighed down by the tasks of the day, I take a breath; focus on my word; and find my God.

I pray that you can make time for retreat and encourage your children to do the same.  We will once again participate in the Kairos retreat for High School students held at Villa Maria in February and pray at the labyrinth in May.  I will be working this year to form adult retreat opportunities.

Until then, find a word; as you inhale focus on the word; as you exhale focus on the word.  Close your mind from everything but your breath and that word.  I pray that you will find God.

Shalom,

Tina