Meditation

[Crusader_4]

I have some very close protestant friends who i often discuss things with. I have mentioned that i am very big into meditation especially on the life of Christ i.e. Rosary. They really approach it with fear saying things like Jesus never did it and its not found in the bible. Of course this arguments dont phase me or anything of the like. My question is how come besides Catholicsm and Orthodox Church that meditation is not encouraged as much. Also what are your guys thoughts on this have you ever came into conflict in the idea of meditation with Protestants. Whenever i mention it to them they act as if i am talking abotu some drug induced tibetan chant trance.

Edited May 15, 2004 by Crusader_4

[CreepyCrawler]

i've never come across a problem talking about meditation with people, but i think most of my friends are 'liberal' protestants. but my mom's catholic and she said she'd never do yoga b/c it's related to hinduism (which it can be but the american pop-yoga stretchy stuff i'm sure isn't bad). but anyway, most people don't understand the rosary and that's why they don't like it. i've never heard of anyone saying it was bad to meditate on the life of christ, though. sorry. that was a whole post about nothing. sigh.

[Livin_the_MASS]

I have!!! Many a time they like the verse Matthew 6:7

[quote]"In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they are heard because of their many words."[/quote]

But they take this out of context.

Like you said when we pray the Holy Rosary correctly it is a meditation on the life of Christ!

Christ right after that gave us the Our Father prayer it's the same prayer that we say, even they say it.

In the garden Jesus prayed the same prayer 3 times!

St. Paul pray without ceasing.

If you as a Catholic have an answer from the Bible or Teaching of the Church is shocking I think to them more than anything, so they put up a defense.

They tend to think we don't know the Bible and our Faith and when we do their in shock so they throw it off to dodge the issue.

Thats my personal dealing with this issue.

God Bless You
Jason

[p0lar_bear]

I think the problem is that sometimes the word "meditation" conjures up images of buddhist monks or new agers chanting "ah-ommm." You basically need to lead them to see that this is a narrow and false view of meditation. Perhaps you could start with the definition of meditation: "The act of meditating; close or continued thought; the turning or revolving of a subject in the mind; serious contemplation; reflection; musing" (Webster). Meditation is not the privileged pervue of eastern mystics and new age gurus, it is, simply put, focusing on something.

What matters is not the meditation itself, but rather what one is meditating upon. Meditating on the events of Christ's life (such as in the Rosary) is completely different than meditating on reaching the nirvana of nothingness or on oneself.

Also, as far as Scripture goes:

[quote]Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight. --Ps. 19:14.[/quote]

[jasJis]

Crusader,
If you're really interested in this, read a book by Peter Kreeft, "Prayer the Great Conversation".
One reason that many modern Protestants reject 'meditative' prayer is their cultural seperation from just about any type of mysticism. It is a very cultural thing that has grown. Here in the US, it's even more exacerbated with the modern societal worship of science.
Mr. Kreeft points out that meditation, even what the non-Christian religions perform, can serve a Christian. He does caution that a Christian must be mature in prayer, and cognitive of the dangers and pitfalls of learning this type of prayer from non-Christians and losing focusing on God.
The "Holy Name Society", established by St. John Vercelli and Pope Gregory X, is based on the prayerful contempletion of the Name, "Jesus" to combat blasphemy, irreverance and disregard of sacred Truth.

[Fiat_Voluntas_Tua]

It seems like some Protestants just try to find for a way to disagree with the Church...When I was Protestant, I tried to find problems with the Church, because I was affraid of joing it...(Thank God I never found any problems, maybe that's because there aren't any.)

Pax et Agape per Mariam, Andy

[cmotherofpirl]

To reject meditation is to reject the Bible:
Pslam one
1: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2: but his delight is in the law of the LORD, [u]and on his law he meditates day and night. [/u]3: He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
4: The wicked are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5: Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6: for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.


KJV
Psalm 5:1
Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
(Whole Chapter: Psalm 5 In context: Psalm 5:1-2I

Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
(Whole Chapter: Psalm 19 In context: Psalm 19:13-15)


Psalm 49:3
My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
(Whole Chapter: Psalm 49 In context: Psalm 49:2-4)


Psalm 104:34
My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
(Whole Chapter: Psalm 104 In context: Psalm 104:33-35)


Psalm 119:97
O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
(Whole Chapter: Psalm 119 In context: Psalm 119:96-98)


Psalm 119:99
I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.

1 Timothy 4:15
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.



I think protestants meditate, they just don't call it that.

Edited May 15, 2004 by cmotherofpirl

[Crusader_4]

Hey great thanx guys i really appreciate it. Also are any of you framilliar with something called "the Jesus Prayer" i hear it is really big in the Eastern Rites and in particular Eastern Orthodox Churches you guys know anything about it?

[Aloysius]

started with the desert monks, way back when in the time of persecution they'd flee to the desert. they repeated it over and over and over, for hours and i've heard even for days "Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner"

[the_rev]

Talking about the rosary, I wear my marian shirt, "Urgetn Call Home, your mother hasn't heard from you in decades" I've had many protestants at school tellme they didn't know what it meant. I'm like htink about it, and then I said a prayer for htem, and usually they came back telling me they figured it out! I'm a big fan of the rosary!

[Crusader_4]

The rosary is the ultimate prayer but if i ever mentioned that word to them it would be unspeakeable. Which is why i wonder why do most Protestants show such anger towards the Rosary? is it simply the Marian devotion?

[jasJis]

[quote name='Crusader_4' date='May 16 2004, 11:02 PM'] The rosary is the ultimate prayer but if i ever mentioned that word to them it would be unspeakeable.  Which is why i wonder why do most Protestants show such anger towards the Rosary?  is it simply the Marian devotion? [/quote]
The anger is because many Protestants have been taught about Jesus with the perspective of "how it's not like Catholic". I have mostly non-Catholic Christian (Protestant) friends and have learned that to discuss religion with them, we Catholics, (as Christians with the Fullness of Truth), must be faithful to the Fullness of Truth and be the first to recognize the Christian Truths they might hold in their religion. Protestantism, by it's very nature and origin, has as it's core an adversion to certain things "Catholic" which has grown over the 500 years of it's existence. But since Catholics come from the Fullness of Truth, we must also recognize we also have access to the Fullness of Graces and of course, the burden to be charitable rests on us.
Discussion on the Rosary with Protestants must originate as a discussion of contemplation of New Testament Scripture. The Luminous Mysteries would probably be an excellent start. Discussion about the Graces of dwelling on scripture is much more fruitful than arguing about graces in formal prayer, the graces of Mary, the graces of intervention of Saints, etc.

edit to add:
And don't forget to point out the Ultimate Prayer of the 'Our Father' that is the keystone of each decade, and the 'Glory Be' which is the crowning jewel of each decade. The Hail Mary is beautiful decoration that links the Our Father with the Glory be and points to Mary's role that leads us to the Divinity of God made Flesh as our Brother Human.

Edited May 17, 2004 by jasJis