Meditation Group

images maranatha

The  Parish Meditation Group meets every Monday online via Zoom video conferencing at 8pm sharp (except Bank Holiday Mondays) for 40 minutes.

Newcomers are welcome to contact Ian Murphy @ 01 8531026, (ianrichardmurphy@gmail.com), or Joseph McDonagh @ 086 8179905 to make enquiries about Meditation.

We start with a prayer, and listen to a short input to help focus our thoughts; this leads into 20 minutes of Meditation online (silent time), followed by a short sharing on the experience.

How to meditateimages be still and know that I am God

Sit down. Sit still with your back straight. Close your eyes lightly. Then interiorly, silently begin to recite a single word – a prayer word or mantra. We recommend the ancient Christian prayer-word “Maranatha”. Say it as four equal syllables -Ma-ra-na-tha-. Breathe normally and give your full attention to the word as you say it, silently, gently, faithfully and above all – simply. The essence of meditation is simplicity. Stay with the same word during the whole meditation and from day to day. Don’t visualise but listen to the word as you say it. Let go of all thoughts (even good thoughts), images and other words. Don’t fight your distractions but let them go by saying your word faithfully, gently and attentively and returning to it immediately that you realise you have stopped saying or it or when your attention is wandering

Silence means letting go of thoughts. Stillness means letting go of desire. Simplicity means letting go of self-analysis.

Meditate twice a day every day. This daily practice may take you some time to develop. Be patient. When you give up start again. You will find that a weekly meditation group and a connection with a community may help you develop this discipline and allow the benefits and fruits of meditation to pervade your mind and every aspect of your life in ways that will teach and delight you. John Main said that ‘meditation verifies the truths of your faith in your own experience’.

You can find a Meditation Group near where you are by clicking on this link: Christian Meditation Ireland.

If you are interested in the origins of Christian Meditation in the John Main tradition, just click here.

A reflection on Christian Meditation by one of our group can be read by clicking here.