Thursday, November 27, 2008

I can't meditate


Some people who have been praying the Rosary for many years can be heard saying: I Just can't think any more. Certainly I can't meditate. I seem to be lost. My answer is: "Welcome to the club!"
The point is that such people may have gone past complicated ways of meditating. They are not inclined to hold on to clear images or concepts. They just want to rest in the Lord and his Blessed Mother. Fine! A time comes when we should move on to this kind of prayer of rest and simplicity. One should not let our Rosary become a mere formula, or a fossilised form of prayer. It it an organic living reality and one may expect it to conform to the rules of life and growth.

My own suggestion is that when you announce the Mystery to be contemplated, you focus in on one simple phrase or thought,-- what they call a mantra. Rest in that simple prayer word and let it carry you through the decade or indeed through your whole Rosary. Maybe I can develop this trend at a later stage.

May I wish you well. You might like to contact me: Fr. Gabriel Harty,OP, The Dominican Priory, Tallaght Village, Dublin 24, Ireland.

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