5-Minute Mindfulness (18 page)

Of you, Most High, he is the symbol.

Praised be you, my Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars,

In the heavens you formed them clear, precious, and beautiful.

Praised be you, my Lord, for Brother Wind and for the air and for the clouds,

For the azure calm and for all climes by which you give life to your creatures.

Praised be you, my Lord, for Sister Water

Who is very useful and humble, humble and chaste.

Praised be you, my Lord, for Brother Fire,

By whom you enlighten the night.

He is beautiful and joyous, indomitable and strong.

Praised be you, my Lord, for our Mother the Earth

Who nourishes us and bears us, and produces all kinds of fruits,

With the speckled flowers and the herbs.

—st. Francis of Assisi

On his deathbed in 1226, it is reported that St. Francis repeated a last addition to this prayer: “Praised be you, my Lord, for our Sister Death.”

LET PEACE BEGIN WITH ME PRAYER

This is a prayer to say whenever you are struggling to maintain peace in your world:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

—St.Francis of Assisi

TERESA OF ÁVILA: THE BLESSING OF SILENCE

By the sixteenth century, monastic life for women was widespread in Europe. Influential intellects and mystics moved toward the contemplative life, away from the continually changing fortunes of political institutions throughout the region. Among them was a young Spanish woman, Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada, born in 1515.

Although she became known for her reforms of the Carmelite order, St. Teresa’s spiritual enlightenment emphasized a new concept:
oración mental
, the practice of mental prayer. Rather than a recitation, this was a kind of dialogue with God: “Mental prayer [oración mental] in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.”

St. Teresa passed away in 1582. Her works,
The Way of Perfection
and
The Interior Castle
, recount her teachings on mystical prayer to the sisters of her order. In 1970, she became the first woman to be named Doctor of the Church.

Call on the blessing of St. Teresa of Ávila whenever you need to connect with God in a personal way. Talk to God as if He were your friend, as she advised.

NIKODIMOS HAGIORITIS: THE PRAYER OF THE HEART

Nikodimos Hagioritis (1748–1809) was a Greek Orthodox monk who brought about a spiritual renaissance through his writings on “the love of the good and beautiful.” He initially entered on this devotional path to translate the writings of the Eastern Orthodox Church, but on spiritual pilgrimages through Greece and Turkey, he discovered the “prayer of the heart.” This is perpetual prayer, the continuous recitation of the name of Jesus. By performing this prayer constantly, Nikodimos taught that the mind would relinquish its attachment to the world and come to rest in the heart. Here, it is possible to enter the divine state.

This revelation is recorded in his prodigious work, the
Philokalia
. It was to later influence an anonymous Russian writer in the mid-nineteenth century who produced the classical spiritual novel,
The Way of a Pilgrim
. It recounts the journey of a seeker who attains spiritual realization by reciting the prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have pity on me.”

THE “ OH, GOD!” PRAYER

They say that the shortest prayer is “Oh, God,” which is in effect a prayer of the heart. The next time you say or hear someone else say “Oh, God,” or something similar, turn that lament into a prayer of the heart.

THOMAS MERTON: POET OF THE LORD

In recent times, a renaissance of contemplative prayer emerged from the inspirational poetry and art of the Trappist monk Father Lewis, known to the public as Thomas Merton. Born in 1915, Merton came to the United States from France in the 1930s to study and teach. Although he had been agnostic in early life, he converted to Catholicism and left the teaching profession for a life of solitude as a monk. He chose the Trappists, the popular name for a branch of the Cistercian order founded in seventeenth-century France. Their rules are very strict—seclusion, minimal food, meatless diet, hard labor, and a vow of silence. However, that regimen has not prevented its members from pursuing artistic and social endeavors. In that spirit, Merton produced best-selling social commentaries and religious works in the form of prayers, poetry, and meditations.

The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, near Bardstown, Kentucky, became Merton’s home, where he taught students and novices. He wrote about learning stillness through “centering prayer,” and about a concept shared by many meditative paths, the “final integration.” Merton believed that final integration brings every person in contact with his/her true nature, a divine nature.

Merton became a close friend of Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk who proposed the idea of engaged (socially active) Buddhism. Merton passed away in 1968 in Bangkok, Thailand, while attending an ecumenical conference of Buddhist and Christian monks. Today, Thomas Merton contemplative retreats are offered around the world, and a foundation disseminates his works and teachings.

PRAY IN A CHURCH

Whenever you pass by a church, drop in for five minutes, and say a prayer, as Thomas Merton advised. Let your soul sing while you pray.

THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS DEVOTION

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus began with St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647–1690), a nun of the Visitation order. According to Margaret Mary, Jesus appeared to her and offered his heart as a refuge for humankind, promising her that whoever kept an image of the heart visible in the home would be granted fulfillment of several promises. Among these promises were the fulfillment of material needs fitting to the person’s station in life, peace in family matters, speed in the perfection of sanctity, and consolation in life and death.

THE SACRED HEART MEDITATION

Whenever you pray for a given outcome, call on the promise of a Sacred Heart devotion like the following:

Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty, have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God, have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of Heaven, have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, have mercy.

THE MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY

One of the most important Catholic devotions, increasingly practiced by other Christians as well, is the Rosary. The Rosary can be a fruitful way of prayer or meditation when you don’t know what words to say or when meditating in silence becomes too difficult. The Rosary can also be a big help when you feel “stuck” in some particular life situation or spiritual problem.

The Rosary can be said in twenty or thirty minutes, or it can take hours. It all depends on the amount of time spent ruminating on each prayer. The scenes from Scripture can actually be read or simply recalled on the indicated beads. As for the rosary itself, you can buy a set of plastic beads for a few dollars or an ornate strand for hundreds of dollars. Try to purchase one that will not be so fragile that it breaks after one or two uses and can stand up to being placed in a pocket. Traditionally, a rosary should be blessed by a priest and should not be worn as jewelry. The Rosary can be said before a candle or an image of Jesus, Mary, or a favorite saint.

There are several prayers that are repeated as the Rosary is said:

APOSTLES‘ CREED

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day he arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

GLORY BE (GLORIA PATRI)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

HAIL MARY

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

OUR FATHER (THELORD‘S PRAYER)

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil [for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever]. Amen.

HAIL HOLY QUEEN

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O, clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God, that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

O MY JESUS

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy. Amen.

HOW TO SAY THE ROSARY

1. On the cross or crucifix, say the Apostles’ Creed.

2. On the first bead, say the Our Father.

3. Say the Hail Mary three times.

4. On the last invitatory bead, say the Glory Be and announce the first mystery (Example: “The first mystery is The Baptism in the Jordan). Then say the Our Father.

5. Say the Hail Mary ten times while meditating on the first mystery.

6. On the next set, say the Glory Be, announce the second mystery, and say the Our Father.

7. Say ten Hail Marys. Repeat the process for the third, fourth, and fifth mysteries.

8. To conclude, say the Glory Be, O My Jesus, and Hail Holy Queen.

The Rosary is a meditative tour through the Gospel story as viewed through the eyes of Mary. Most people probably think of the Rosary as a Roman Catholic devotion, and that is its largest audience. But the words of the prayers themselves and the Gospel events in the mysteries are derived from Scripture and are important for all Christians. Those outside the Christian tradition may also find the prayers meaningful since Christ is, after all, a human being. His life and sufferings have something to do with all of us. If anyone can practice Zen meditation, why can’t anyone say the Rosary?

5–MINUTE ROSARY MEDITATION

You don’t have to wait until you have time to say the full Rosary. You can say the Rosary in five minutes when you simply recite the name of the prayer associated with each bead rather than say the entire prayer, as in Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, etc. This honors each prayer as a mantra.