Sacre-Coeur Association of New South Wales Inc.

Spirituality

Advent 2011

Advent can be a particular time of crisis- The season is often seen as a “stand alone” time - the hectic end of year rush, the expectation of a festive family time, the holiday break and then another 365 days to the ‘next one”.John Main OSB has a particular invitation for us to keep alive the “something” that we know is at the heart of this “new beginning” of the Church’s Liturgical year. His invitation to “stillness and simplicity” in the practice of meditation is a life giving one –our wellbeing, wholeness and “full life” depend on it.
This is what he says: - It often seems as if we rush through life at such high speed while in our heart there is the essential interior flame of being. Our rushing often brings it to the point of extinction. But when we sit down to meditate, in stillness and simplicity, the flame begins to burn brightly and steadily. As we abandon thinking in terms of success and self – importance, the light of the flame helps us to understand ourselves and others in terms of light, warmth and love. The mantra leads us to this point of stillness where the flame of being can burn bright. It teaches us what we know, but frequently forget, that we cannot live a full life unless it is grounded on some underlying purpose. Life has an ultimate significance and value that is only really discovered in the still steadiness of being which is our essential rootedness in God. (John Main “Word Made Flesh”)

Remember the simple way of the meditation : 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. 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.
For more information see www.wccm.org

First Sunday of Advent - Read more...
Second Sunday of Advent - Read more...
Third Sunday of Advent - Read more...
Fourth Sunday of Advent - Read more...
Christmas 2011

“The deepest level of communication is not communication. It is communion. It is wordless. It is beyond words; and it is beyond speech; and it is beyond concept. Not that we discover a new unity. We discover an older unity. My dear (sisters), we are already one. But we imagine that we are not. And what we have to recover is our original unity. What we have to be is what we are” (Thomas Merton)

"Nothing is more important for people of our time than to recover the capacity for silence. Silence is the medium of unity.

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Sacré-Coeur New South Wales Association Inc"

Spirituality