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Why is it that people eagerly countdown the days to that long-awaited holiday from work? Or for students, why is the summertime such a sacred and revered space in their lives? There could be many answers, but I think that at the heart of it is this – we are anticipating peace and contentment in moments where we step away from our responsibilities. There is an absence of work and pressure, which frees up time to step away from our responsibilities and allows a sense of liberation to choose how we spend our days. In truth though, all our time is in fact inherently free; and those feelings attached to removing responsibility from our lives are available to us even in our busiest days. Cultivating peace in our lives and living from that interior place is what can let us go through our work days with the same disposition as our holidays. In this article we will look at three different Christian meditation techniques that can be easily woven into the fabric of daily life, providing a guide to experiencing that restful state of inner peace every day.

What is Christian Meditation?

Christian meditation is distinct to other forms of meditation because of the focus of its contemplation. It does not seek to empty oneself – or even to have a heightened self-awareness, but rather, as the pre-modifier ‘Christian’ would suggest, the contemplation is centred on the Living God and His presence in our lives. Like other forms of meditation, however, it similarly seeks to allow the body and mind to come to a place of peace. Peace, in this case, is found in the encounter with Christ within these meditations. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Scripture portrays meditation in both the Old and New Testaments, showing it as a way of engaging deeply with God’s word and presence. The Psalmists often refer to this meditation with a sense of affection and dedication to it in their lives, even in the very first Psalm, we see this in verse two: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night”. Psalms 19 and 63 also portray this value their writers have for contemplation; “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14), “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.” (Psalm 63:6).

The New Testament shows a continuation of musing on these truths of God’s word and promises in their lives, albeit the word ‘meditation’ is not used as explicitly. There is instead a demonstration of how these figures respond to God’s word and presence in a meditative manner. We see it when Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is confronted with the different mysteries and realities of Jesus’ life. For example, when the Shepherds came to visit the newborn Jesus upon the Angel’s instruction, or after she spends three days looking for the child Jesus to find Him teaching in His ‘Father’s House’ (the Temple), she “treasures” and “ponders” these things in her heart (Luke 2:1-52). Jesus Himself then encourages another Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, when she chooses to sit and listen to Him instead of busying herself with work or distractions, he commends that “she has chosen what is better” (Luke 10:38-42).

This is the heart of Christian meditation, to sit and listen to Jesus, to ponder His works and words and treasure these in our hearts. To let them affect and speak into our own lives. To dialogue and explore these places with Him. It is making a space in our noisy world to choose “what is better” and allow our souls to encounter peace by doing exactly what they were made for: living in communion with God. Jesus Himself expresses this desire to live in that communion with us in John’s Gospel,  “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:26)

With that, here are three methods of Christian meditation that we hope help you encounter Jesus in your day-to-day life and find the inner peace He promises us through coming to Him, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

3 Methods of Christian Meditation

1. Lectio Divina

This invites you to listen to God’s Word with the ear of your heart and to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you personally through Sacred Scripture. It has 4 main stages: reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation.

• Reading (Lectio): Read a Bible passage slowly and attentively, noting any word or phrase that stands out to you. Preferably a story in the Gospel, rather than a whole chapter, as it more easily immerses us into that particular passage.
• Meditation (Meditatio): Here you reflect on the text, or the word/verse that has been standing out. Consider what it means and how it applies to you and your life. What is God saying to you through it?
• Prayer (Oratio): Converse with God about the passage. What does it stir up in you? What does it make you feel? Is there something you found hard to understand? Bring your thoughts and questions to God in this time. Then try to listen to how He responds to you.
• Contemplation (Contemplatio): Rest in God’s presence. There is nothing you have to do in these moments, just to ‘be still and know that He is God’ (Psalm 46:10), and He is present with you here.

2. The Jesus Prayer

This is a repetitive, simple prayer used to focus the mind on Christ and seek His presence. The Scriptural roots of the prayer are based on Luke 18:9-14, the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.^[1] The Pharisee makes a boastful prayer to thank God for how much moral superiority he feels compared to a list of other local characters. The Tax Collector, after this, humbly asks God, “have mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus commends the humility of the Tax Collector and says he was the one who truly “went home justified before God”. This prayer, then, is one that recognises who we are before God and aids us to ascent to this disposition before Him. It acknowledges our weakness and invites God to truly be the Lord of our lives.

The prayer typically goes, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” It is often combined with synchronising each breath you take with the prayer to centre the mind and heart. So, when saying “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God”, you breathe in. Then when saying, “have mercy on me, a sinner”, you breathe out. It is a prayer that can be said out loud or inwardly, as much or as little as you’d like, and in any place. This is a meditation that helps bring our attention back to Christ and to follow St Paul’s advice to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

I recently heard a story about a woman who was put under anaesthetic for surgery. As she was regaining consciousness afterwards, her husband heard her faintly uttering the words, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”. This is a testament to how this meditation can draw us closer to Christ in all situations – even when we are not fully conscious of it!

3. Taizé Prayer

This is a form of contemplative prayer developed by the Taizé Community, characterised by repetitive, meditative songs, scripture readings, and periods of silence. The repetitive songs help enter a place of contemplation and connection with God; “Through them, little by little, our being finds an inner unity in God. They can continue in the silence of our hearts when we are at work, speaking with others or resting. In this way prayer and daily life are united. They allow us to keep on praying even when we are unaware of it, in the silence of our hearts.”^[2]

The lyrics to these songs are normally based on scripture and contain very few words (and in a variety of languages), with one example being: “Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God’s holy Name. Bless the Lord, my soul, who leads me into life”.^[3] Other lyrics in these songs include, “Come, Lord and open in us the gates of Your kingdom”, and, “Let all who are thirsty come”.^[4] They can be found on the official Taizé website or with a quick search on YouTube.

It is most beneficial to have some time dedicated in your day to sit and enter into this meditative practice – whether it’s just receiving and listening to the songs on YouTube, or by joining in singing with them too. But, the beautiful thing about this style of meditation is that it can be something you play in the background while carrying out your daily tasks. Even when your full attention is not given, you easily pick up on the repetitive lyrics and they gently transform our interior state through their powerful proclamations.

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By incorporating Christian meditation techniques like Lectio Divina, the Jesus Prayer, and Taizé Prayer into daily life, we remain centred in Christ and draw strength and guidance from Him who is the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). These practices let us encounter an inner peace that transcends the temporary relief of holidays or breaks; we discover that true rest and freedom are not found in escaping responsibilities, but in inviting God into every aspect of our lives.

Bonus Resource Material!

At An Tobar Nua, we have created a free media resource called ‘SAOL,’ designed especially with Religious Education (R.E.) teachers in mind. This series includes engaging videos on topics from the Junior and Leaving Cert Curriculums, such as ‘Purpose,’ ‘Love,’ ‘Happiness,’ ‘Hope,’ ‘Freedom,’ and… ‘Peace’! Each one is accompanied by activities, discussion questions, and more to explore these themes in depth. “Peace, Man” is an episode that might offer valuable insights for you when exploring the theme of inner peace. Whether for yourself, a teacher you know, or students who could benefit, we hope this content helps cultivate a more peaceful life. Here are some of the suggested activities:

Activity B: Box Breathing Exercise

To practise deep breathing as a method for resetting emotions and increasing feelings of peace.

• Sit comfortably with your hands in your lap, closing your eyes if you wish.
• Inhale through your nose for a count of four.
• Hold your breath for two seconds.
• Exhale through your nose for a count of four.
• Hold your breath again for two seconds.
• Repeat this cycle three times.

Activity C: Experiencing Nature for Peace

To practise getting out into nature as a method for increasing feelings of peace.

• Choose a local outdoor space to visit.
• Take note of your current emotions before going outside.
• Spend 10-15 minutes sitting quietly in nature, observing the stillness around you.
• Reflect on how the experience affected your emotions and mental health, using prompts like: How did sitting outside feel? What challenges did you encounter? What did you notice about yourself and your environment during this time?

These techniques are not explicitly connected to ‘Christian Meditation’, but are other tools to care for our bodies and restore peace in a holistic way; through our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual capacities. Register with SAOL today and access all of the episodes and their bonus content on www.SAOL.antobarnuaretreats.ie.

Authored by Lucia.

Lucia spent a year working with An Tobar Nua as a co-leader for one of their remote faith and wellbeing retreat teams – where she had the pleasure of meeting students all over Ireland and diving into some of the bigger questions about life with them.

^[1]“The Jesus Prayer Meditation – 11th Step Meditation,” 11th Step Meditation, accessed August 15, 2024, https://www.11thstepmeditation.org/index.php/meditation-traditions/christian-meditation/the-jesus-prayer-meditation/.

^[2] Taizé Community, “Meditative Singing,” Taizé, July 27, 2004, https://www.taize.fr/en_article338.html.

^[3] Taizé Community, “Learning the Songs,” Taizé, October 29, 2015, https://www.taize.fr/en_article10308.html?letter=B.

^[4] Ibid.