Meditation and Prayer: Who are we calling?

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I remember when I was a kid picking up the rotary phone and calling our house number, thinking I would prank my mother.  After I dialed, however, all I heard on the other end was the “phone is busy” ring; that quick, rhythmic, single-note tone that let one know the connection could not be made – that the line was tied-up.  That still happens with our landline (yes, we still have one and we will not get rid of it…) if I call it, but with the cellular phones, it goes straight to voicemail.  Either way, the principle is the same: dialing up one’s own number either leads to nothing or a soliloquy. 

Over the past decade at least and made especially aware over the past year of COVID life, meditation has been promoted as part of a healthy lifestyle.  I seemingly cannot open an internet browser without seeing some sort of ad or article, usually showing someone in a yoga-like position, touting the importance of meditation.  I do not think meditation is bad, quite the contrary.  But if meditation is only meant to focus on the self, I fear it can lead to nothing or a soliloquy. 

I googled “purpose of meditation,” just to see what I could find.  I took the first hit that was from Healthline.com, “Benefits of Meditation: 12 Science-Based Benefits of Meditation.”  Of the 12 benefits, only one (#7 “Can Generate Kindness”) pointed directly to relational benefits, benefits that connect people with other people.  Even in that, the kindness generated is described as learning to be kind to oneself first, whatever that really means. 

As I browsed through some of the other hits, I found more of the same, with many leaning heavily on Eastern methods of meditation.  It seems clear to me that there are some advantages of meditation simply on a surface level.  However, if we really want to see, know, and experience the beauty beneath the surface, the Orthodox Christian should have a clearer understanding of what meditation, and then prayer, truly is. 

On the second Sunday of Great Lent, we remember a great saint of the Greek Orthodox Church: St. Gregory Palamas.
For a brief read on his life, faith and work, please visit: https://www.goarch.org/sunday-stgregorypalamas/-/asset_publisher/5Qsw4egPIbzs/content/let-us-pray-to-the-lord?inheritRedirect=false

One of the teachings St. Gregory Palamas constantly professed was the importance and primacy of prayer.  St. Gregory Palamas even had a methodology in preparation for deep and intense prayer.  That methodology, though the height of spiritual growth and experience of God, can, for our purposes here, be distilled down to Christ-centered meditation.
Meditation, for the Orthodox Christian is goal-oriented thinking.  It is not merely trying to wipe our minds clear of mundane thoughts.  It is far more than inner peace, living in the moment, or being more aware and in tune with our surroundings.  For the Orthodox Christian, meditation is directing the thoughts specifically to Christ.

Furthermore, at the onset, meditation for the Orthodox Christian begins with a fierce battle.  That battle is against the onslaught of worldly pursuits and the promptings of the passions.  And yes, it is even a battle against the dark, evil spiritual forces that exist around us.  The beginning of meditation is not about sitting on mat, thinking about a bubbling stream, or imagining the energy lines that connect us with the oak tree in the Arb.  The beginning of meditation is a noisy, vicious, confrontation of the conscience against thoughts that are not centered on Christ.

Why is focusing our thoughts on Christ in meditation important?  Because we have to focus our thoughts on a foundation, a principle, a solid base.  Focusing our thoughts on anything but Christ, including ourselves or general principles (such as health, beauty, the river, etc.) are too mistake-ridden and prone to flights of fancy.  The only One that can bring us true inner peace, true serenity, true knowledge of ourselves is Jesus.  He is the One true principle and standard against which we should take inventory of ourselves.  He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

Meditation is hard work!  Think about it: how often do our minds wander in church?  I am told all the time to put coverings on the windows so people coming late and walking in the parking lot will not be a distraction.  I have been asked to make sure I tell parents that at the first peep of their children, they should move to the nursery.  I will not get started about women’s dress (nearly always brought about by other women!).  How come that acolyte did not comb his hair better?  Why is that guy going up for Communion?  What happens when I chant something off-key or drone on in a sermon?  The priest himself always has to fight against disturbances that might take the eye of his heart off of Christ.  Sometimes, I succumb.  Distractions all!  But the individual allows the distractions to divert attention by himself when he does not confront them directly and instead blames someone else.  Christ-oriented thought, Christian meditation, is hard work!

There are ways to help us drive away distractive thoughts.  Finding a quiet place is often helpful.  Putting away electronic devices is nearly essential.  Having icons in front of us can help us refocus on Christ.  Reading the Gospels can help us refocus on Christ.  Even repeating the name of Jesus can greatly aid our Christian meditation.  But it takes practice, consistency, and patience to become more and more proficient in Orthodox Christian meditation.

Please note, it is a process and not something we can accomplish easily.  Furthermore, just because we have not mastered it does not mean we cannot have powerful and meaningful prayer.  What it does over time, however, is it keeps pushing the door a little more open to the heavenly kingdom.

Finally, why Orthodox Christian meditation is important is because our Christ-centered thoughts move from the individual from the selfish to the selfless, from the soliloquy to the dialogue.  And that, my friends, is at the heart of Orthodox Christian prayer.

In two weeks, we will discuss St. John of the Ladder, St. John Climacos, and we will focus on prayer itself as “a dialog and a union of man with God.”

May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help us all to center our thoughts on Him, through the prayers of St. Gregory Palamas.  Amen.

God bless,
Fr. Nick