Maronite Meditations

We begin to study the Our Father in Syriac, the closest language to the Aramaic which Our Lord spoke. We also speak of "silence," not merely the absence of noise, but rather the presence of something beyond words. In the contemplation, we add the quality of feeling.

The New Testament teaches that God is with us. How can we not, then, wish to have some sense of his presence? This awareness of the presence of God is the essence of mysticism. In our contemplation this week, we deepen our sensation of the body - the Temple of the Holy Spirit

The sacred rites address the faith to the whole person and not only to the intellect. In Semitic terms, they were addressed to the heart, for “In the heart, the image of God was implanted at the beginning of time, and it is by purifying this image that direct contact with God can be re-established.” In the contemplation, we add the sensation of the body as a stabilising element.

We now explore “mysticism.” Mysticism is consciousness of the presence of God. The mystic path includes all which leads to or flows from consciousness. Contemplation can help one come to oneself, and so receive the mysterious impression of the presence of God. It is a practical path to mysticism, and so to the heart of Christianity. The mystical path is not an escapist one, it is the most practica...

In the first half, we introduce the spiritual tradition of the Maronite Catholic Church. In the second half, I lead a very basic contemplative exercise.