Invitation | Tuesday at 7:30 PM SFA Chapel: A Call to Encounter Jesus

Apr 13
2 min read

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amWb89UBcHU

Have you ever tried Apophatic prayer or the "Prayer of the Heart"?

Beyond words, beyond images, and beyond the distractions of a busy mind lies the stillness of God’s presence. While many are familiar with active reflection, this tradition—often called the prayer of silence—invites us to let go of our own thoughts to make room for the Holy Spirit.

Join the WCCM Christian Meditation group this Tuesday as we move from thinking about God to simply being with Him.

The Experience of Presence

Father John Main OSB, whose teachings guide our practice, explains:

"In meditation, we are not thinking about God at all... we seek to do something immeasurably greater: we seek to be with God, to be with Jesus, to be with His Holy Spirit. It is one thing to know that Jesus is our way to the Father; it is quite another to experience the presence of Jesus within us."

Guided by the Holy Father

In his General Audience on April 28, 2021 (Vatican Press), Pope Francis spoke on the necessity of this interior encounter:

A Universal Need: "It is a need for everyone. We all need to meditate, to reflect, to find ourselves."
The Ultimate Goal: "Inner peace may be a result, but the real aim is not that—it is the encounter with Jesus."
The Method as a Guide: "The important thing is that the method leads you to the encounter with Jesus."
Finding Our Identity: "By meditating, we allow Jesus to meet us and we discover our true identity in His love."

Rooted in the Catechism (CCC)

The Church teaches that this "quest" is vital for the soul:

CCC 2705: "Meditation is above all a quest... to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking."
CCC 2707: "The important thing is to advance, with the Holy Spirit, along the one way of prayer: Christ Jesus."
CCC 2708: "Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire... this is necessary to deepen our convictions of faith."