Browsed by
Month: December 2022

The Mantra and Silence in Christian Meditation

The Mantra and Silence in Christian Meditation

(Adapted from a formation talk by Rev. Dom Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB on November 18, 2017) Christian meditation, as originally practiced by the desert fathers and taught by John Main, is essentially a mantra-based prayer. Because of its similarity to Eastern meditation practices and the foreignness of its approach to most Christians, it might easily be dismissed as an exotic method, just a therapy for relaxation. This is an unfair judgement. The tradition of the mantra The mantra is…

Read More Read More

Advent: God’s Story As Ours, and Advent Wakefulness

Advent: God’s Story As Ours, and Advent Wakefulness

Last December 3, the Heartspace Manila community had its annual Advent Recollection, given by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB. In his morning talk, Fr. Paco spoke on the gospel readings this Advent as being not just God’s story, but our story as well. All liturgical celebrations, he said, are an expression of love, and Advent is a time when God’s longing for us and ours for Him is manifest. In his afternoon talk, Fr. Pacho stressed the importance,…

Read More Read More