Browsed by
Category: Articles

Meditation: A Path to the Heart of Prayer

Meditation: A Path to the Heart of Prayer

Comments 0 Comment

Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Across cultures and faiths, meditation has long been practiced as a path to inner stillness and divine connection. From Sufi mystics in Islam to Zen practitioners in Buddhism, from Hasidic Jews to Hindu sages and Christian monks, meditation has quietly spanned traditions, serving as a shared language of the soul. This universality does not dilute its power; rather, it highlights a deep truth: all people yearn for God….

Read More Read More

The Universal Gift of Meditation: A Journey into Stillness and Simplicity

The Universal Gift of Meditation: A Journey into Stillness and Simplicity

Comments 0 Comment

Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Meditation is not exclusive to any one faith tradition. Its universality points to something deeper than religious practice. It speaks to a shared human longing for the Divine, a common search for God that transcends culture, language, and belief. Meditation belongs to all because the desire to be with God resides in every human heart. What meditation is, and is not Christian meditation is sometimes misunderstood. It is…

Read More Read More

Dryness in Prayer, Part 2 – Crossing Two Deserts

Dryness in Prayer, Part 2 – Crossing Two Deserts

Comments 0 Comment

Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Many of the great mystics and spiritual writers remind us that true growth in prayer frequently takes place in the desolate spaces, the “dry” patches where we seem to lose all sense of God’s presence. Henri Nouwen describes God’s presence as “His infinitely abundant, overflowing life that reveals itself as loving concern for all,” yet we encounter moments when that overflowing seems to pull back, leaving us feeling…

Read More Read More

Dryness in Prayer, Part 1 – When Prayer Feels Empty: Embracing the Desert Experience

Dryness in Prayer, Part 1 – When Prayer Feels Empty: Embracing the Desert Experience

Comments 0 Comment

Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Prayer has been described as a journey. A relationship, a communion, a lifting of the heart to God. But anyone who has spent real time in prayer knows it can also feel like a roller coaster ride. At times it soars with inspiration, overflowing with joy and love. Other times, it plunges into silence, emptiness, and what can only be called spiritual dryness. If you’ve ever prayed and…

Read More Read More

From Outer Space to Inner Stillness: Rediscovering the Heart Through Christian Meditation

From Outer Space to Inner Stillness: Rediscovering the Heart Through Christian Meditation

Comments 4 comments

Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB In today’s fast-paced world, many of us resemble a can of soda. We’re shaken up, fizzing over, and appear full. But only on the surface. Like soft drink poured into a glass, our lives seem to be brimming with activity, but underneath all the motion is a hollow emptiness. We are often so busy that we confuse busyness with purpose, and motion with depth. This seeming fullness leads…

Read More Read More

Hope: The Heartbeat of Prayer

Hope: The Heartbeat of Prayer

Comments 0 Comment

Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” These closing words of the Lord’s Prayer are not simply a doxology. They are a declaration of hope. Prayer, at its core, is an expression of that hope. It is the forward-looking faith that affirms God’s sovereignty, acknowledges His power, and rests in His eternal glory. Power in hope Hope is not a vague optimism or…

Read More Read More

A Sacred Invitation: Into the Silence

A Sacred Invitation: Into the Silence

Comments 0 Comment

Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB To walk the spiritual path is to enter into silence. Not just an absence of noise, but a deep and sacred stillness that awakens the soul. We often imagine spiritual growth as something we do – more effort, more prayer, more study. But the true invitation is simpler and more radical: to be still. Silence is not an accessory to solitude; it is its heart. Without silence, solitude…

Read More Read More

Heartspace for Hope Series – January 2025: The Hopeful Heart

Heartspace for Hope Series – January 2025: The Hopeful Heart

Comments 0 Comment

Heartspace for Hope is a series of monthly articles by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB, meant to accompany the 2025 Jubilee year with reflections on its theme of hope. This is its first installment: Inspired by hope I decided to do something different in anticipation of 2025. Instead of the usual resolutions I would normally list down whenever a new year began, I opted to come up with a Hope List. Inspired by the Jubilee Year’s theme, Pilgrims…

Read More Read More

Trust and Surrender: Thoughts from an Intensive Meditation Retreat

Trust and Surrender: Thoughts from an Intensive Meditation Retreat

Comments 0 Comment

Every now and again, it benefits one to step back from life – to breathe, to take stock, to reset one’s perspective. This past August 18 to 25, I was fortunate to do just that, joining a group of meditators from Heartspace Manila on retreat at the Abbey of the Transfiguration, Heartspace’s birthplace in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. The Intensive Meditation Retreat (IMR) has long been offered by Heartspace to its meditators, and for some of us is an annual practice. It…

Read More Read More

The Call to Live with Open Hearts (A Homily on Heartspace’s 16th Anniversary)

The Call to Live with Open Hearts (A Homily on Heartspace’s 16th Anniversary)

Comments 0 Comment

Heartspace was founded in 2008 on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and each year marks its founding anniversary on this feast of its titular Patron. Last June 7, at the 16th anniversary commemoration of Heartspace, founder Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan OSB delivered the following homily: What do you and I do when we meet someone who is unloveable, hurts us through an unforgivable act, or really is deserving of our judgment and condemnation? I wonder…

Read More Read More