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Category: The Practice of Christian Meditation

Discipled by Bethany: What Mary, Martha, and Lazarus Teach About Contemplation

Discipled by Bethany: What Mary, Martha, and Lazarus Teach About Contemplation

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Based on a formation talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan There are places in the Gospels that seem to exist not only on a map but also within the human heart. Bethany is one of them. When we hear the name Bethany, we naturally think of the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, the siblings whom Scripture repeatedly describes as close friends of Jesus. Yet Bethany is more than a village near Jerusalem. It is a spiritual home….

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The Soil of the Soul: How Christian Meditation Prepares Us for God

The Soil of the Soul: How Christian Meditation Prepares Us for God

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Based on a formation talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Jesus’ parable of the sower talks about seed. But it is more a story about soil. The seed is always good. The question is whether the ground is ready to receive it. Our hearts are much the same. Some days we feel open, receptive, and full of hope. Other days our hearts resemble a well-worn footpath, compacted by responsibilities, anxieties, disappointments, and endless activity. We become so…

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Discovering the Love of Christ Through Christian Meditation and the Sacred Heart

Discovering the Love of Christ Through Christian Meditation and the Sacred Heart

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Based on a homily by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB, on the 18th anniversary of Heartspace, June 12, 2026 There is something deeply encouraging about seeing people persevere in their spiritual practice, faithfully returning to prayer, day after day, despite life’s demands and distractions. Christian meditation, especially when practiced under the patronage of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, can become a profound path of discovery: not merely thinking about God’s love, but experiencing it in the depths of…

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From Awareness to Communion: Rediscovering John Main’s Vision of Christian Meditation

From Awareness to Communion: Rediscovering John Main’s Vision of Christian Meditation

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Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB A few weeks ago, a dream about John Main prompted me to return to his writings and teachings on Christian meditation. The dream itself was brief, but it opened a space for reflection. As I revisited his work, I found myself struck once again by the simplicity of his message. What John Main taught about prayer was never intended to be obscure or esoteric. He was not concerned…

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Always Beginning- An Orientation to Christian Meditation

Always Beginning- An Orientation to Christian Meditation

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Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB Every first Sunday of the quarter, our community pauses for what we call an orientation-themed reflection. For some, it is an introduction. For others, a reminder. For all of us, it is an invitation to begin again. That phrase, begin again, sits at the heart of Christian meditation as taught by John Main. No matter how long we have been practicing, we are always beginners. Meditation does not…

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The Eye That Cannot See Itself: Rediscovering the Authentic Self Through Meditation

The Eye That Cannot See Itself: Rediscovering the Authentic Self Through Meditation

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Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB There are words that refuse to give themselves away too quickly. In Tagalog, salawikain comes close. A proverb, a riddle, a poetic whisper – its meaning shifts depending on who hears it. We sit with it, let it linger, and only over time does it begin to shape our understanding. Buddhist tradition treats the koan the same way: a statement that eludes instant comprehension, inviting the meditator to…

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Held in Stillness: My Heartspace CDO Journey

Held in Stillness: My Heartspace CDO Journey

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Two years ago, I said yes to something I did not understand. I had no idea what Heartspace was. I did not know what it meant to meditate, let alone what Christian meditation even looked like. I went because a friend gently suggested it might help. And I said yes because, at that time, I was desperate. I was in a dark place mentally, emotionally, spiritually. I couldn’t see the way forward. I just needed something to help me breathe…

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Contemplation in a Divided World: The Silent Revolution of Peace

Contemplation in a Divided World: The Silent Revolution of Peace

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Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB We live in a world gripped by unrest. Armed conflicts between nations, rising economic inequality, and deep social and racial divides. From tensions in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, to the war in Ukraine and the crises in our own communities, we are surrounded by pain that seems too vast to comprehend, let alone heal. And yet, amid all this, we are invited to ask:
What is the…

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Smashing the Mirror: Meditation and the Journey to Authentic Union with Christ

Smashing the Mirror: Meditation and the Journey to Authentic Union with Christ

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Based on a talk by Rev. Fr. Pachomius Ma. San Juan, OSB “May He strengthen you in His glorious might with ample power to meet whatever comes with fortitude, patience and joy…”
— Colossians 1:11–12 There is a power we desperately need today. Not merely the strength to survive, but to endure with patience, joy, and courage. That power does not come from within us. It comes from Christ, our supreme power source. Only when we are plugged into His presence…

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Meditation: A Path to the Heart of Prayer

Meditation: A Path to the Heart of Prayer

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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….

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