Meditation for Thursday 6th February 2025
Finding meaning is a constant quest. Most of us when we examine possible meanings, we relate to them the same way we relate to everything else; firstly what does this meaning mean to me and what do I think it means to others?
Meditation as a contemplative exercise helps us to find meaning even if things remain a mystery and no obvious answers present themselves. Czech theologian and sociologist, Tomáš Halīk has written….
“The contemplative approach to life changes human life from a monologue into a dialogue- it is about something other than human self-assertion, the technical transformation of nature, or the manipulation of society by power, something other than an engineering approach to the world and to history. It is about being silent, listening, trying to understand, persevering in the search for an authentic answer. When the technical and manipulative approach to the world is not tempered by a contemplative one, the world of humans is under threat.” ***
When there is great suffering in the world; 20 million displaced refugees and asylum seekers, etc., ultimately the question comes back to us, what can we do, what should we do? How can we possibly enjoy life when things are so bleak. In these circumstances it’s difficult to find meaning.
Enter meditation. In meditation and in trying to live mindfully we learn to just ‘be’. This does not mean we fail to act, to right wrongs, to build a better world. When we meditate we are embracing the truth of living in the moment so we are free from angst and better able to assess situations and provide meaningful pathways to help.
Meditation
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For a complete listing of programs available through the Carmelite Centre go to www.thecarmelitecentremelbourne.org
*** “The Afternoon of Christianity” by Tomas Halik. Pub: University of Notre Dame, Indiana