Meditative Prayer
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"Meditation as the way of life centred faithfully and with discipline on prayer, is our way into this true experience of the spirit, of the Spirit." |
The Christian tradition of prayer through meditation has its roots in the communities of the early Desert Mothers and Fathers of the church in the 4th century AD. The tradition continues in various monastic communities today. in 1975, Fr. John Main, O.S.B. founded the Christian Meditation Centre in his local Benedictine community in London, England, where he introduced a simple tradition of silent, contemplative prayer based on the teachings of the early Christian desert communities. Fr. Main realised that this meditative prayer tradition was also very relevant for the larger community outside the walls of his monastery. Shortly afterward, in 1977, Fr. Main arrived in Montreal, Quebec, where he was invited to start a new Benedictine community. He continued the practice of meditation and prayer that he had started in England, and it soon started to draw in an increasing number of lay people from outside the monastery. Fr. Main died in 1982, but his "prayer of silence" continues under the direction of Fr. Laurence Freeman, O.S.B., and the Canadian Christian Meditation Community.
"Meditation is the invitation to journey deeply into your own heart, into your own being. Traditional wisdom tells us that only with such depth of experience and vision can we live our life in real harmony with what is." Fr. John Main, O.S.B.
If you are interested in finding out more about the tradition of meditative prayer, the following links may be of help.
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Weekly Christian Meditation meetings are held at St. Basil's Church every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. or every Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in meeting Room 006. If you are interested in joining either of these groups, please contact the Parish Office at 416 926 7110 or the St. Basil Meditation Group. From time to time, special meetings and workshops are also held.