Dear Group Leaders and Friends in Christian Meditation,
Our parents are our first teachers of faith. I think of my own mother and how she continually gave the example of praying the rosary daily. I can still see her holding the rosary with great devotion as she prayed for those whom she saw in need in her life. Her faith in the transformation that comes through prayer was seen in her empathy and kindness. Looking back, as I see her love of prayer, I wonder if something additional was needed. Even though my parents were very attentive to making sure that we attended weekly Eucharist and went to catechism and received the Sacraments, they didn’t seem to know how to talk about prayer. It was more the gift of example rather than sharing how to pray.
Like so many of their generation, I believe my parents thought the church would show me the way. That was true to a certain extent. They had forgotten that the family was the first church that anyone of us experiences. Ironically my mom gave to me the opportunity to share the gift of meditation with her and we meditated together shortly before she died. I thank God and my mom for that moment which is etched on my heart. It is a reminder to me that it is never too late, or too early, to share the gift of prayer. The example of our meditation is essential, but it is just as important to welcome our beloved young and old into meditation as we are reminded of our simple teaching to say our mantra in silence, simplicity, and stillness.
Patricia Moore-Pastides, our coordinator for Meditation with Children for the World Community for Christian Meditation here in the United States has written a lovely letter and call to action for sharing the gift of meditation with our children. Patricia is seeking feedback on how we are sharing this pearl of great price, meditation, and hoping to create a network of communicating ways of teaching meditation to our children. As the school year concludes for so many, we thought that it would be a good time to share this letter broadly in our American meditation community. You can download Patricia’s letter here.
In these summer days, may God bring to us and our world: peace, harmony and unity through our meditation and the Community it creates.
Warmly, Kevin Maksym
