A Better Way To Pray-- The Old Way
The following is contained in the Michael Molloy textbook that I used for Religion 210 entitled Experiencing The World's Religions: Tradition, Challenge and Change . Inspired by the biblical admonition to "pray always," [Luke 18:1] many forms of prayerful meditation have emerged in the long history of Christianity. In Russia, it became common to repeat some form of the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me." That was done hundreds of times a day, until the repetition became almost as automatic as breathing. In Greece, monks practiced sitting quietly, putting their heads forward, and guiding their consciousness to the center of their bodies, where they used their imaginations to experiences the inner light of God. In Europe of the Middle Ages, a form of walking meditation began to be done in labyrinths designed in the flooring of grand churches--such as we see at Chartres Cathedral in France. (This walking meditation is becoming i