How to use

These meditations are designed for use by individuals.  They could, however, be adapted for use by groups – suggestions are given in brackets below.  In this case the group should have clear ground rules to ensure, for example, that confidentiality is maintained and that participants do not feel pressurised into disclosing aspects of their personal life.  The final step of ‘Promise’ is best treated as a private, individual action between each participant and God.

At intervals in the meditations there are opportunities for your personal reflection. You may like to have a pen and notebook at hand to jot down your thoughts.

Steps in the meditations

This simple framework is based on five Ps: Prepare, Picture, Ponder, Pray and Promise.  It is adapted here from ‘A simple meditation’ in Church Union (1950) A manual of Catholic devotion for members of the Church of England, London: Church Literature Association.

1. Prepare
Prayer, bible passage and background information read by individual (or to group)

2. Picture
Read and picture individually (or as a group)

3. Ponder
Individually (and then share if group situation)

4. Pray
Individually (and in group)

5. Promise
Individually

References

Biblical references are included in brackets in the text.  Other references are listed at the end of each meditation. 

 Scripture quotations are mostly from New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The initials NRSV are used at the end of these quotations.

A few quotations are from the Jerusalem Bible, copyright © 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company, Inc.  The words Jerusalem Bible are used at the end of these quotations.

This section in the Holy Faith website will expand to include more meditations.