What is Christian Meditation?

Practical Lessons from Saint Francis de Sales for Lay People

Neo-Gothic stained glass window - Saint-Martin church in Florac: Saint François de Sales. (source)

Christian Spirituality for all Catholics

One of the most valuable books ever written for Catholic laypeople belongs to the so-called Doctor Caritatis: Saint Francis de Sales (1567–1622). Deeply involved in the pastoral care of his diocese in Geneva, he understood the need for manuals of spirituality and piety for those laypeople who feel called to an intense Christian life amidst the world. Thus were born his most well-known books: An Introduction to the Devout Life (1609) and Treatise on the Love of God (1616).

The first of these is based on correspondence with a cousin of his, Madame Marie de Charmoisy, to whom he gave advices on how to live a life of holiness as a married woman. What is very important is the practical nature of this book. When reading it, we must always consider the particular conditions of that epoch. However, many of its teachings can be applied, with wisdom, even in our days.

Explicitly named and warmly recommended by Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Saint Francis de Sales is one of the most important masters of Christian prayer and meditation. What surprises us is the fact that, although he lived in a (still) truly Christian world, he did not expect laypeople to be familiar with “mental prayer” or “meditation.” On the contrary, he assumed that most had not heard of meditation and did not know how to practice it. Paradoxically, it is precisely this observation of his that allows us to read, today, the pages through which Saint Francis de Sales taught his readers of that time how to practice this spiritual art.

Not only does he explain how it is done (which I will present in this article), but he also proposes a series of concrete meditations for those who want to achieve a profound conversion. Thus, in the first part of his book, we find ten complete meditations: 1. The Creation; 2. On the end for which we were created; 3. On the Benefits of God; 4. On Sin; 5. On Death; 6. On Judgment; 7. On Hell; 8. On Heaven; 9. On the choice of Heaven; 10. Choice between a worldly life and a devout life. You can find them on the indicated pages in the note.¹ But how do we practice them?

Saint Francis de Sales explicitly recognized that his cousin, to whom he was writing, did not know the answer either, just as most Christians today do not know it. He said the reason was the general ignorance of his time. That’s why he wrote some extremely clear and practical recommendations for those who wish to learn this art.

Four ways to become aware of God’s presence

The first point of meditation refers to something considered very important by most spiritual masters: awareness of the presence of God. Of course, says Saint Francis, every Christian accepts the existence of God and His omnipresence. However, “few consider it with a lively attention.” Why? Because we are spiritually blind. Although we have physical, bodily eyes, we lack spiritual eyes—as Adam and Eve had in Paradise. We are constantly in the presence of the great King and Creator of all that exists; yet, we ignore this presence and behave as if we were alone. To overcome this great shortcoming, the Saint proposes four ways to become aware of this presence. The first one is described as follows:

Before prayer, we must always excite in our souls an attentive apprehension of the presence of God, such as David apprehended, when he exclaimed: ‘If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present!’ (Psalm 138:8) And thus we should use the words of Jacob, who, having seen the sacred ladder, said: ‘Indeed the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And trembling he said: How terrible is this place!’ (Genesis 28:16-17): meaning that he did not reflect on his presence; for he could not be ignorant that God was in all, and through all. When, therefore, you come to prayer, you must say with your whole heart, and to your heart: ‘Oh, be attentive, for God is truly here!’

As we see, it involves an act of thinking, of reflecting on the attribute of divine omnipresence. Done well, this act helps us to become aware of what we often overlook, namely that God is also here, where I am, now, the one writing, or I, the one reading. How much more should we be aware of this presence when we pray?

The second way of reflecting on God’s presence is related to the most important gift we receive at Holy Baptism: the mysterious presence of God in the depths of our souls. The great Doctor of Divine Love, Saint Francis, directly tells each of us about God “that He is, after a most particular manner, in your heart, nay, in the very center of your soul, which He enlivens and animates by his divine presence, being there as the heart of your heart, and the spirit of your spirit.” It is hard to find a more encouraging subject for reflection, for meditation than this. God is near! Can there be a better thought at the beginning of our prayer?

The third way in which we can reflect on God’s presence starts from a thought that indicates the divine attention that surpasses all that we can conceive: for He looks down from above, from Heaven, upon all people, in every moment. This, assures us, Saint Francis, “is by no means a mere flight of the imagination, but a most certain truth.” Even though we do not see God directly, our supernatural Faith tells us that “He beholds us from above.”

Finally, the last but not least way to imagine the real presence of God starts from the image and person of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We must do this as when we feel the presence of a close friend even though we do not yet see him. Suggesting the most appropriate place for meditation—in the Church before the Holy Sacrament—Saint Francis adds:

But if the Blessed Sacrament be present, then his presence would be actual and not imaginary; since we must consider the species and appearance of bread only as a tapestry, behind which our Lord, being really present, observes us, though we cannot actually see Him.

These are the four concrete ways suggested by Saint Francis to become aware of God’s presence. As all these can prove to be quite difficult even for the most well-meaning, he adds that we must not forget prayer, asking God for help in what we do.

How to Use the Imagination to take Good Moral Decisions

Aware of the difficulties of advanced forms of meditation based strictly on thoughts and words produced solely by one’s own faith, as practiced by the Desert Fathers and great saints like John of the Cross, he recommends to laypeople a meditation based on the moderate use of imagination. After one of the mysteries of the Christian faith contained in the Holy Scriptures is chosen, here is how one can proceed:

This consists in representing to your imagination the whole of the mystery on which you desire to meditate, as if it really passed in your presence. For example, if you wish to meditate on the crucifixion of our Lord, imagine yourself on Mount Calvary, and that you there behold and hear all that was done or said at the time of our Lord's passion; or, which will be equally to the purpose, imagine that they are crucifying our Saviour in the very place where you are, in such a manner as is described by the holy Evangelists.

These acts based on imagination should not be similar to those of writers and poets who create vast literary worlds and works. They must be austere, simple, without losing ourselves in unnecessary details. The goal, as also emphasized by Saint Alphonsus, is not study. For “meditations, properly so called, are certain considerations by which we raise the affections to God and heavenly things.” Therefore, it is not the intellect that should prevail, but the will and the affective part of the soul.

By fixing certain aspects of the life and deeds of the Savior Christ through imagination, or other eternal truths (such as the last things: death, judgment, hell, and heaven), we must focus on a point that moves “the heart” (i.e., our affectivity) and prompts us to make concrete moral decisions to improve our own lives. These concrete decisions are the key to fruitful meditations. Without them, meditation can be sterile or even harmful (as it can create the illusion of false progress on the path of holiness). Here is Saint Francis’s explanation regarding the concreteness of decisions:

For example: the first word our Lord spoke on the cross will doubtless excite in your soul a desire to pardon and to love your enemies; but this will be to little purpose if you do not add to it a particular resolution, saying: ‘Well, then, I will not hereafter be offended at what this or that particular person may say of me, nor resent any affront he may put on me; but, on the contrary, I will embrace every opportunity to gain his heart, and appease him.’ By this means you will correct your faults in a short time; whereas, by affections only, your amendment will be but slow, and attended with greater difficulty.

If, therefore, we have reached such concrete resolutions, it means that we are on the right path. The conclusion must contain three short points. With all humility, first, we must thank God for all the good thoughts and decisions we have made: He is their source. Then, let us unite them with His mercy and kindness, convinced that this is their true origin, their true source: God Himself. And, as the third point, let us implore Him with all confidence to help us with the graces obtained on the Cross for us by our Savior Jesus Christ, so that we may fulfill the resolutions that we have proposed. If we add, as Saint Alphonsus teaches us, a prayer for the souls in Purgatory and one for the conversion of obstinate sinners, I believe the our meditation is complete.

A Simple Advice from the Holy Desert Fathers

One of the problems I have faced even in simpler matters, such as praying the Rosary, is my limited ability to learn and practice anything related to piety without guidance (that is, without a priest or a fellow believer who can teach me, concretely, how to do it). Everything I have learned from someone else I have understood much more quickly. A retreat where a holy priest teaches us all these things related to the art of Christian meditation would be ideal. But even if we do not have such opportunities, we can still do something. So, here is my simplest and most concrete suggestion:

Pray as you can, until you can pray as you should.

This advice, which I found in The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, represents the best possible guide regarding the practice of both prayer (vocal or mental) and meditation. It has always helped me. First of all, it did not allow me any excuses like “It’s hard,” “It’s complicated,” “I don’t understand how it’s done.” etc. Then, it gave me confidence. It gave me hope. However sinful and unskillful I may be, God is ready to listen my prayer.

We don’t have to be masters to be listened by Him. If we are humble and penitent, however feeble and incompetent we may be, He is ready to help us. He is truly a loving Father who always waits for the return of all His prodigal sons. The only necessary condition is to acknowledge our own sinfulness, as did the prodigal son who squandered his Father’s wealth on the debaucheries of this world. It is enough, therefore, to cry out: as best we can, as it comes to us, as we feel. Just like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. No rigorous method is necessary for one who sincerely repents and wants to express remorse when asking for help. As for Christian meditation, what matters is to start. I believe that even simply reading the ten meditations from the book of Saint Francis de Sales can be a good beginning. What can stop you from trying?

1. The English edition I use is Saint Francis of Sales, An Introduction to the Devout Life, Dublin: M.H. Gill and Son, 1885. The mentioned ten meditations can be found in this edition on the pages 17-36. An online edition can be found here: https://ccel.org/ccel/desales/devout_life/devout_life.i.html [Accessed: 18 October 2024].