SAVIO RODRIGUES SJ One needs to be relaxed and calm, but inwardly alert. Interior and exterior silence is a must. Deep prayer is the laying aside of thoughts and words. It is the opening of the mind and heart, body and feelings, one’s total self to God. Do not suppress or resist any thoughts or [...]

SAVIO RODRIGUES SJ Dynamic meditation is an active mode of “psychological dry-cleaning” as Osho the master of de-programming said. In the early days the saffron-coloured, lungi-kurtas were worn, but master ruled that a two-piece apparel divided the energies, and so a one-piece saffron robe was decided upon as the best garment to allow free flow [...]

SAVIO RODRIGUES SJ Write on a sheet of paper incidents of the times you have been stubborn, rigid, manipulative, or cynical. Next draw plans as to how to become more real, loving, positive and growth-oriented. Write a prayer telling God of your deep desire to change. Get to your private room or the empty chapel [...]

SAVIO RODRIGUES SJ Teresa of Avila recommends for beginners a form of prayer called prayer of recollection. Begin your prayer with the presumption that the Spirit dwells within your heart. Do not use any mantra or short aspiration or any vocal prayer. Focus on the God who dwells within you and try and cut yourself [...]

SAVIO RODRIGUES SJ Joko is not concerned with the concentrative pursuit of special experiences of the normal Zen meditation. She is concerned with life. Aware that powerful spiritual experiences are often artificially induced, she believes that conversion is not lasting through these experiences. Take your position for prayer. Choose the right place, time, and posture. [...]

SAVIO RODRIGUES SJ There are three ways of praying the rosary. These can be done separately or in combination. The first method is the traditional way. One recites the Our Father followed by 10 Hail Mary and finally the Glory be. This is called a decade. One may say one, five or fifteen decades of [...]

SAVIO RODRIGUES SJ Meditation involves three stages: the remote preparation, the immediate preparation and the actual meditation. Remote preparation is reading of the scripture passage, praying over it and consulting a commentary to clarify the context and basic message of the text. This is done at least a couple of hours before you actually go [...]

SAVIO RODRIGUES SJ Before you begin, ask God for the grace of God’s unconditional love for you and to be able to understand yourself as God’s creature through His creation. Contemplating creation helps us open our hearts to God’s revelation of love. By being absorbed with something in creation, we create the interior space to [...]

SAVIO RODRIGUES SJ Though a lot of dust was kicked up some time ago, for encouraging prayer through methods that are non-Christian, one must agree that the Buddhist vipassana method of prayer is not just self-seeking or self-centred, but is an exercise which predisposes the individual toward meeting God. As quoted earlier on, one cannot [...]

SAVIO RODRIGUES SJ As in the case of every prayer, choose a quiet place, relax and take the posture that is comfortable. Place yourself in the presence of God, using any of the forms you have already tried out. Depending on if you are going to actually draw or paint, you will have to choose [...]