Meditation

[narya]

I've explored meditation and contemplation from several different traditions, and part of me thinks it is a great thing and part of me thinks it is a selfish waste of time. I'd like to hear what others have to say.

I started out in the Catholic Church, with some exploration of Franciscan, Carmelite and Ignacian spirituality. I always shied away from pure contemplation. In the Bible story comparing the active and contemplative life, I always took the side of the busy Martha in the kitchen, though Jesus said he preferred her more thoughtful sister Mary. In the past 20 years, most of my faith has eroded away, and I now have little conviction that prayers I say make any difference to the lives of others. I once asked my confessor about this, and he said that the best prayer is the one that says "God, give me the strength to do your will," rather than asking Him to follow my will, and do what I ask for. For me, prayer is introspection and resolution, but not a way to benefit others at a distance.

So when I see cloistered nuns or Buddhist forest hermits spending many hours a day meditating, and spending that time alone or solely in the company of other religious, I wonder what is the point? I can see the benefit of a teacher becoming better at introspection, in order to teach others, but few monks or nuns become teachers.

On the other hand, I do think that a small amount of meditation per day, or thinking positive thoughts about others, does shape me, comfort me, and make me a more tolerable person to be around.

What have your experiences been?

[Lurker]

I used to meditate in the parish prayer room when I lived in Toronto but now I do it in the office every morning. I used to do it in the evenings but after the babies arrived I can't do it anymore.

My experience was if I do it in the morning, I more calm and patient even when things go wrong at work. I find that almost everything goes smoothly for me like business transactions or meeting deadlines. I'd rather meditate alone than in the company of other religious, so I stop joining retreats since I end up spending time alone.

[Maria]

I came to meditation from the healing side-- I mean, I was trying to learn energy healing for use on myself and my husband and only found out later that what I was doing was also a form of meditation.

Since I do this when I go to bed, I can't consider it a waste of time- since it's time I would have otherwise spent sleeping. I've occasionally tried meditating without a goal, but it seems rather pointless. Why not use the time to trigger your body to heal something that's been bothering you?

[Padme]

I use meditation as a way to calm my mind. I don't do it every day but I do it when I need to be calmed down or to cleanse my mind. I find it beneficial around this time of year because the crowds at stores do this to me.

I have always been one to need to have my own alone time to re-energize myself, to balance my thoughts. If not and I get pushed too far I always explode and end up yelling and being mad. I have to have the down time without anything going to mediate without any out side things going on. I find that walks in the nature park is one of my forms of meditation as well as darkening my room and putting on soft 'new age' music.

But as I said I don't do this every day.

[narya]

I agree with, Lurker, Maria and Padme, that meditation can be a powerful personal tool, to calm and refresh. I have no dispute with that. I guess what I'm puzzled about and would like to talk over with others is the idea of organized religion or spiritual movements with large numbers of people meditating, contemplating, praying, and doing so in the name of improving the community.

[WampusCat]

To me, meditation is resting in God's presence. Being aware and attentive. Listening. Still. Letting cravings and anxieties and the need for control slip away.

The more I practiced it, the more I found that it filled the rest of my life as well. Even while being active, I was aware. Attentive. Listening.

My reading of the Martha and Mary story is that Jesus wasn't chiding Martha for doing things but for "being distracted over many things" while Mary was focused on listening to him while he was near. It's certainly just as easy to be distracted while meditating as it is to be distracted while cooking a meal. And with practice, it is becomes easy (or at least easier that it once was) to be focused and spiritually aware no matter what you are doing. Having a regular time for meditation helps in that, though.

I have felt a real depth and power when meditating with a group. It's difficult to describe, but there is an added dimension to the shared silence. An undercurrent of joy.

[Maria]

I guess what I'm puzzled about and would like to talk over with others is the idea of organized religion or spiritual movements with large numbers of people meditating, contemplating, praying, and doing so in the name of improving the community.

Well, in a word... that's magic. Affecting the world at large by force of mind is working magic. And having large numbers of people focused on making the same change to reality at the same time ought to work better than a solitary person making a wish. I haven't tried working with a group before- so I wouldn't know- but that's the theory.

There's a group conducting scientific experiements on people mentally influencing material objects at a distance: http://www.theintentionexperiment.com/the_experiments
That link is to description of some of their experiments and results. According to them, there is measurable change when people will stuff to happen. I haven't looked at that site closely, but if their results are real- it's very interesting.

There's no reason to assume that people praying wouldn't have just as much effect, as long as people are putting themselves into an effective meditative state beforehand.

[Teremia]

As a Quaker, I do a lot of sitting in silence. Sometimes I meditate, sometimes I think and/or pray (but prayer itself is sometimes like thinking, sometimes like singing, and sometimes like meditation). There seems to me a lot of benefit in all of those quiet activities.

I've read a lot of Pema Chödrön's books (she's a Tibetan Buddhist); I really like her approach, even if sometimes she drives me crazy with suggestions such as "embrace hopelessness!" But she suggests a kind of meditation (tonglen) which is also a kind of breathing-out of compassion for other people. And she even suggests that can help the other people you have in mind.

Here I am stopped, because I can't really think a homeless person is going to be helped, concretely, by my exuding compassion as I walk by. Presumably a couple of bucks would be better. BUT! Inasmuch as keeping people in mind keeps us open to their needs, I can certainly see a benefit for the outside world.

Members of my Quaker Meeting have said that when they were in, say, the hospital, they could really feel themselves "held in the Light" by the Meeting. My scientific side doesn't have much to say about such things, but I do pray for people all the same. I can certainly imagine that knowing a group of caring people has been holding you in the Light would be comforting.

[Primula Baggins]

When I was sick, my practical, pragmatic, scientific-minded surgeon told me that people with networks of caring friends and family survive better and longer than people without, for the same illness at the same stage. He said the same thing about people who are curious and questioning.

I don't know whether it goes beyond the advantage of emotional comfort and relief from fear; but I can believe that reducing fear improves healing. Fear is terribly stressful physically as well as emotionally.

Meditation would probably offer the same advantages. When I was in treatment, I was told many times that I should meditate; but when I tried I either fell right to sleep, or fell into fearful thoughts. I should try it again now that I'm not living with a dragon any more.

[Frelga]

Prim,

Narya, I don't know if meditation can change the world. I know I "feel" when people care for me, even at a distance. That's why I sometimes come to the boards when I'm down, because I know that someone will send a kind thought my way, and behold, I am cheered. I know, too, that twice now after I posted in the prayer thread for my friends, their health took turn for the better immediately afterward. Coincidence? Probably. But possibly not.

For myself, I have a little prayer/mantra that I say when I am crippled by fear, from a Psalm. In Hebrew it goes, Adonai li, ve lo ira. Lord is with me, and I shall not fear. It doesn't remove the fear, but it helps me to beat it down. At least once, I remembered it in my dreams when I was having a nightmare, and the scariness in the dream submitted to my control. (I love when lucid dreaming happens, because when I remember that I am in charge of my dreams I can dream of flying.)

[MithLuin]

narya, I too have often been puzzled by the contemplative religious life. How can I make a difference in the world if I'm locked in a convent? If all I do is pray all day? It is very...counter-intuitive, to say the least.

Mother Teresa called her sisters "contemplatives in the midst of the world." Comparing the scheduled times for prayer for her group to that of a contemplative order, you'll find they are similar. So, they really do spend 5-6 hours each day in prayer - mass, divine office, eucharistic adoration (silent private prayer), etc. They just go out and help the poor when they aren't praying or sleeping . That idea - of being an active-contemplative - appeals very much to my practical, get-the-job-done, German side.

St. Francis also did not start with the idea of cloister being important for his brothers - they travelled through the world, and met people where they were. Having a physical house wasn't all that important. Over time, his order did build houses, and I don't know of any totally vagrant Franciscans today, but they (for the most part) have never embraced the concept of 'cloister' as part of their spirituality.

But I think what saves even cloistered communities from being totally cut off is that we all need to eat . They either have to beg for their neighbors to support them, or they have to provide a service for the church at large. They may not be teachers or doctors, but they do something other than just pray all day. They may serve as spritual advisors to others living out in the world by correspondance. Religious communities are part of a larger community, and the way in which they do this can have a very positive effect on the world at large (or not).

But even so, my practical, reasonable side is not always right. My heart tells me that St. John of the Cross knew more about the spiritual life than I do, and if he saw value in becoming a monk and helping others to live that lifestyle, then it must be I who am missing something. St. Thérèse of Lisieaux has done more for the world than most girls who died before they were my age - and she was not a teacher or a mother; she was a cloistered nun.

I once spent 2 weeks in a Carmelite convent. One thing that impressed me greatly about the women who lived there was how...intuitively attentive they were to me. I mean, you expect your hosts to be hospitable, but it was deeper than that. They were able to put themselves in my shoes (even though they'd never met me before) better than most people I've met. I honestly felt like they could read my mind, and got the impression of 'still waters run deep' from them (while I, of course, am a chattering brook, seeing only what is on the surface ).

One line of thought is that cloistered communities, by their very existence, serve as a sign of God in the world. They can be silent (to the world) and still their lives speak testimony of the goodness of God. I think that may be true...but....I still feel that I'm only any good if I actually go do something about it . I've never been able to reconcile myself to that lifestyle, and I think I would resist very strongly if God tried to call me in that direction. And yet I know of people who have felt like finally coming home when they visited a place like that, so if that is where you are happy in life, and that is how God wishes you to serve Him *shrug* - it must be okay. But you cannot forget the work part of Ora et Labora....

I do think that praying for others is efficacious, but not in the 'I can make God do things' sorta way. More in the way that 'offering it up for the souls in purgatory' helps both of us. And if division of labor works in so many other cases, it is certainly possible that praying for people who are so busy doing work that they do not have the time to pray can be of benefit to both parties.

[Pearly Di]

narya, I too have often been puzzled by the contemplative religious life. How can I make a difference in the world if I'm locked in a convent? If all I do is pray all day? It is very...counter-intuitive, to say the least.

Mith, I once knew a missionary (Protestant) who met one of the hermits who are, I dunno, holy men and women within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. My friend was very impressed with this person's life of contemplative prayer in solitude. Another friend of his scoffed: "what a waste of time," they said, "what does that actually achieve?"

"Well, for all you know," said my friend, "that Ethiopian hermit's prayers could be preventing World War Three."



That's how I feel about it. Since I regard myself as only on the nursery slopes of prayer, I wouldn't have the nerve to criticise Christians of another tradition who certainly take prayer flippin' seriously.

But you cannot forget the work part of Ora et Labora....

That's St Benedict, right? 'To pray is to work'.

I sort of 'got' the Benedictine spirituality thing when I stayed at a retreat house in Devon back in September. Not that I was staying in a Benedictine place: it was a converted 16th century farmhouse (it had been a working mill in Saxon times, and the millstream was still there) and now it's run by a very nice lady vicar as a retreat and conference centre for all sorts of groups -- not just Christian ones.

I saw how hard Jane worked to make her retreat house welcoming and inviting, and was beyond impressed by her gifts of hospitality, administration ... and prayerfulness.

Whilst staying there as a guest, I helped to get the logs in for the winter kindling, learned to bake bread -- -- and fed the big sow and her six cute piglets on the hill.

Aw, heck, here's the link to the place where I stayed:

http://www.millhouseretreats.co.uk/

The BBC did two fascinating documentaries about people who elected to stay at both a monastery and a convent. Absolutely fascinating. The sceptical ones were won over, and softened, by what you describe as the 'intuitively attentive' hospitality of their hosts:

The Monastery
http://www.worthabbey.net/bbc/

The Convent
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressr ... vent.shtml

I'm about as likely to become a nun as to climb Mount Everest but I do really value these places as sanctuaries where one can 'top up', so to speak.

[ArathornJax]

Wow, what a great topic and wonderful insight! In terms of prayer and meditation, I meditate each day before the beginning of school, with my door locked prior to students being allowed to enter. I find it renews me, provides a focus and a peace I need in dealing with my students. I do the same thing at home in evening for family.

Part of my meditations sometimes includes prayers, sometimes they don't. Personally I think prayer for me is something to help me to cope with what life brings as I have become to begin to believe that life provides mainly periods of joy mixed with many more opportunities of struggle, loss and pain. I don't believe God wills this, except in the sense that as creating this and having me here means I must learn to endure it. In the end, it is learning how to cope and accept what happens in life is what I find prayer good for.

In terms of group prayer, I pray daily with my wife and with our children. I find in such prayers that they become wonderful ways to express emotions to each other in public. I can thank my wife for her love, compassion and patient with each of us. I can express my pride to my children. These are things I express to each both individually and collectively outside of prayer, but prayer often opens the door to these discussions. For example, I know with my son we are both very open individuals. We share opening and find it easy to do so. Both my wife and daughter are not that way. I had an experience with my daughter recently expressing my gratefulness for who she is and her great intelligence and the joy our discussions of books and philosophy brings to me. Later that day she came and asked me what I met. I told her with examples and it opened a wonderful discussion and she told me then that she also values that very deeply also. In her case I think prayer opened that and thus deepened our relationship. Could it have happen without prayer? Sure, I really believe it could, but I find prayer a way to do it that works in some cases.

In the end, I think prayer is a very personal and a very intimate thing, left best to one individually and in family or with close friends. When someone shares such an experience with another (and I've done it outside of my family) it can bring healing, peace, strengthening of a relationship etc. True and sincere prayer in a small group is a very wonderful experience. Not sure if that is what you were looking for, but a great post and many wonderful and insightful posts afterward.

[Pearly Di]

I know, too, that twice now after I posted in the prayer thread for my friends, their health took turn for the better immediately afterward. Coincidence? Probably. But possibly not.

Frelga, answers to prayer may well seem like mere coincidence.

But it does seem to be the case that if one prays, the more those coincidences seem to happen.

For myself, I have a little prayer/mantra that I say when I am crippled by fear, from a Psalm. In Hebrew it goes, Adonai li, ve lo ira. Lord is with me, and I shall not fear. It doesn't remove the fear, but it helps me to beat it down.

I love the Psalms. They are a source of great comfort. Every single human emotion is there in that great hymn book. The human soul wrestling with God.

I regret not knowing them in the original Hebrew. I don't know any Hebrew, but it seems like such a gutsy, earthy sort of language (and musical too).

ArathornJax, thanks for that lovely post.

They're all lovely posts.

[Frelga]

Di, my Rabbi advised me to add that little bit of the Psalm to our nightly ritual when my son developed night terrors. That, and the Four Angels blessing.

Miyemini Michael
Umismoli Gavriel
Umilifanai Uriel
Umeacharai Rafael
Ve’al roshi Shekhinah

On my right is Michael (angel of love, water, the south).
On my left is Gabriel (angel of strength, fire, the north).
Before me is Uriel (angel of balance, air, the east).
Behind me is Raphael (angel of healing, earth, the west).
And above my head is the loving presence of God.

When David got a bit older, it led to some memorable conversations about angels. How does Gabriel stand on my left if the bed is against the wall? Who's under my bed? And so on....

Narya, this really is a wonderful thread. Thank you to everyone who posted.

[Pearly Di]

Di, my Rabbi advised me to add that little bit of the Psalm to our nightly ritual when my son developed night terrors. That, and the Four Angels blessing.

Miyemini Michael
Umismoli Gavriel
Umilifanai Uriel
Umeacharai Rafael
Ve’al roshi Shekhinah

On my right is Michael (angel of love, water, the south).
On my left is Gabriel (angel of strength, fire, the north).
Before me is Uriel (angel of balance, air, the east).
Behind me is Raphael (angel of healing, earth, the west).
And above my head is the loving presence of God.

Oh, I love that!

It reminds me a lot of Celtic prayers.

When David got a bit older, it led to some memorable conversations about angels. How does Gabriel stand on my left if the bed is against the wall? Who's under my bed? And so on....

Children are so wonderfully literal.

[narya]

I don't know of any totally vagrant Franciscans today, but they (for the most part) have never embraced the concept of 'cloister' as part of their spirituality.

One of Francis's first converts was Claire of Assisi. She became the head of a cloistered order, later called the Poor Claires. The Friars Minor, and their offshoots (like the Capuchins) comprise the First Order, the Poor Claires comprise the Second Order of Franciscans, and a mix of nuns and people "in the world", married or unmarried, comprise the Third Order. I was professed many years ago as a Third Order Franciscan, but now I'm pretty much a "retired" Catholic (as in, I don't work at it anymore.)

But I think what saves even cloistered communities from being totally cut off is that we all need to eat . They either have to beg for their neighbors to support them, or they have to provide a service for the church at large.

There are mendicant Buddhist monks, I understand, who are given rice by communities that can probably ill afford to support them.

And as for the rest of your post, Mith, thank you for being so insightful and sharing! Having it explained from someone of similar background helps me.

And seeing it from a totally fresh perspective helps as well, which is why I always like hearing from you, Maria. Oddly enough (OK, maybe it wasn't a coincidence) the person I volunteer with on Friday mornings at the crisis hotline brought up the subject, in one of our rare free moments (it's cold, the economy sucks, it's the "jolly" season, and that means more people are in crisis, so the phones were ringing almost constantly) about the supernatural. Is the supernatural just that little corner of the real world we haven't neatly fit into our scientific model yet, or is there something super - natural (above nature) that is completely apart, like helping strangers at a distance (without a phone ) or reading minds. I gave to him the example of a time when I really did know exactly what was on the mind of a friend, in vivid detail. I can't explain it. It is not enough to prove to me that mind reading is possible or prove that there is anything supernatural in the world, but I can't explain it so I'm willing to set it in a little corner and let it be. I feel the same way about prayer help at a distance or the benefits of mass meditation.

I do tell people I'm keeping them in my thoughts (or prayers, if they ask specifically) because I know it makes them feel better just knowing there is someone out there. It's my telling them that helps, not the prayers later on (which are just to keep me honest). At least, that's how I feel about it.

Teremia, I struggling to get thru one of Pema Chödrön's books right now. Some much of Buddhism seems to me to be stating the really obvious. Or maybe I just don't get it at a profound level. But I'm trying. I also listen to Buddhist podcasts, especially Gil Fronsdel (can't remember if that's how you spell it). I just listened to one by Jack Kornfeld (sp?). I suppose I should stop listening remotely (lurking ) and go find myself a sangha, or parish, or something. I've looked around since I came to the Bay Area, but haven't found a connection yet.

Frelga, I love lucid dreaming, and wish I could remember it more often. I have fond memories of driving off a cliff and deciding it was time for my convertable to sprout wings. .... and who is under the bed, anyway?

I'm about as likely to become a nun as to climb Mount Everest but I do really value these places as sanctuaries where one can 'top up', so to speak.

Yes, I used to go on retreat at least once a year. It helped to keep me sane, or at least helped me to keep up appearances. It was a Jesuit retreat house, the only retreat house in town, and I must say, I'm not Jesuit material, but the quiet times were refreshing.

ArathornJ, you are lucky to have an inner sanctum in which to meditate on a daily basis. I suppose I have my bedroom, before anyone else wakes up, but I'd rather sleep in a few more minutes, I must admit. And I sometimes sit on a bench along side the bike trail on the way home, but at work I'm in a cubicle and meditation (or even relaxation) is not an option. I've never done group prayer with my family - it never felt comfortable. When I lived in Alaska, and was feeling very depressed in midwinter, a pair of saintly friends would drive 30 miles from their homes to my work, to say the rosary with me for an hour during lunch, once a week. They helped get me through the worst of my days. For them, saying the rosary was very important. For me, just their expression of caring was what helped me the most.

Thank you all for sharing in this thread. It is a beautiful garden.

[WampusCat]

It is indeed.

ArathornJax, your family is so fortunate! I miss praying with my husband. Whether it was meditating in silence or reading words from the Book of Common Prayer or speaking whatever came from our hearts, it was a powerful intimacy.

You make a very insightful point about how spoken prayers can open communication. Sometimes it's easier to hear or say something when talking to a third party (God).

About the supernatural: I believe there is so much More than what we see and hear and touch. I can't explain it, but I've seen things happen that can't be explained by physical reality as we know it.

Frelga, your prayer reminds me of not only Celtic prayers but also the Native American (specifically Lakota) tradition of praying to the four directions, symbolized by the medicine wheel.

[MithLuin]

Yes, St. Clare was cloistered. I meant the First Order wasn't.... But even a Capuchin I know said that if you go visit the Capuchin nuns (who are cloistered), they are all about community and coming out to greet you, none of the screen business where outsiders aren't allowed into the convent, or are on the other side of a barrier in the chapel or anything. So, even the way they live out 'cloister' is going to be very different from, say, the Carmelites. There are some Carmelite monasteries where, if you join - you will never see your family or friends again in this life. That was his impression of the difference, any way. I know he considered joining a different Franciscan group, but found them a bit too retreating - wanting to build a wall around their little sanctuary (even though they go out into the community), while he wanted to be able to talk to the neighbors while he cut the grass . My experience with the Capuchins has been very positive, overall.

I also would never be a Jesuit-type . But my father and brothers were educated in Jesuit schools, and they are into Ignatian spirituality. What I've heard of the Spiritual Exercises seems very positive.

Vowed religious life seems to have several purposes to me. One, you are giving yourself completely and totally to God without reservation - your life is no longer your own (kinda like becoming a parent ). Two, you are deepening your own relationship with God by putting intimacy with Him as the primary relationship in your life (which is why celibacy and monasticism go together). Three, you are dedicating your life to service to God's people (that is how voluntary poverty fits in). And fourth, you are a sign to the world that there is something more, an invitation to explore spirituality. The intention is that it be both personally fulfilling and of service to the Church, to people, as well.

I will admit that I do not know much about Buddhist monasticism, but I think they also value poverty, chastity, obedience and being a sign of contradiction.

I can say that I am much more likely to join a religious order than to climb Mount Everest...but then, I have no intention of ever climbing Mount Everest . I know that vocations are callings from God, and I have never felt called to much of anything. Not marriage, not religious life, not my current lifestyle. So, I don't know what is up with that, or what direction my life is heading in. I just know I'm currently...drifting. Maybe I need to learn to listen....

My cousin joined an order of Dominicans right out of college, and took her first vows three years ago. She works as a teacher. My sister has finally decided on an order to join, and will be visiting them in Bolivia in February (she's already visited them in the US and Poland, but she might be joining them down there, and so has to visit first). They are Franciscan in character, though not in name (an offshoot of some sort, I think) with an emphasis on Divine Mercy. She will continue to work as a nurse. So, I am more familiar with religious life lived out within the world (at least in some sense), even if monasticism was the only variety of religious life (apart from being a hermit) prior to about 1200 AD.

But even so, this is what the founder of the order my sister wants to join wrote:

“If you want to know the greatness of [God’s] love, meditate on God’s great acts performed for men, namely the three eternal monuments of love: the manger, the cross, and the altar. Stand especially beneath the cross and look on crucified Love. Stand before the Most Blessed Sacrament and meditate upon the immolation of the hidden God, the immense sacrifice of self, the entire giving to men with a love without limits. Then penetrate into the Heart of Jesus and look at His love. Indeed, no one can understand what a great flame consumes that most lively Heart.”

If your meditation focuses on how much God loves people...you are going to be compelled to love people, too. Even if that is only the brothers or sisters who have chosen the religious life with you, that is hugely important.

I actually admire mendicant groups. They rely on others' generosity, which gives them better solidarity with the poor and trust in God. But more than that, it allows others to participate in their work. If you cannot do what they do, you can still support them and be a part of their mission that way. I know it is a bit awkward if they are asking a poor community to be their primary support, but then I look at the Trappists, who work to feed themselves, and think that (in that situation) you might be better off growing your own rice, and sharing it with those who are going hungry.



Edit: And now look what you've done! I spent a lot more time then I meant to today looking into religious orders. I had forgotten that there is a beauty and simplicity to monasticism, even if I still don't get it.

Try to be present with Mary in the Upper Room at Pentecost. She more than anyone will bring you close to this saving vision of the truth about God and man, about God and the world, which is contained in Saint Paul's words: "For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col 3:3). These words contain the paradox and at the same time the very core of the Gospel message. Dear brothers and sisters, as persons consecrated to God, you have special qualities for bringing people close to this paradox and this Gospel message. You also have the special task of telling everyone - in the mystery of the Cross and Resurrection - how much the world and the whole of creation are "in God"; how much "we live and move and exist" in him; how much this God, who is love, embraces everybody and everything; how much "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Rom 5:5).

Christ has "chosen you from the world", and the world needs your calling, even though at times the world gives the impression of being indifferent to it and of attaching no importance to it. The world needs your being "hid with Christ in God", even though at times it criticizes the forms of monastic enclosure. For it is precisely through the power of this "hiddenness" that you are able, with the Apostles and the whole Church, to make your own the message of our Redeemer's Priestly Prayer : "As you (Father) did send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (Jn 17:18 ). You share in this mission, in the apostolic mission of the Church. You share in it in a singular way that is uniquely your own, according to your "own gift" (cf. 1 Cor 7:7). Each one of you, men and women, shares in it, and the more you share in it the more your life "is hid with Christ in God". Herein lies the very source of your apostolate.

Letter to All Consecrated Persons on the Occasion of the Marian Year, May 1988 link

The letter is written as a meditation, so I thought it appropriate for this thread. Karol Wojtyla was very attracted by Carmelite spirituality, and wished to join that order. Instead, he became a diocesan priest and served the church that way - eventually becoming pope. I really cannot see how he would have done 'just as much good' in a monastery, but then, maybe that is why God did not allow him to end up in one. Someone needs to be pope, even if no one wants the job. Maybe someone needs to be 'hidden' and pray, too, and I just can't perceive the work they do, since it is not so public and visible.

[Maria]

Di, my Rabbi advised me to add that little bit of the Psalm to our nightly ritual when my son developed night terrors. That, and the Four Angels blessing.

Miyemini Michael
Umismoli Gavriel
Umilifanai Uriel
Umeacharai Rafael
Ve’al roshi Shekhinah

On my right is Michael (angel of love, water, the south).
On my left is Gabriel (angel of strength, fire, the north).
Before me is Uriel (angel of balance, air, the east).
Behind me is Raphael (angel of healing, earth, the west).
And above my head is the loving presence of God.

.

That's almost exactly the same thing I read in a book about psychic self defense one time- as a way to seal out unpleasant energy from your home. I guess I know where the author got the idea now. There was a bit more to it than reciting words- you had to visualize energy flows-- but essentially it was the same thing.

And... just sayin'... it works just as well if you substitute names of superheroes, if you happen to have hangups about believing in angels....