A Tribute to
Fr. John Main as a Teacher of Meditation
On the twentieth anniversary of his death, December
30, 2002.
All of us who teach Christian meditation could speak of the many
gifts of Fr. John Main and the wealth of resources he has left us
in his talks and writings. But for now, as we celebrate his life
on this anniversary day, I want to highlight several of Fr. John's
gifts that are important to me as a teacher of meditation and for
which I give thanks.
Like all good teachers, Fr. John had a love for his subject and
his pupils. He was the evangelist, the bearer of good news and he
wanted to share the simple, transforming good news of the way of
the mantra. He knew from his own experience, that the good news
of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in our hearts was much more likely
to be "caught" than taught. He simply taught
us a way to become silent and so experience for ourselves the profound
love of God.
Secondly, Fr. John modelled, as every good teacher does, the fruits
of that union with Christ which meditation leads us into. He lived
in a way and taught with such authenticity that his life was an
expression inviting his pupils to come to the same knowledge of
the heart about who we are and who we are becoming as we too centre
our lives in Christ. He was the true educator who calls people forth
into the mystery of God's redemptive love by his own openness to
that love. I am thankful for his authenticity and the humility that
lies at the heart of it.
Finally, I am thankful for Fr. John's great trust. He taught the
simplicity and the discipline of the mantra and left the rest to
the individual and the Holy Spirit. As a teacher, he got out of
the way and honoured the uniqueness of the process of coming to
know the Self. At the same time, when the pupil was/is ready to
go deeper, Fr. John provided a wealth of support in his talks and
writings to foster our growth. Yet his teachings always keep us
focussed on "the one thing necessary."
This opportunity to express my gratitude for the teachings and life
of Fr. John Main has reminded me of a prayer of thanksgiving I learned
as a child. The prayer begins, "We give Thee humble and hearty
thanks, O God, for all
Thy goodness and loving kindness to us and to all people....."
It lists some of the many gifts we give thanks for and then continues
"but above all for Thine inestimable love in the redemption
of the world through our Lord, Jesus Christ...." The daily
practice of Christian meditation as taught to us by Fr. John Main
brings us into the experience of "the inestimable love of God".
Fr. John knew that everything that gives life meaning and purpose
and hope flows from that direct experience of the love of God. On
this day, I give thanks to God for Fr. John and for his teaching
us a way into that experience.
December 30, 2002
The Rev'd. Glenda Meakin
Member of the Canadian Resource Team for Teachers of Christian Meditation
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