“There are three steps to climb to go to God: the first, which is the nearest to us, and the most suited to our capacity, is Mary; the second is Jesus Christ; and the third is God the Father. To go to Jesus, we must go to Mary; she is our mediatrix of intercession” (St. Louis de Montfort).

Recently, there has been a great deal of speculation and concern over the practices of meditation and visualization. As Catholic Christians, should we avoid meditation practices altogether? When we find ourselves in troubled waters, our meditation practice can begin to point our thoughts and affections to serenity or success—or even to a better understanding of ourselves.

If our focused thoughts and reflections first and foremost lead us to chase after a better, richer, more successful version of ourselves, then our meditation practice is leading our hearts away from the Lord. As Jeremiah says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord … More tortuous than anything is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it?” (5-9). These types of meditative thoughts move us further away from Jesus and deeper into our own self, prompting a heightened sense of ego and a weakened reliance on Jesus.

Many women have morning routines that include beginning the day with meditation. By walking with Mary through her fiat, we can uncover a better way to begin our day: Meditative prayer provides us with peace and a path through difficulties.

What Is Meditative Prayer?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church encourages meditation as a form of prayer: "Meditation is above all a quest” (2705). Meditation involves using your imagination to see the appropriate desire within a prayer. It is a mental exercise and can also involve Scripture, where we have the opportunity to meet God through story. The beautiful part of meditative prayer, for me, is when I embrace the opportunity to “live into” a story from Scripture with all of my senses and imagination, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Follow Mary Throughout the Seasons by Walking With Her

Family stories make events and memories stick. We often remember an event more through our family photographs than we do through memory alone. The family stories we hear throughout the generations often make us feel as if we were actually present during the event, even if we weren’t.

What better way could there be to encounter Jesus than by being with Mary, who brought Jesus to mankind? How much closer could we be to the birth of Christ than with Mary, our Mother, during her very personal journey?

In a general audience, Pope Francis said, “The methods of meditation are paths to travel to arrive at the encounter with Jesus, but if you stop on the road, and just look at the path, you will never find Jesus.” Here’s how we can encounter our beautiful faith through meditative prayer throughout the Christmas season—and beyond, into our faith life, our family life, and even our business life:

Know the Basics of Meditative Prayer

Read Scripture in a quiet place. Then, in a comfortable position, take a few moments to close your eyes and notice any words or images that particularly stand out to you.

In his Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius gave us seven beautiful areas to focus and meditate on during Advent, and they’re still fruitful events to pray with during Christmas. Three of my favorites are the fiat of the Mother of God, Mary’s visitation, and the journey to the manger and the birth of the Son of God.

Visualize these events in your mind, as if you were experiencing them with Mary. Talk to Mary about them. In my meditations, I see and walk with Mary as a young woman and imagine how she prepared for the final days before the birth of Jesus—and how much she must have loved her husband, St. Joseph. Finally, I can see her taking great care of her child, and I see how beautiful it must have been, knowing that her baby was also the Savior of the world. 

Take These Conversations and Images With You Into Your Day

I find that if I can take my morning reflections and meditations with me into my day, I am more centered and more joyful. Even in trying circumstances, we can use prayer to return us to our morning meditations, to that place of feeling centered and rooted. Write your thoughts or Scripture verses in your daily planner, and set an alarm on your phone or send yourself an email reminder to center yourself.

We can use meditative prayer to be better women, moms, followers, and even business professionals. For example, did Joseph plead for a place for his wife to give birth? Did Mary calm her husband? Using our love for the holy family as a guide, we can turn our attention more deeply not only (in this case) to the Holy Family but also to humankind. By understanding that Joseph may have felt desperate, we can better understand when our family, friends, and colleagues feel anxious and desperate. My observation that Mary may have calmed her husband can help me see the importance of my role in being that calming force for others. These meditative exercises can help us beyond the Christmas season; we can walk with Mary through the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows or the Feast of the Holy Innocents, for example.

As our thoughts turn to the new year and the resolutions we are making, I can see no better goal to set for ourselves than to walk with our mother in all that we do and to reflect daily on her fiat.

Since founding RMD Advertising in 1992, Sue Reninger as been responsible for the complete strategy and direction of RMD’s Columbus-based flagship office. She has also co-founded Wagons Ho Ho Ho, a 501c3 charity that serves children in dire need with HOPE. Sue has been honored with the prestigious NAWBO Visionary Award and Marketer of the Year from the American Marketing Association.