My words will not pass away.

Here is a meditation based on the Biblical phrase “My words will not pass away.”

It was written by a monk who lived over 800 years ago, but his words are appropriate for our day.

Notice the short definition of Christian meditation. It is not an emptying of the mind, but rather this.:

“...a studious activity of the mind, probing the knowledge of some hidden truth under the guidance of your own reason.” 

It is like mining a passage for the jewels contained in it. It involves study and the use of your own reason. Study also implies reading what others have said about the passage. A person is supposed to think, think, think guided by the message of the written word.

Then you turn your thoughts to prayers.

Contemplation is kind of like meditation, worship, and prayer combined. It is like Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to Him teach. (Luke 10:38-42) *

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Reading is a directing of the mind to a careful looking at the Scriptures. Meditation is a studious activity of the mind, probing the knowledge of some hidden truth under the guidance of your own reason. Prayer is a devout turning of the heart of God to get ills removed or to obtain good things. Contemplation is a certain elevation above itself of the mind which is suspended in God, tasting the sweetness of the life of blessedness, meditation locates it, prayer asks for it, contemplation tastes it. Reading, as it were, puts the solid food into our mouths, meditation chews it and breaks it down, prayer obtains the flavor of it, and contemplation is the very sweetness which makes us glad and refreshes us...

Meditation begins to consider how glorious and delightful it would be to see the long-desired face of the Lord. 

I sought your face, O Lord, your face, O Lord, have I sought. I have long meditated in my heart, and in my meditation a fire grew and a desire to know you more. While you break the bread of Sacred Scripture for me, you have come to be known to me in the breaking of bread, and the more I know you, the more I long to know you, no longer in the husk of the letter, but in sensed experience. 

Guigo II

Guigo II (t 1188) was a Carthusian monk and the prior of the Grande Chartreuse Monastery in France. 
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* Luke 10:38-42New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Jesus Visits Martha and Mary

38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing.[a] Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”