One of the tensions of the Christian faith is that it is both outwardly and inwardly focused. We look to God, and in his perfection and power we draw him into our fragile selves. His presence purifies ours. Jesus the great God Man is both our model and our champion. So when we wish to quiet our hearts in meditation, the natural object of our attention is Jesus Christ. We ponder his virtues and welcome his inhabitation.
For the moment I’d like to set aside longer prayers including the Rosary, the Jesus Prayer, the Benedictus, the Magnificat, the Ordinary Mass and the Lord’s Prayer. In the future maybe I can talk about some of the New Testament hymns that punctuate especially the writings of Paul. For now I want to mention four phrases in four different languages that have been used for thousands of years by sincere hearts that draw near to God.
1. Hallelujah
Ancient Hebrew compound word meaning “Praise God.”
From the Hallelujah hymns of Psalm of 104-109 and 146-150 to the four-fold Hallelujah of Revelation 19, Hallelujah is the most universally recognized word in Christendom. The first song I ever learned how to play on the guitar repeated this one word eight times. It’s still one of my favorite songs.
Two Hallelujah mantras:
- Hallelujah
- Sing Hallelujah to the Lord
2. Kyrie eleison
Koine Greek expression, “Lord, have mercy.”
This is one of the great thematic cries of the Gospel of Matthew: “Lord, have mercy!” Although my first exposure to the Greek phrase was through the classical masses written by Mozart and others, my favorite setting is a simple Gregorian chant from the Ordinarium Missae.
A popular version of this is in the chorus of Lord, Have Mercy by Steve Merkel. (This song was made famous by Michael W. Smith)
When praying in community, Lord have mercy and Christ have mercy are often spoken by the congregation after brief prayers.
3. Maranatha
Aramaic phrase, “Our Lord, come” (cf. 1 Cor. 16:22)
Although this word is listed in 1 Cor. 16:22 it actually belongs to the following verse (the possibility of wordplay with the preceding ANATHEMA does exist). The two phrases form a beautiful benediction:
Our Lord, come!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.
When we pray Maranatha we are be praying for the Lord’s return as well as invoking his presence in our current circumstance.
4. Sanctus
Latin, “Holy.”
This is the great cry of the church, the angels, the four living creatures and heaven itself in the presence of God. In Revelation 4 it says
They never rest day or night, saying: “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful Who was and who is, and who is still to come!”
For those who would like to practice meditation, I offer these four options as alternatives to the classic Buddhist mantra Om Namah Shivaya, “I honor the divinity that resides within me.” or the even more terse Ham-sa, “I am That.” Christian meditation differs from Zen meditation in that it is rational and Christ-centered. The Biblical model of prayer is to acknowledge Jesus’ sovereignty and our need of mercy. In him we can find rest from our souls, not by blocking out the world but by finding refuge in God amidst the storm.
For some other ideas for brief prayers:
