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I lead a little meditation group at Sophia University in Tokyo. Every Saturday afternoon we sit around the Blessed Sacrament, some in the lotus position, others on chairs. I myself, alas, no longer sit in the lotus but have to use a chair. We sit in silence for an hour before celebrating the Eucharist. Then we indulge in a party, drinking green tea and talking about anything from politics to religion.

When we meditate, each person follows his or her inspiration. I use a variation of the Jesus prayer, repeating a mantra again and again. Of the various mantras, the one I like best is “Lord Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner.” I like to be clear that I am a sinner. This does not cause me guilt because I know that Jesus loves sinners. Often I have recommended this kind of meditation to the participants in my group. Many of them say in Japanese, “Jesus, have mercy on me” and repeat it again and again, not only when they are in the lotus before the Blessed Sacrament but while they are sitting in the train or washing the dishes.

I was inspired to pray this prayer by reading This article appears in November 19 2007.