Christian Meditation in Nature in Sicily: Praying Surrounded by Creation

Many people look for a place in nature to meditate, find calm and listen to themselves. Christian tradition has always known meditation, but gives it a precise face: we do not meditate on emptiness, we meditate before Someone. Meditating in nature in Sicily, among the sea, the olive trees and Etna, is an ancient and simple way of praying.

What Christian meditation is

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: "Meditation is above all a quest. The mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking" (no. 2705). Christian meditation starts from the Word of God, the life of Jesus, sacred images and creation, and leads to dialogue with God.

That is why it differs from many Eastern or modern techniques aimed at emptying the mind. In 1989 the letter Orationis formas recalled that useful elements of other methods may be welcomed, but Christian prayer always remains a personal encounter with God, not a technique for feeling well.

Why meditate in nature

"The heavens are telling the glory of God" (Ps 19:1). Creation is the first book in which God speaks to man. Saint Francis of Assisi, in the Canticle of the Creatures, praises God for "brother sun", "sister moon", "sister water" and "brother fire". Pope Francis, in Laudato si', invites us to recover a contemplative gaze on the world. The silence of a wood, the sound of the sea, the light of sunset help the heart to gather itself.

Four simple ways to meditate outdoors

1. Lectio divina under a tree. Read a short Gospel passage or psalm slowly; repeat a phrase that strikes you; speak to God; remain in silence before Him. These are the four steps of the monastic tradition: reading, meditation, prayer, contemplation.
2. Contemplating creation. Sit and look: a flower, a stone, the sea. Thank God for what you see.
3. The prayer of the heart while walking. Walk slowly, softly repeating the name of Jesus, as the prayer of the heart teaches.
4. A psalm sung outdoors. A simple song, together, before the view.

Meditating in Sicily

Sicily offers extraordinary places for silence and prayer: mountains, valleys, woods, coasts, ancient monasteries. I have gathered some of them on the pages Places to meditate in Sicily and Places to meditate near Taormina and Messina. The Italo-Greek monks also chose places like these: I write about it on the page about hesychasm.

A day of Christian meditation near Taormina

During the spiritual days there is always time to meditate in nature: a Gospel passage read outdoors, a shared silence, a slow walk. Then the meal prepared together, time in company, common prayer. No experience is needed: we learn by doing, together.

How to take part

The days take place near Taormina, in Sicily. The places to visit are agreed together each time. There is no overnight stay: we share one day, and in the evening everyone returns to their own home. Hospitality has no price and does not depend on any offering: whoever comes is welcomed for who they are. Everyone contributes as they can: anyone who cannot leave anything is welcomed like everyone else, and takes part by giving a little of their time.

The days are reserved for Catholic and Orthodox Christians, because they are lived in shared prayer. To ask for a date, simply write to me on WhatsApp. The spirit of the days is told in the manifesto of hospitality.

If you would like to know what makes this mission possible, read The circle of love.

Explore the other pages

The days: Christian spiritual days in Sicily · The Philoxenia of Abraham · Spiritual search and finding yourself · Day retreat, silent retreat and pilgrimage: the international names

Spiritual travel in Sicily: Spiritual tourism in Sicily: the guide · Pilgrimage walking routes in Sicily · Holy Week and Easter in Sicily · Religious festivals in Sicily: the calendar · Orthodox pilgrimage in Sicily · Spiritual Nordic walking and ski walking in Sicily

Nature and places: Spiritual Taormina · Spiritual walks in nature · Places to meditate near Taormina and Messina · Places to meditate in Sicily

Prayer: Christian asceticism: the spiritual struggle · The prayer of the heart or Jesus Prayer · Hesychasm: the prayer of stillness · The Philokalia: the Neptic Fathers

The saints of Sicily: Byzantine Sicily and the Italo-Greek saints · Saint Hilarion the Great in Sicily · Saint Methodios of Syracuse · Saint Joseph the Hymnographer · Saint Elias the Younger of Enna · Saint Agatha of Catania · Saint Lucy of Syracuse · Saint Pancras of Taormina

Sources

• Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 2015 and 2665-2669 (vatican.va)
• Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Orationis formas (1989), vatican.va
• Pope Francis, Laudato si' (2015), vatican.va
• Psalms 19 and 46 (Bible Gateway, RSV)