Catholic Hospital Dedicates Meditation Room

Today I call your attention to a wonderful news story by James MacPherson of the Associated Press. It was posted 7/28/05 and is currently on-line at GrandForksHarold.com:

"BISMARCK, N.D. - Sherman Iron Shield used to sneak his son behind some elevators at St. Alexius Medical Center to burn sacred herbs, hoping to chase away evil spirits without setting off fire alarms and sprinklers.

The practice, known as smudging, along with modern medicine, helped his son, George, recover from a gunshot wound to the head nearly a dozen years ago, he said.

"My son is still alive," Iron Shield said.

On Thursday, the hospital dedicated a $350,000 solarium and meditation room that may be used for such things as burning sage, cedar or sweetgrass, or for singing or drumming."

What is remarkable about this story is that this hospital is Catholic.

Instead of fighting - or preaching against - other religions and expressions of spirituality, this Catholic Hospital chose love. This hospital chose to honor the needs of its patients and, therefore, chose to honor The Living God over doctrine.

The Director of Pastoral programs stated that this meditation room is the first of its kind. Surely it will not be the last.

By the Grace of God, one day everyone in the world will understand that everything we do with love and positive intention is a prayer to God.

If we drum with intense love and the intention to evoke God's power to heal, we are being just as effective - and as close to God - as when we recite The Lord's Prayer.

If we burn sage in a ritual to banish negative energy, we are simply using a ritual to evoke blessing, similar to when a priest comes to bless a new home using a crucifix and holy water.

There are so many ways different people feel God, acknowledge God and worship God.

A Catholic practices a meditation in chanting the rosary. A Buddhist practices a meditation in chanting a Buddhist mantra while fingering prayer beads.

Both are affirming blessing by impressing their minds with positive thought that will allow God to work through them.

However we connect with God, what is important is that we do connect, in private, and with a feeling of honor and sacrament and willingness to be vehicles for good.

Having a meditation room in a hospital to facilitate spiritual healing is a brilliant and loving idea.

Now that there is one faith-based hospital that is so loving, enlightened and dedicated to healing that it has established a meditation room, let us affirm that God opens the hearts and minds of all hospital administrators.

Let us affirm that they take note of this wonderful action and follow in the footsteps of those at St. Alexius.

Your In Christ,