Ahead of the upcoming Beyond the Noise weekend retreat in Auckland, Vincent Maire speaks with retreat leader Fr Frank Bird about the life and wisdom of Christian mystic St John of the Cross. Drawing on his own journey with John’s writings — and his recent studies in Rome — Frank reflects on prayer, silence, transformation, and the deepening path of union with God. Their conversation offers a glimpse into what retreatants might expect as they encounter one of Christianity’s great mystical teachers.

Life is about becoming aware of the divine, of Love, its principle and presence,  unfailingly permeating and sustaining every tiny unit of existence. I need my meditating community to help me keep to my path. They are my companions who strengthen me as we share this  glorious adventure of the spirit.

Each time I meditate I enter, for a time, a place of silence and stillness where I can be fully present. Meditation clears my vision and brings me back again to my true centre. The strains and stresses of the day dissolve and after meditation it is like beginning the day anew. It has become the essential heart from which all parts of my life flow.

I have an underlying serenity that my life is in God’s hands and that I am being supported and guided each day. A growth in patience and trust in the God who loves everyone.Without the NZCCM community I would not have learned about Christian Meditation. Sharing with others on the same path is inspiring and reassuring for me.

Meditation has become a quiet anchor in my life—a way of consenting to God’s presence in the midst of the ordinary. The gift is often subtle but profound: a growing spaciousness within, a stillness that accompanies me through both joy and sorrow.

Membership of a weekly group keeps me anchored in my own meditation practice, and it encourages those I’ve helped to bring to meditation to stay connected with the practice.  The loyalty and commitment of my small group constantly re-inspire me.

We say that meditation comes before action. Meditation has made me aware of gifts I didn’t know I had, and how to use those gifts for the benefit of others rather than for my own needs. The insight that “meditation shrinks the ego and allows the soul to grow into the space that’s left behind” is both true and liberating.

Meditation for me feels like coming home.  It's an opportunity for me to simply BE.  In this quiet time of ‘being’ I know at a deep level that God is meeting me there, in my heart.