"Prayer is the secret and interior dialogue wherein the soul comunicates with God, sometimes in thoughts, other times through petitions, sometimes giving thanks, and at other times in contemplation."
- St. John of Avila -
- St. John of Avila -
Building a life of prayer |
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Prayer is essential for doing anything on behalf of God, even more so, if we want to dedicate our lives to Him through a particular vocation. Trying to follow God's will without a life of prayer is like trying to swim with one arm, or walk with one leg, or fight with one hand. Without a daily contact with God through prayer we will only follow His will after a great struggle and with great difficulty.
With so many different forms and methods of prayer alive in the Church, which one should we start with? The answer is simple: choose that which is most appropriate for you age and temperament. The author of Difficulties in Mental Prayer writes, "Whosoever attempts to adopt a form of prayer that is not compatible with his age or his spiritual strength, will soon find himself enmeshed in difficulties and will begin to fail in regularity to the point of eventually losing his initial fervor."
With that being said, anyone serious about building a life of prayer will greatly benefit from having a spiritual director. Spiritual direction is a source of great clarity and consolation, especially for those who struggle in building something so essential to our Christian life.
With so many different forms and methods of prayer alive in the Church, which one should we start with? The answer is simple: choose that which is most appropriate for you age and temperament. The author of Difficulties in Mental Prayer writes, "Whosoever attempts to adopt a form of prayer that is not compatible with his age or his spiritual strength, will soon find himself enmeshed in difficulties and will begin to fail in regularity to the point of eventually losing his initial fervor."
With that being said, anyone serious about building a life of prayer will greatly benefit from having a spiritual director. Spiritual direction is a source of great clarity and consolation, especially for those who struggle in building something so essential to our Christian life.
RULE NUMBER ONE |
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Docility to the Holy Spirit
Having a spiritual director will never replace the need to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He is the Lord and Giver of life, and if we want to build a life of prayer we must turn to Him.
St. John Paul II affirms, "The breath of the divine life, the Holy Spirit, in its simplest and most common manner, expresses itself and makes itself felt in prayer." It is He "who breathes prayer into the heart of man and woman."
How does the Holy Spirit help us build a life of prayer?
St. John Paul II affirms, "The breath of the divine life, the Holy Spirit, in its simplest and most common manner, expresses itself and makes itself felt in prayer." It is He "who breathes prayer into the heart of man and woman."
How does the Holy Spirit help us build a life of prayer?
- He helps us in our "weakness" (Rom 8:26).
- He guides us "from within" (Rom 8:27).
- He allows us to pray as new men and women, filled with Divine life.
- He calls us back to prayer when we start to go astray.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
Meditation |
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Beginners in building the life of prayer, usually start with vocal prayer. Vocal prayer responds to the needs of our human nature. It allows us to translate physically the desires we carry in our hearts spiritually. St. Thomas also teaches us that it is a big help in exciting interior devotion and focusing our attention.
We should not however remain fixed in just praying vocally. Maturity in the life of prayer requires that we also learn how to meditate, and how to meditate well.
We should not however remain fixed in just praying vocally. Maturity in the life of prayer requires that we also learn how to meditate, and how to meditate well.
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What is meditation? |
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Meditation is a "spiritual exercise". We dialogue with God by engaging our memory, our understanding, and our will. Using our intellect (memory and understanding) we focus on a supernatural truth--for example, God's mercy or Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross for our sins--in order to better understanding to the point of being convinced of it. Only conviction about a truth motivates us to live according to that truth. So, meditation starts with the intellect and ends in the will. It is a means to receive God's saving truths (Divine Revelation) and apply them concretely to our lives.
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But how do I meditate? |
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The best teacher of meditation is St. Ignatius of Loyola, who outlines many points on prayer and meditation in his Spiritual Exercises. His method consists in the following:
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1. Prepare yourself
Start by placing yourself in God's presence.
This is essential wherever you pray, but especially when praying at home. We must remind ourselves to Whom and in Whom we pray. That being said, the best place to meditate is a chapel or Church where we find Jesus truly and substantially present in the Eucharist.
This is essential wherever you pray, but especially when praying at home. We must remind ourselves to Whom and in Whom we pray. That being said, the best place to meditate is a chapel or Church where we find Jesus truly and substantially present in the Eucharist.
Lord, I beg You that all my intentions, actions and operations may be directed purely to the praise and service of Your Divine Majesty. (Spiritual Exercises, 46)
2. Ask for the Grace you SEEk
The petition has to be according to the subject matter; that is, if the contemplation is on the Resurrection, one is to ask for joy with Christ in joy; if it is on the Passion, he is to ask for pain, tears and torment with Christ in torment. (Spiritual Exercises 48)
3. Meditation
St. Ignatius suggests that we enter into a meditation on a mystery of the life of Christ as if we were there. For example, we can use our imagination to picture ourselves as a servant helping Mary and St. Joseph in the home at Nazereth, or put ourselves along side Mary and St. John at the cross. From here, I can engage with my external senses. What do I see? Who is around me? What do I hear? What are people doing?
We can then use our intellect to better understand the matter upon which we are meditating. Why is our Lord performing this miracle? Why is Jesus hanging on the cross for us sinners?
After seeing all our Lord is doing for us, we may then seek to make concrete resolutions, such as to prayer more, to work against a vice, or to practice more charity.
All the powers of our soul work together in a ordered manner: imagine the matter at hand, seek to understand the mystery (knowing that as a mystery we cannot fully understand here on earth, but Jesus invites us to ponder them in our hearts (cf. Luke 2:19), and finally our will to make resolutions to be more like Christ.
We can then use our intellect to better understand the matter upon which we are meditating. Why is our Lord performing this miracle? Why is Jesus hanging on the cross for us sinners?
After seeing all our Lord is doing for us, we may then seek to make concrete resolutions, such as to prayer more, to work against a vice, or to practice more charity.
All the powers of our soul work together in a ordered manner: imagine the matter at hand, seek to understand the mystery (knowing that as a mystery we cannot fully understand here on earth, but Jesus invites us to ponder them in our hearts (cf. Luke 2:19), and finally our will to make resolutions to be more like Christ.
4. thanksgiving and review
It is important after prayer and meditation to give thanks to God for the many graces we have received, and also to examine ourselves on our meditation. Did I prepare myself well? Did I allow myself to be distracted? Did I make a resolution seeking to follow more closely to follow our Lord? St. Ignatius places such importance on this review, that during the exercises he has us take fifteen minutes after each hour meditation to examine ourselves.
Finally, it is important to be very patient and presevering in our prayer! As our Lord tells us through the words of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus". (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
Finally, it is important to be very patient and presevering in our prayer! As our Lord tells us through the words of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus". (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
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Life of PrayerFor me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”(St. Therese)
At the end of the day, the goal is prayer is union with God. But how do I begin? What should my disposition be? What should I do if prayer is dry, boring, and seems like a waste of time? Br. Peter explores these and other items related to prayer at Universitas Online 2020. |