Mental Prayer
Just 15 minutes a day.
I can’t remember who said it, if it was a saint or perhaps Bl. Jacinta of Fatima, that many of the problems in the world, and I would say amongst otherwise devout Catholics, is that they do not practice mental prayer.
Without frequent intercourse between the soul and God, spending time with Him whom we know loves us, conversing with Him, a person can easily miss what the Holy Spirit speaks daily to the soul. Mental prayer is most easily accomplished after Holy Communion, yet so many people rush out of Church immediately after Mass. Or it (mental prayer) can become part of one’s daily examen of conscience if one is too busy to find the time elswhere in the day.
Without this intimate prayer between the soul and God, it is difficult to arrive at knowledge of God, much less self-knowledge. Perhaps this is why many of us go day in and day out, filling our quota of prayers, such as the rosary or the Liturgy of the Hours, and even daily Mass, yet continue to scandalize one another by our lack of charity.
The greater a person’s faults, the more we need to practice this prayer, for as St. Teresa stated, “Prayer is the trap door out of sin.”
Start out with just 15 minutes a day.
May 20th, 2007 at 10:26 am
Start with:
“Be Still and Know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10
Then,
“Speak Lord, Your Servant is Listening.”
1 Samuel 3:9
May 20th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
I would add this: mental prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament will make a difference. Eucharistic adoration cured me of certain errors concerning the faith. The thing that motivated me to turn to adoration in the first place was that my life was in crisis, and I desperately needed help; but looking back, I see that I was allowed to undergo the crisis so that an even deeper crisis to which I was oblivious could be dealt with. There was no effort on my part, other than visiting Him every day for a few weeks; but the next thing I knew, I had abandoned the errors and become firmly convinced of the opposing truths.
I would also add that frequent recourse to the Sacraments (over and above what is required) also makes a difference, and will do so in fairly rapid order. I still have a very long way to go, but my own heart has undergone a dramatic change since I started receiving Holy Communion every day. I still have a really hard time frequenting confession, but probably the cure for that is…more frequent confession.
May 20th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Ray and Anita - right on!
Anita, you are absolutely correct about adoration - those who attend are fortunate to spend thaat hour, or longer, with the One they know loves us. In fact, I’m leaving for adoration right now!
May 20th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
I agree….I’ve had amazing things happen as a result of adoration. I actually started just “popping in” for a few moments every day before work, and that turned into attending daily mass…and then more adoration in the evening after work.
I actually don’t go as frequently now, but at time in my lift that’s where I needed to be so God brought me there to give me the strength to face some very difficult incidents.
May 20th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Great post Terry!
May 21st, 2007 at 7:10 am
As great as the Divine Office & Rosary (and other “formal” devotions) are, I’m learning the absolute necessity of “prayer of the heart” and reflecting on the words of Christ from the gospels. I still struggle to spend that time with God each day when there are so many other things begging for my attention, but I certainly can tell the difference in those times when I do & when I don’t.
May 21st, 2007 at 9:28 am
in france. writing on french keyboard. difficult. quite near holy ground of Molesme and Clairvaux. preaching to OSB nuns in a beautiful old monastery dedicated to Imm Ht of Mary . . . drenched in centuries of Ave Marias prayed incessantly and from the heart. yesterday visit to the sanctuary of OL of Holy Hope: seat of archconfraternity of OL of HOLY HOPE. Everyone prays the invocation: Our Lady of Holy Hope, convert us! so much to share. my conferences are well received. i ask for prayers for something very impt. will be backon Vultus Christi by weekend. Love to all.
May 21st, 2007 at 3:11 pm
I miss you Don Marco - you are in my prayers.