Meditation is the second expression of prayer taught in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It usually follows and surpasses vocal prayer. It prepares us for the gift of contemplation. As we saw last time, Christian meditation is different from non-Christian meditation. Christian meditation engages the heart and the mind to aid in communion with …
We have been talking about deepening our personal prayer life. When we pray our simple vocal prayers well, we begin to feel a tug towards something deeper, a more heartfelt conversation with God. We desire to address him in our own words, in a more personal and particular way. Traditionally, this prayer from the heart …
Remember the analogy from previous posts of prayer as a race? A runner who does not know where the finish line lies is unlikely to win the race. Similarly, a Christian who does not understand the goal of prayer is not likely to attain it. Prayer is meant to draw us into an intimate communion …
This article was originally published in The Catholic Voice, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Omaha. This is the second in a series that I am posting from past newspaper columns, every other Tuesday. I have 3 years’ worth of columns to share with you! I wrote these columns in a logical order, so that they could serve …
This article was originally published in The Catholic Voice, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Omaha. You may have seen it in a revised form in my book, The Q & A Guide to Mental Prayer. Beginning today, I will be posting past newspaper columns, every other Tuesday. I have 3 years’ worth of columns …
This post is a response to a recent discussion in my Facebook group Authentic Contemplative Prayer about silence. What is the place of silence in mental prayer? The answer is too complex for Facebook comments. Let’s try to tackle it here. Silencing distractions Every time we pray, whether vocal or mental prayer, we should gently …