In its discussion of Christian prayer, the Catechism of the Catholic Church distinguishes between meditation and contemplation. Meditation is described as a quest in which “The mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking.” (2705)
One can use a variety of books in meditation, such as the Bible or spiritual classics, religious images, and a variety of methods. “Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ,” says the Catechism. While it is of great value, “Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him.” (2708)
Meditation, then, leads to the next step: contemplation, or mental prayer. Quoting St. Teresa of Avila, whose many fine writings help us with mental prayer, the Catechism says, “Contemplative prayer … in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” (2709). She has also described mental prayer as an “intimate friendship, a frequent heart-to-heart conversation with Him by whom we know ourselves to be loved.”
Teresa did not believe contemplation to be merely an advanced state of prayer for a few devout souls, but an essential form of prayer for every Christian. She said, “He who neglects mental prayer needs not a devil to carry him to hell, but he brings himself there with his own hands.”
St. Alphonsus Liguori agreed: “It is morally impossible for him who neglects meditation to live without sin.”
Use of the Intellect and Will
While the Rosary does contain an element of meditation, the Rosary is not mental prayer as such. Nor is a Divine Mercy chaplet, or devotional prayers said from a prayer book, as valuable as these can be. Neither is it spiritual reading, such as when one reads a passage from The Imitation of Christ.
Mental prayer makes use of the intellect and the will. The memory recalls a subject matter, such as a passage from Scripture, reflects on it and uses it as “fodder” for conversation with Christ. It consists in not thinking much, according to Teresa, but in “loving much.”
Teresa’s method involves several steps. First, the preparation, that is, putting yourself in the presence of God. This may be done by considering God’s providence, how He cares for us, or how He lives in us when we are in the state of grace.
Next, you select some material to use for reflection. Scripture is an excellent source, or you can use a religious picture.
Third is the consideration. You ask yourself a series of questions as you turn the material over in your mind: What’s going on? Why? Who is involved? What does it mean to me?
Fourth, and most important, is the conversation. You talk the subject matter over slowly with Christ, you speak of your love for Him, include praise and thanksgiving, and petitions. When the conversation trails off, you can return to the written material.
And finally, you conclude by thanking God for the gift of your prayer, consider ways you may improve the next time, and address whatever other “loose ends” you’d like to tie up. This method could be used for five minutes, or an hour, depending on the time you have available. For the layman, however, thirty minutes daily ought to be your goal.
The Guidance of the Spirit
St. Philip Neri taught one woman to meditate petition by petition on the Our Father, but he was reluctant to give detailed direction on mental prayer. He believed priests ought let people follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Once, for example, a man came to him for confession and then asked him how he ought to go about mental prayer. The saint responded, “Be humble and obedient, and the Holy Spirit will teach you.” One of St. Philip’s favorite subjects for meditation were the Four Last Things: death, judgment, heaven, hell.
St. Philip and many other saints recommended in conjunction with mental prayer that the individual make use of so-called ejaculatory prayers or short prayers throughout the day. Quoting St. Francis de Sales, Fr. Hardon notes, “Admire [God’s] beauty, invoke his aid, cast yourself in spirit at the foot of his cross, adore his goodness, often inquire of him concerning your salvation; a thousand times in the day offer your soul to him, fix your inward eyes on his kindness, hold out your hand to him as a child to its Father.”
Such prayers can be easily interwoven with the activities of the day, Father continues. He adds, “Pious aspirations are a form of true meditative prayer. Without them we cannot live a contemplative life really well, and we make but a poor business of the active life.”
In his book How to Pray Always, Raoul Plus, SJ, notes that difficulties in mental prayer are usually due to “the lack of method in our mode of coming into contact with the supernatural world, to want of courage in exerting ourselves during prayer, or to failure to persevere in the presence of God in times of aridity, when sensible consolations are absent.”
Allowing God to Intervene
For me, contemplative prayer is allowing God to intervene in our minds and hearts in a way in which we focus on Him, pray to Him, praise Him and allow Him to speak to us. A big part of it is listening and being silent before the Lord. Remember when the prophet Elijah fled to the desert:
Then the LORD said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, a light silent sound. (1 Kings 19:11-12)
The Lord did not speak in the strong and violent wind, earthquake or fire, but in a silent whisper. That is contemplative prayer: God speaks to you in a whisper. It is during this time that we need to let God love us, minister to us and encourage us.
If you’re new to contemplative prayer, begin by carving out a consistent time of the day where you may be alone and in silence for even as short a time. Fr. John Hardon, in his own Catholic Catechism, notes, “Daily prayer at regular times is paramount. All Catholic writers on the spiritual life agree that there should be daily mental prayer, if only for a few minutes, at certain times when a person is sure of being freed from other duties, and there ought to be some system to prayer, particularly for beginners.”
To begin with, start with five minutes. Invite the Holy Spirit to come into your heart. Ask the assistance of the Blessed Mother and your guardian angel. Take a section of the four Gospels, particularly one which contains the words of Christ Himself, read it slowly, reflect on it and think how it might apply to you.
Speak to the Lord about it with words, or without words in the silence of your heart. When you finish your time, try to make a resolution to apply something you’ve read to improve your life: perhaps to be more patient with others, to stop speaking uncharitably about others, to be more generous, be more truthful, avoid bad language, etc. Increase your time of contemplation as you are able. Seek out the advice and support of a good priest to help you advance. I think you’ll find it most profitable to your spiritual wellbeing.
The Divine Office
When I became a deacon, I assumed the obligation of daily praying the Divine Office, or the Liturgy of the Hours, known more commonly as the breviary. Clergy and religious are required to pray the Divine Office; dedicated members of the laity are also welcome to pray along with us, if they choose. The Office is the public prayer of the Church; as the Catechism explains, it is “the prayer of the whole People of God.” (1175) It is a collection of daily psalms, hymns, prayers and Scripture readings which we read, pray and meditate on at different times of the day. The practice goes back to the earliest days of the Church, and is in response to Jesus telling His Apostles of the “… necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.” (Luke 18:1)
The Vatican’s Office of the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship explains, “From ancient times the Church has had the custom of celebrating each day the liturgy of the hours. In this way the Church fulfills the Lord’s precept to pray without ceasing, at once offering its praise to God the Father and interceding for the salvation of the world.”
The Catechism goes on to explain, “The hymns and litanies of the Liturgy of the Hours integrate the prayer of the psalms into the age of the Church, expressing the symbolism of the time of day, the liturgical season, or the feast being celebrated. …The lectio divina, where the Word of God is so read and meditated that it becomes prayer, is thus rooted in the liturgical celebration.” (1177)
As I mentioned, as a deacon of the Church, I pray the Office daily, both in the morning and evening, and sometimes during the day. It takes me an average of an hour and a half; I typically pray it at home in front of a crucifix or sacred image. I usually pray it alone, but I find it particularly impactful when I have the chance to pray it in community. One of my favorite things when I have meetings with my fellow deacons is when we begin with the Office’s morning prayers.
The Consolation of Prayer
It is a great consolation to me knowing that, with the Office, I am praying with the entire Church throughout the day. The entire body of Christ is praying for one another, asking God to take over and that Christ be made manifest. It is a powerful spiritual tool.
Morning prayer helps me prepare for the day. Evening prayer gives me the opportunity to reflect on what has happened during the day, and to lift up my concerns in prayer. The Psalms remind me I need to be praising God on an ongoing basis. The Office is a way I can maintain God’s presence in my life each day, develop an intimacy with Him, grow closer to Christ and grow in holiness.
The laity are not required to say the Office daily, but are encouraged by the Church to do so. If you live near a monastery, retreat center or parish church that publicly prays the office, you may go and participate in certain parts of the Office, such as Vespers/Evening prayer. Otherwise, you may do it alone at home; there are many wonderful books explaining the most effective ways lay people can do the Liturgy of the Hours. I think you will find it to be a source of great spiritual strength, and a wonderful way to grow in your faith.
