Contemplative Prayer--Do you?

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For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesian 3:19

I have started reading one of three books that I purchased, all regarding contemplative prayer: The Fire Witnin, Thomas Dubay. This book is about the writings of St. Theresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel, on prayer.
 
Thank you Clarissa51 for your excellent post about praying the Rosary as a contemplative prayer. To me the Rosary seems the easier method, accessible and easily understood by many. Sometimes when I am in prayer before a good image of Jesus or a Saint, I may find it betetr to stop saying the prayer words and focus on the beauty of Him, or the message of the image (the flagellation for example), could that be called contemplation?
 
Still trying to increase short prayer more and more each day. It’s a struggle, but with God’s grace I will persevere.
 
hazcompat said:
don"t struggle. let go.

peace
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Struggling in a good way. I thought the CCC said that Contemplative prayer and prayer was a struggle and a battle.

Perhaps I dont’ understand what you mean by letting go, can you clarify for me please? And if you have any suggestions how I might do that, please by all means post them.

It’s just that I am saying short prayer, and times I forget. It is trying to remember to do so that I am struggling with.

Please pray for me that I will have the grace of perseverance to continue to pray and that I may be disposed to God and and HIs Will. Thanks.

God bless.
 
I am assuming you have a spiritual director?

The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. Mt 26:41

the struggle in the CCC is with the flesh.

John 6:64 It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life.

let go of your brain(flesh) and seek Him who seeks you.

have a constant conversation with Jesus. Share everything with Him. When the burning urge to recite prayers hits, even in the middle of the night, do whatever He tells you without delay.

The kingdom of heaven is within you. If you are truly grateful, offer your gratitude as an acceptable sacrifice to Our Father, through His Son, in the Holy Spirit.

read, write, pray, sing.Participate in the mass and receive communion as often as you are able.

research purity of heart. research Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

peace
 
hazcompat said:
I am assuming you have a spiritual director?

The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. Mt 26:41

the struggle in the CCC is with the flesh.

John 6:64 It is the spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life.

let go of your brain(flesh) and seek Him who seeks you.

have a constant conversation with Jesus. Share everything with Him. When the burning urge to recite prayers hits, even in the middle of the night, do whatever He tells you without delay.

The kingdom of heaven is within you. If you are truly grateful, offer your gratitude as an acceptable sacrifice to Our Father, through His Son, in the Holy Spirit.

read, write, pray, sing.Participate in the mass and receive communion as often as you are able.

research purity of heart. research Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

peace
Click to expand...
Yes I do have a spiritual director. Sounds like I am on the right track. I have frequent recourse to the Sacraments. It’s just hard to let go of the mind sometimes. My spiritual director said prayer was a perennial battle at times, and I am now agreeing

It’s just that it seems that my prayers are falling flat and there’s just emptiness. I am reading Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross.

I will look up more on the Indwelling, that has quite interested me. I am reading St. Elizabeth’s the Trinity book right now.

God bless.
 
Clarissa,

How did you get started in contemplative prayer? May God bless you in the process…

I like to use Ignation methods of slow prayers
 
Hear my cry, O God;
Give heed to my prayer. Psalm 61:1

St. Teresa of Avila wrote about contemplative prayer in her book (“Interior Castle”)–that the first “room” that we enter should be the one where humility is acquired. “As I see it, we shall never succeed in knowing ourselves unless we seek to know God: let us think of His greatness and then come back to our own baseness; by looking at His purity we shall see our foulness; by meditating upon His humility, we shall see how far we are from being humble.” (page 23)

She takes several paragraphs to point out that prayer should include an awareness of who your are addressing…God and God’s majesty…

To “Celticnovice” in answer to your question, I have been involved in prayer ministry for about 5 years, but recently I attended a weekend conference with Father Faricy who discussed the importance of contemplative prayer. He wrote a book about Contemplative Prayer, and suggests that contemplative prayer can include meditating on the psalms, Bible prayers, stations of the cross, etc.
 
Clarissa51 said:
Hear my cry, O God;
Give heed to my prayer. Psalm 61:1

St. Teresa of Avila wrote about contemplative prayer in her book (“Interior Castle”)–that the first “room” that we enter should be the one where humility is acquired. “As I see it, we shall never succeed in knowing ourselves unless we seek to know God: let us think of His greatness and then come back to our own baseness; by looking at His purity we shall see our foulness; by meditating upon His humility, we shall see how far we are from being humble.” (page 23)

She takes several paragraphs to point out that prayer should include an awareness of who your are addressing…God and God’s majesty…

To “Celticnovice” in answer to your question, I have been involved in prayer ministry for about 5 years, but recently I attended a weekend conference with Father Faricy who discussed the importance of contemplative prayer. He wrote a book about Contemplative Prayer, and suggests that contemplative prayer can include meditating on the psalms, Bible prayers, stations of the cross, etc.
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I love meditating on the pslams. For some reason, I am very attracted to the psalms. I am kinda embarassed to say this, but I have never really connected with the Rosary. I pray it every now and then, but Mind in the Heart Prayer and lectio divina seem to be the gateway to being disposed for contemplative prayer for me.

I am reading Interior castles right now. It’s slow reading.

God bless.
 
Clarissa51 said:
Hear my cry, O God;
Give heed to my prayer. Psalm 61:1

St. Teresa of Avila wrote about contemplative prayer in her book (“Interior Castle”)–that the first “room” that we enter should be the one where humility is acquired. “As I see it, we shall never succeed in knowing ourselves unless we seek to know God: let us think of His greatness and then come back to our own baseness; by looking at His purity we shall see our foulness; by meditating upon His humility, we shall see how far we are from being humble.” (page 23)

She takes several paragraphs to point out that prayer should include an awareness of who your are addressing…God and God’s majesty…

To “Celticnovice” in answer to your question, I have been involved in prayer ministry for about 5 years, but recently I attended a weekend conference with Father Faricy who discussed the importance of contemplative prayer. He wrote a book about Contemplative Prayer, and suggests that contemplative prayer can include meditating on the psalms, Bible prayers, stations of the cross, etc.
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I know too many content with the third “room” even though abundant grace to proceed is available.

peace
 
Little_One0307 said:
I love meditating on the pslams. For some reason, I am very attracted to the psalms. I am kinda embarassed to say this, but I have never really connected with the Rosary. I pray it every now and then, but Mind in the Heart Prayer and lectio divina seem to be the gateway to being disposed for contemplative prayer for me.

I am reading Interior castles right now. It’s slow reading.

God bless.
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The psalms are wonderful prayers. If grace moves you consider the Divine Office (LOTH). The Rosary may connect with you further on. The prayer is received, not perceived. I would not focus on what may or may not “dispose” you. I would be sensitive to all things that cause your heart to burn. In your reading of the castles, does anything speak to the deepest longing of your heart? The precious soul and Doctor of The Church is so very self-deprecating, maybe Thérèse of Lisieux at this time. Some of the virgins ran out of oil. Be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

peace
 
hazcompat said:
The psalms are wonderful prayers. If grace moves you consider the Divine Office (LOTH). The Rosary may connect with you further on. The prayer is received, not perceived. I would not focus on what may or may not “dispose” you. I would be sensitive to all things that cause your heart to burn. In your reading of the castles, does anything speak to the deepest longing of your heart? The precious soul and Doctor of The Church is so very self-deprecating, maybe Thérèse of Lisieux at this time. Some of the virgins ran out of oil. Be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

peace
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I do pray the LOTH. I just don’t care for all the canticles and stuff worked in there. I usually go through the grail psalter and do 3 sets of pslams a day and make it through the psalms in 1 week.

Well, in reading the book, it is taking a bit of time. I guess I have felt like I have been in a dry spell, pray that I have the grace to peservere.

God bless.
 
Clarissa51 said:
Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?" Matthew 26:40

I’ve recently been encouraged to practice Contemplative Prayer, as described in the Catechism, 2709-2719. This is my second day of entering into contemplative prayer, with the goal of wanting to pray an hour each morning.

I’m looking for others who also engage in this practice, for suggestions and mutual encouragement and support. Let me know anything interesting or helpful or what you have learned from this practice. Thank you and God Bless.
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Contemplative prayer is considered passive prayer - distinct from active prayer. You probably knew that already.

There is more of a listening and waiting for Him.

Don’t try to grasp at mental images or feelings, emotions…however good or pure they may feel.

Don’t assume that the absence of any experiential quality is the absence of God.

Once in a while, I ask the Lord ( I sometimes start this way) " Lord, do you know me?" " Am I known to you?" And then…just wait in stillness and silence.
 
Little_One0307 said:
I do pray the LOTH. I just don’t care for all the canticles and stuff worked in there. I usually go through the grail psalter and do 3 sets of pslams a day and make it through the psalms in 1 week.

Well, in reading the book, it is taking a bit of time. I guess I have felt like I have been in a dry spell, pray that I have the grace to peservere.

God bless.
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Grace and peace.

Ephesians 3:14 This, then, is what I pray, kneeling before the Father, 15 from whom every fatherhood, in heaven or on earth, takes its name. 16 In the abundance of his glory may he, through his Spirit, enable you to grow firm in power with regard to your inner self, 17 so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, 18 with all God’s holy people you will have the strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth;19 so that, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond knowledge, you may be filled with the utter fullness of God.

again I say peace
 
O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, You know it all. Psalm 139:1-4

Lord, amazing things have happened since I have tried to incorporate time for contemplative prayer in my life. Thank you Lord. Please give us the faith, courage, determination to continue to make it a part of our lives. In Jesus Name.
 
Contemplation, meditation, … :confused: But I am learning bit by bit and it is interesting when I have tried it. Please know that your posts are helping someone here a lot.
 
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