![]() God will see our determination and effort, and reward us for it. ![]() Continue to do this the whole time of prayer, if required. When we recognize we are distracted we quickly turn our focus back to the meditation. Normal because of our fallen nature and sins. From distractions, which are a normal part of prayer.Perseverance and fidelity - keep striving for your prayer life. Recognize the pattern of sin in your life and I bet you will see that prayer had began to waiver and become less frequent before the sin was committed. It is not possible to persevere in mental prayer and at the same time in sin, especially mortal sin. From our sins, which pull our mind, heart, and will away from God and from prayer.Discouragement is never from God so reject it and battle on. From discouragement, which comes from combating various faults and difficulties in ourselves.The fruits of prayer and overcoming acedia are achieved by faithfulness to prayer and perseverance. From spiritual sloth (acedia), which springs from our fallen nature and makes spiritual things distasteful.From the devil, who would keep us from this holy spiritual exercise.Sublime is the excellence of mental prayer, great are its privileges to mental prayer heaven is opened to mental prayer heavenly secrets are manifested and the ear of God ever attentive.” Out of mental prayer issues forth, like living sparks, those desires of heaven which the soul conceives when inflamed with the fire of divine love. Peter of Alcantara sums up the benefits of mental prayer: “In mental prayer, the soul is purified from its sins, nourished with charity, confirmed in faith, and strengthened in hope the mind expands, the affections dilate, the heart is purified, truth becomes evident temptation is conquered, sadness dispelled the senses are renovated drooping powers revive tepidity ceases the rust of vices disappear. is the most potent means for persevering in our vocation.Mental prayer purifies our mind and heart of these impurities. It is especially powerful in helping us overcome impurity of thought, word, or action. keeps sin far from us and saves us from choosing Hell (here and hereafter).Mental prayer is essential to the Christian life, good works, and most importantly growing in holiness.īy the light and strength it imparts, mental prayer: In other words, without conversation with Christ we will not reach intimate friendship with God and our good works will not merit reward in Heaven. John Paul II said at the turn of the millennium that the “training in holiness calls for a Christian life distinguished above all in the art of prayer.” He goes on to say in makes us intimate friends with Jesus and that conversation is the very substance and soul of the Christian life and the condition of all good works. “All the Christian faithful, of whatever state or rank are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity” as Lumen Gentium, paragraph 40 states. This conversation with Christ, according to the Saints (and I mean all of them) is necessary not only for growth in holiness, but for salvation. We must allow our friend, in this instance Jesus, to speak to us in the silence of our hearts. Jesus wants to have a daily conversation with us wherein we reveal to Him whatever is on our minds and hearts. Friends have conversations about their hopes, joys, aspirations, as well as, their sufferings, struggles, and failures. Jesus has called us friends (see Jn 15:15). ![]() Mental prayer is also called Conversation with Christ. In practice, mental prayer is the art of becoming who God is calling us to be. Its object is to make us know, love, and serve God better and to promote the knowledge of ourselves and the faithful living out of our vocation and duties. Mental prayer is a pious communication of the soul with God by means of considerations, conversation, and resolutions. We elevate ourselves toward God by thinking of Him, loving Him, and conversing with Him. ![]() Prayer in general is an elevation of our soul (mind and will) and our heart toward God to render Him our loving worship. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |