Here’s what we covered:
- How do we carry ourselves to hell?
- Why don’t we pray?
- What is Mental/Meditative prayer?
- How do you do Meditative prayer?
- How do you do Meditative prayer in the family?
January 27, 2024 Radio Interview & Podcast:
How do we carry ourselves to hell?
- “He who neglects mental prayer needs not a devil to carry him to hell, but he brings himself there with his own hands.” -St Teresa of Avila
- “Without the aid of mental prayer, the soul cannot triumph over the forces of the demon.” -St John of the Cross
- Mental prayer is crucial for our joy and for our kid’s happiness!
- We must teach mental prayer in the family. Today is the feast of St Angela Merici who famously said, “Disorder in society is a result of disorder in the family.” The corollary to that is ‘order in society is a result of order in the family.’
Why don’t we pray?
- We don’t really believe God is listening and answering our prayers.
- God ALWAYS responds to our prayers.
- Sometimes silence is the response God gives to a particular request, because it’s not in our best interest to get an answer yet.
- God always responds to us through prayer, but we have to learn how to listen and persevere.
- Jesus told us that God’s Kingdom is like a buried treasure, we have to do our part to keep digging for it through prayer. Remember the parable of the persistent widow!
- When we don’t persevere, we don’t discover God’s joy, and we falsely believe prayer doesn’t work!
What is Mental/Meditative Prayer?
- One simple definition is ‘talking to God in your head.’
- Saint Teresa’s definition: “Mental Prayer is nothing else than an intimate friendship, a frequent heart-to-heart with Him by whom we know ourselves to be loved.”
- We need to learn meditative prayer in the same way we learn a language- through practice and immersion (doing it!).
How do you do Meditative prayer?
- A simple formula is: Remember, Read, Reflect, and Resolve
- Remember who you are and to whom are you speaking. You are God’s child whom He loves madly. He promises that you will hear His voice. “I am a good shepherd and My sheep hear my voice.” Jesus said of Mary Magdalene that she had chosen the better part (conversation & communion with Him), and she would not be denied it. Neither shall we!
- Read, slowly (yes, this is the key), God’s word in Scripture, the documents of the Church, or the writings of the Saints. When something strikes you, stop and reflect. That ‘striking’ is God getting your attention. So, listen up!
- Reflect on what strikes you and listen for new insights, inspirations and understandings. “When we pray, we talk to God; when we read, God talks to us. All spiritual growth comes from reading and reflection.” -St Isidore of Seville
- Resolve to act on or incorporate into your life the good inspirations or clear understanding you gained in prayer.
- Tip: Best advice for Mental prayer is GO TO BED EARLY! Schedule your meditative prayer early in the quiet of the morning. Preparation today brings prayer tomorrow.
How to do Meditative prayer in the family?
- See one, do one, teach one.
- My father-in-law practiced medicine. He said he would be shown a new medical procedure, he’d do it, and then teach it to the next doctor.
- Learn the basics of mental prayer. The two best resources: The Better Part by Fr John Bartunek and Into the Deep by Dan Burke.
- Do your Daily Mental prayer. Again, this is crucial for your joy, your clarity and your strength!
- Teach your children. The Daily Rosary Meditation Podcast is a great way to do a form of meditative prayer together in the family! We do it as a family every day.
- Tip: Do you require your kids to eat and sleep? Then require mental prayer of your children in the same way! Schedule it with them. Talk to them about how it’s going. Hold each other accountable through encouragement and rewards. (like ice cream and family dinner out as a reward for consistency in prayer)
Mental prayer has changed my life! It’s a delight to finally ‘hear’ God’s voice and know how to discern His will. Jesus told us to pray “Thy will be done.” So, either God is a jerk, and He asks us to do His will that we can’t know, or God’s will is knowable, and we can follow it! Mental prayer teaches us to hear God’s voice and form our consciences to know what is true and what God is speaking to us.
Comment below:
Do you do your daily meditation?
Do you teach it to your kids and require it of them? How’d it go?
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