"Dead End"

"Dead End." This is the last thing I would want to see when I'm trying to find my way to a destination. It awakens a host of negative feelings inside me: disappointment over all the lost time spent driving around, anger because I'm late arriving, or fear because I don't know where I am and it's getting dark and isolated! Our prayer life can be just a bit like that. In the beginning of our spiritual journey, our prayer life may have been full of life and energy. Everything spoke to us of God and we felt empowered to spread this good tiding around. We seemed to have penetrated well the hidden meanings of things we found in spiritual books and we felt enlivened by the message they contained. We seemed to have understood the things of God and were able to endure difficult trials because our spirit was soaring and our consolations were abundant. No penance was too difficult, no vigils too long. Practicing virtue was easy and we can't seem to understand why other people don't get it. "I can do all things in Christ" was our motto. This was well and good because God willed it so. God, like a loving mother, knows well how to nourish us and how to feed us with the right food to sustain our young spirits. But St. Paul says that there is a different wisdom for the spiritually mature. As delightful as this experiences might be, we leave behind our swaddling clothes and enter the arena of the spiritually mature. Our faith needs to be tested and it begins to feed on meat instead of milk in order to grow. We enter this arena voluntarily because we understand that this is important. We decide to practice small sacrifices to test ourselves and learn self-knowledge. We give up temporal goods to restrain our inordinate appetites and strengthen our spirit. This is worthwhile because it shows our goodwill and good intentions of wanting to cooperate in God's work of sanctifying us. It shows readiness to till the ground and prepare it for sowing. This is what St. John of the Cross would call active purification. But even this is imperfect because it depends heavily on our sense and ability to control.

St. John offers a second scenario: the passive purification. Passive because it is accomplished by God. When our intellect gives up because there is no perceivable explanation, our hope dies because the possibilities are exhausted and our will weakens because hope is gone. This is pure dark night. But God works in His own ways and in His own time. How many times you hear people say "I can't pray!" "nothing is happening!" "I feel like I'm getting worse than better." "What is the use of even praying when God does not seem to care!" You finally hit the sign on the road that says: Dead End. And then all the negative emotions begin to surface. Anger.. Disappointment.. Discouragement.. Helplessness.. Fear.. Anxieties.. Do we then give up? Do we then just sit in the car until a cop shows up and shows us the way? "O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my entreaty according to your faithfulness, answer me according to your justice." This becomes our prayer. Lord, answer me, not because of my faithfulness but because YOU are faithful. Answer me not because I deserve it but because YOU are just. Justice is giving someone his / her due. God knows we are miserable creatures who are dependent on Him for everything, so why will He not give us what we need?

Any time is a beautiful time to boast of our helplessness. God is always generous because Christ went through His Passion and Death for our sake. St. Paul writes: "And so approach confidently the throne of grace, where Christ sits at the right hand of God, to bestow mercy upon mercy." We pray for many reasons. We pray because we feel a need for it. We pray because we know we have to. We pray because our hearts are made for God and we find our deepest happiness in being with him, whether we perceive Him or not. And we pray because there is no other way to God.

Read the rest of Psalm 142

How Does One Pray?

Prayer is as varied as the person doing the prayer. There are many forms and formulas of prayers but they acquire distinct differences because people and souls are different.  What is prayer?  How does one pray?
My intention is not to write a treatise on prayer!  I am not an expert on prayer.  But someone asked me, "how do you pray?"  This blog is an attempt to answer that question and a desire to share.

Early in my spiritual life, prayer for me was a set of formulas composed by spiritual masters and Saints.  They consisted of devotions and novenas.  I found pleasure in making novenas to Mary, the Child Jesus and the Sacred Heart.  This was passed on to me by my mother and grandmother.  I loved reading the lives of Saints and their sentiments shaped and formed my desires and longings.  I prayed with words or vocal prayers.  The Rosary was and is also very important to me.  I loved spiritual songs.  The words in these songs made me think of spiritual things and often times I thought of them.  Vocal prayers are good because they feed our minds and inflame our hearts with love for God and things which are above.  They lift us up in prayer.
In the course of my spiritual life, I learned how to meditate.  I began to set aside consistent time for quiet prayer, a quiet corner somewhere where I can "think" and be alone.  I started with half an hour and later on progressed to an hour.  I picked out books which appealed to me.  There was this one book I used a lot when I was in College.  I can't remember the title but it dealt with the Passion of Jesus.  It was a very good book for meditation.  I like praying alone.  I like praying before a visible holy object like the Crucifix or statue of Mary or a Saint.  I like praying with something in front of me like a book for meditation or something to hold my attention.  I like to imagine what the story is trying to present to me.

After College, I met the Carmelites and my way of praying changed.  I began to apply  the teachings of our Carmelite Saints about prayer.    First St. Therese, then St. Teresa of Avila, and then St. John of the Cross.  Some of my favorite quotations on prayer is St. John of the Cross' "The Word  was revealed in silence and in silence it must be heard." and "we should silence our appetites before this great God, for the language He hears best,  is the silent language of love."  I  habitually joined the nuns in Chapel for "mental prayer" or meditation for an hour  I began to enter the phase of appreciating the value of silent prayer, no particular thought, just resting in the Lord.  Dryness began to happen, there were no good feelings or good thoughts, but I persevered until we finish the time allotted for prayer.

When I entered religious life, my prayer life was even more developed.  Because of the structure of convent life time was more available for prayers.  My prayer life can be divided into the Communal (time prayed with the Sisters) and Personal (prayer time on my own.)  Our Communal prayer consists of participating in Holy Mass together, reciting the liturgy of the hours which is the prayer of the Church, reciting the Rosary together, reciting some vocal prayers and devotional  novenas together.  My personal prayer is spent in many ways that I can think of.  Meditation is part of my day.  I don't use as many books like I used to.  Just being in the Chapel and looking at the Crucifix or Blessed Sacrament is enough to make me pray.  In praying, it is important not to depend on feelings so much.  They come and go.  Just going to spend time is prayer, whether we feel like it or not, is enough because the important thing is our good will to be with the Lord.  It is important to be faithful to the time designated to prayer.  This makes for a good habit and good habits develop to virtues.

As I said before, prayer is as different as people's personalities.  Grace is built on nature.  The best clue we have in finding out if we are praying well is the good works we perform.  True prayer always produces good fruits.  We can go off in lonely places often to pray or recite many novenas as we would like, or stay long hours in Chapel, but if they don't make us more charitable and giving of ourselves to others, or more patient and accepting of God's will in our lives, we are just babbling and dreaming.  Jesus said "you will know the tree by its fruits."

Prayer

"Prayer is the key to enter the castle."
This was St. Teresa's words in her book on the Interior Castle.  The soul is likened to a castle with many mansions.  Each mansion represents a state of the soul.  In the center of the mansion is the King.  The only way to reach the inner mansion is through prayer.

The only way to maintain a relationship with God is through prayer.  Without it, our souls dry up and starve and in an effort to quench the thirst and satisfy the hunger, it grabs at anything it finds.  That's the beginning of inordinate attachments.  A person discerning a religious vocation, or anyone who is trying to be united with God, cannot do so without a life of daily prayer.  According to St. Therese, "prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy; finally it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus." (Story of a Soul, 242)  Aren't we all capable of this?

Spiritual Retreats

Retreats are part of one's spiritual life whether one is in religious life or not.  It serves many purposes but is always meant as a way to break away from the routine of life and to re-encounter the sacred.  It is a time to hush the bustle of life's activities and to allow the spiritual to engulf and monopolize our time and space.  Jesus himself found time to get away from his ministry and to be alone in the desert.  He encourages his disciples to "come away and rest awhile."  How does one spend a retreat?  How does one profit from it?

Every time I go for retreats, I always look forward to the rest and quiet which it offers.  It is not slothful to spend longer times of rest and sleep during a retreat.  St. Teresa of Avila always thought that one prays better if the body is well rested.  When one thinks of Teresa, one might think that she was an ascetic.  In many ways she was but her ascetism was more directed at the discipline of self will than bodily mortifications.  So she advocated finding the best position (even using a pillow) when one is praying.  The mind cannot be at ease and free to enter the castle of one's soul if it is preoccupied with the discomfort of bodily needs.  Virtues are nurtured by discretion.  So a retreat starts with a good rest and allowing the senses to settle down.  Spiritual reading is a big component of a retreat.  The best book to have during a retreat is the Holy Bible.  The Word of God is the soul's source of inspiration and catapults one into contemplation.  In the Carmelite tradition, the practice of lectio divina, is the method we use to meditate.  It involves four steps: reading the text, meditation on the text, praying the text and contemplation.  In lay man's terms, it is taking a passage of scripture and "chewing it" until one gets the juice out of it.  It is highly recommended that we use Holy Scriptures more than any other spiritual books since we are listening directly to God as he speaks to us in the Scriptures.  Books about the Saints or those written by the Saints may benefit someone, but they may be more of a distraction than a help.
Silence and solitude are a must during a retreat.  Physical separation to create that sacred space where God can be encountered is almost a requirement.  Exterior silence is beneficial because it predisposes one to interior silence.  It is in the interior silence of the soul that the real conversation and encounter between God and the soul is realized.  So it makes sense that cell phones, radios, ipods or any other sources of communcation with the world be minimized if not totally eliminated.
One's interior disposition is very important during a retreat.  It is important to incline ourselves to an attitude of openness and surrender when entering a retreat.  We need to be open to the possibility of hearing what we may not want to hear.  We need to be prepared to be directed by the Spirit.  We need to acquire the humility of heart one needs to be transformed.  To the extent that one is open to all possibilities of real change, can one be sure of benefiting from this spritual retreat.
Miracles of the heart and soul frequently happen during a retreat.  More often than not, one comes away from it strengthened and resolved to be a better person and to do more for God and neighbor.  It is very good practice to reserve  time during the year to look into where we are before God and where we are going.  Life in the fast lane can be very distracting and confusing and we need to maintain that connection with what  life is really all about and to the purpose for which we were created.  Spiritual Retreats do exactly that.
If Retreats are considered generally important, it is even particularly important, when one is discerning a call to religious life.  The prophet Hosea reminds us: 'I will allure her to the desert and speak to her heart."  Jesus spent forty days and nights in the desert before beginning his ministry.  St. Teresa summarized it in her words: "to be alone with the Great Alone."

Little Catechism of Prayer: Chapter 5: Difficulties In Prayer

9.  What is aridity?
Aridity is the withdrawal of the consolation which is so often experienced at the beginning of a conversion to a better life.  Upon first becoming concious of the more intense spiritual life that is ours, we feel great joy, for it is a psychological law that man rejoices when he finds himself in possession of a great good.  Nevertheless, an intense spiritual life does not consist in such comfort, and does not even require it.  It can well exist and be developed in the absence of all consolation, because true devotion consists solely in promptitude of will in the service of God.

10.  Is aridity an evil?
This depends upon the cause of aridity.  If aridity comes from the weakening of the will, it marks a step backwards in the spiritual life.  But if the resolution to give oneself entirely to God persists after all consolation has disappeared, then aridity, far from being an evil, may be the occasion of real blessings.

11.  Is aridity sometimes culpable?
Yes, there is a kind of aridity which is caused by our lack of fidelity.  This unfaithfulness may be more or less deliberate.  Souls called by God to a generous and mortified life, who have corresponded with grace for some time, and then turn to the pursuit of human satisfactions, become to our Lord's invitation, lose their first fervor, and remain weakened in will.  They become even more unfaithful when they fall into tepidity by committing deliberate venial sins.  Naturally, such souls are incapable of showing a stron love for our Lord because they have lost their vigor.  Thus they fall into aridity.  The only way they can remedy this is to correct themselves and return to their former generosity.


12.  May aridity sometimes come from causes outside the will?
Undoubtedly the very condition in which we live are often causes of aridity.  There are circumstances in which we become restless and are robbed of all comfort in spiritual exercises.  fatigue and drowsiness, physical indisposition, painful and absorbing preoccupation, slight offenses and misunderstandings are so many causes of heaviness, enervation and depression in which the soul loses its former peace and joy.  In this kind of aridity we must practice patience, knowing that in enduring this trial for the love of God, we are offering Him a very pleasing sacrifice and proving the genuineness of our love.

13.  May aridity also come from God?
Certainly, and even in the above mentioned case it comes from Him, since by His Divine Providence He arranges all the circumstances of our life.  But sometimes aridity is more directly the work of God, especially at times when He leaves us unable to use the imagination in prayer and incapable of forming our affections as before.  Interior souls often have this experience after they have applied themselves fervently to prayer for some time.  St. John of the Cross teaches us that this kind of aridity is God's invitation to enter into a more simple form of prayer which he calls the beginning of contemplation.

14.  How should we act in this kind of aridity?
We need not persist in our efforts to continue meditation, as we often feel obliged to do.  On the contrary, we should quite simply cease these efforts and quietly remain in the presence of God, attentive to Him in a simple regard of faith, and desirous of pleasing Him, cost what it may.  Little by little this glance of faith will become more easy and more loving, and we shall gradually pass from this painful aridity to a peaceful repose in God.


15.  How can we know when aridity comes from God?
One sign that our aridity comes from God is that we persevere in the practice of virtue and prayer even though we have nothing but distaste for these.  Because the practice of virtue is much more difficult at such times, we shall be less successful in it, but our repeated efforts indicate the firmness of our will.  Such aridity, therefore, does not come from any culpable weakness of will, but is the work of God.

16.  Why does God send us aridity?
By this trial God intends to deliver us from childish dependence upon sense comfort and to establish us upon the more solid basis of pure love.  Not being able to find any nourishment for our spirit in the beautiful imaginings and sweet emotions of other days when all seemed to go so well, we now feel constrained to cling with the will to the exercise of faith and love.  Since this is God's will for us, our efforts are supported by His grace.  This is the way to make great progress in the spiritual life.  While it does not fail to be a real trial, aridity sent by God is also such precious grace that, far from being discouraged by it, we should strive to correspond with it generously.

Little Catechism of Prayer: Chapter 5: Difficulties In Prayer

1.  What are the chief difficulties encountered in prayer?
Since prayer consists in raising our minds and hearts to God, that is, in thinking of Him and loving Him, our difficulties in prayer come from whatever hinders or renders more arduous this double application of our soul to God.  In the mind we have distractions; in the will, aridity.

2.  What are distractions?
Distractions are thoughts which come to us in prayer but have no connection with it.  These thoughts lead us to occupy ourselves with other things.  This intrusion of thoughts foreign and even contrary to recollection of the mind in God may be either voluntary or involuntary.  There is a great difference between the two.

3.  What do we mean by voluntary distractions?
By voluntary distractions we mean that we either willingly introduce, or once they have come, freely consent to thoughts that turn our minds away from the divine subject with which we are occupied.  In distracting ourselves willfully, we suspend, or at least interrupt our prayer. If we do so without sufficient reason, we become guilty of irreverence towards our Lord.  Hence voluntary distraction is more of an infidelity than a difficulty.  If, on the contrary, the distracting though which presents itself to the mind is not accepted, it is called an involuntary distraction.

4.  What are the causes of involuntary distractions?
Causes of involuntary distractions are of two kinds:  occasional and natural.  The first is made up of sense impressions from outside; the second includes certain tendencies within our nature that stir up images and thoughts.  Hence we may designate these distractions according to their source as exterior and interior distractions.

5.  Is it possible to avoid distractions in prayer?
We may to a great extent avoid exterior distractions by keeping careful guard over our senses and above all by choosing a secluded place for prayer, as our Lord Jesus Christ counsels in the  Gospel.  By keeping our eyes closed or fixed on some devotional object or on the meditation book, we can avoid many distractions coming by way of sight.  It is much more difficult, however, to avoid interior distractions.

6.  Whence comes this special difficulty with interior distractions?
This particular difficulty arises from instinctive reactions of our nature which manifest themselves in images and thoughts concerning things we love or fear.  When our attention is fixed on the subject of our meditation this interior world of natural reaction remains in the background.  But as soon as our attention wanes, all these natural tendencies begin to make themselves felt.  Then there arise within us thoughts and memories quite foreign to the meditation we are trying to make.

7.  Is it possible to counteract interior distractions?
Yes, there is an direct and indirect way of resisting these distractions.  We resist them directly by bringing our thoughts back to the pious subject that we are considering, or by giving our attention to God in an act of faith or of love.  Indirectly we counteract these distractions by intensifying our spiritual life.  As our spiritual life becomes more intense, it gathers new energies, strengthening us in our adherence to God and overcoming natural inclinations which distract us from Him.  Obviously this cannot be accomplished quickly.  It is rather the result of long application to the spiritual life.

8.  Are interior distractions sometimes unavoidable?
Yes, they are at times unavoidable because they are so instinctive.  Especially when we experience difficulty in fixing our attention on prayer, interior distractions may be overwhelming, insistent, and very wearying.  This difficulty may sometimes spring from an accidental cause.  It may also come from habitual disposition, as in very temperamental persons.  If we continue nevertheless to experience displeasure at being so distracted  and do our best to remain attentive to God, these painful distractions, far from causing harm, will become the instrument of our purification and an occasion of supernatural merit.  

Little Catechism of Prayer: Chapter 4: Meditation and Colloquy

14.  Does God speak in this colloquy?
 It would not be a colloquy if we were the only ones to speak.  St. Teresa teaches us that God does speak to us when we pour out our hearts to Him.  We need not think, however, that God makes himself heard in an audible manner.  He answers us by sending us graces of light and of love whereby we understand His ways better and burn with desire to embrace them generously.  Listening, therefore, consists in accepting these graces and in striving to profit by them.

15.  Why is this colloquy also called contemplation?
This colloquy is called contemplation because when we begin to speak to God and listen to Him, we no longer reason as we did in meditation but are content to give our attention to the mystery we have come to appreciate so well by means of meditation; or we simply gaze at Jesus or the heavenly Father with whom we speak.  This simple regard exemplifies the traditional notion of contemplation, the simple gaze which penetrates truth.  And as God is accustomed to communicate His light to our souls in this colloquy, there is verified in a lesser degree in this contact that which in a much fuller sense pertains to contemplation properly so called, namely, an infusion of heavenly light.

16.  How long should this colloquy last?
We need set no limits to it; it may even take up the entire time at prayer.  In fact, the simplification of prayer consists by its very nature in making reflections less frequent in order to leave room for affections which in turn become more calm and prolonged.  In the beginning, however, it is not easy for us to occupy ourselves for very long in the expression of our love.  Hence, we may well have recourse to the final steps of the method, that is, thanksgiving, oblation, and petition.

17.  Why do we thank God?
We have many motives for thanking God.  We have received so much from Him, even personally, both in the order of nature and in the order of grace.  To have been born of Catholic parents and to have been baptized without delay, to have been brought up in the true religion, and above all, to have been favored with a vocation- these are so many gratuitous benefits for which we can never sufficiently thank Him.  And then, how many graces God continues to pour out upon us!  The very exercise of prayer itself is a  call from Him to penetrate more deeply into the spirit of our state of life.  We should show our gratitude for this divine bounty.  Add to this God's goodness towards persons in whom we are interested: our friends, our benefactors, persons entrusted to our care.  Finally, we can thank not only God Himself, but also the Blessed Virgin and the Saints for their intercession on our behalf.

18.  What can we OFFER to God?
Having received all from God, we rightly  make an oblation of ourselves to Him in return, desiring to employ all the faculties  of our being in His service.  We may also renew our Profession, since it is the consecration of our entire life to God.  We must not, however, be content with these general offerings, which because they include so much, do not always have a definite effect upon our conduct.  We should rather make some particular resolution, and show our Lord our determination to practice a certain virtue, to fight heroically against temptation, or to accept generously some trial or suffering.  By such firm, well-defined resolutions, we bring our prayer into closer contact with our daily life.  Hence, it is advisable to end our prayer with a practical resolution, even when we do not make an oblation.

19.  For whom should we make our petition?
Our own great poverty urges us to have continual recourse to petition.  After having taught us, "without Me you can do nothing", our Lord added, "ask and you shall receive, knock and it shall be opened to you."  Our spiritual progress, therefore, is greatly dependent upon our asking God for it, which we should do earnestly and with confidence.  We should, moreover, pray for others, for their temporal and spiritual necessities, and above all, for their salvation and sanctification.  Our interest should extend not only to particular souls, but also to Christian society, to religious Orders, to our own spiritual family, to Holy Church.   Knowing however that souls dear to our Lord have greater power over His heart, and being desirous of obtaining much from Him, we should strive to render ourselves pleasing to His Majesty by a life detached from the world and directed solely towards the quest for intimacy with Him.  In this way, we shall realize the ideal which St. Teresa proposed to her daughters, that of becoming intimate friends of our Lord, Who makes use of this friendship to bestow His divine graces upon the world.

Little Catechism of Prayer: Chapter 4: Meditation and Colloquy

6.  Is reflection or consideration important?
Reflection is the first component part of meditation and consists in thinking and reasoning over the subject chosen.  Even this step, however, must be subordinate to the following, that is, the loving conversation with God, which is begun and stimulated by meditation.

7.  How much time should be given to reasoning in this way?
The fact that is subordinate to the loving conversation indicates that it should last only long enough to lead the soul into this conversation, that is to say, until it produces in our soul the profound conviction that we are loved by God and invited to love Him in return.  We should make a mistake, however, were we to think that we should cease our reflections, or lay them aside, as soon as we feel a little pious affection, for this might quickly vanish and leave us blank.  On the contrary, we must continue to reflect until our will is really enkindled  with love in such a way as to be able to remain for some time in this loving attention.

8.  Should reflections be made methodically?
They may be.  St. Teresa counsels us to consider in our meditation of the Passion of our Lord, who it is that suffers, what he suffers, why, with what dispositions.  In this the Saint is following other contemporary authors.  We need not, however, adhere so rigidly to this order in our reflections, but may without detriment allow our minds to roam freely from one thought to another, provided in the end we come to a deeper appreciation  of God's love for us as manifested in the mystery we are considering.

9.  What should be done by those who cannot meditate?
St. Teresa gives another methods of controlling thoughts  and exciting love to those whose imaginations and ideas are so volatile that they can only with the greatest difficulty stop at one idea and reflect on it in an orderly fashion so as to appreciate its meaning.  She urges such souls to recite very slowly some vocal prayer full of meaning , pausing to consider attentively the sense of the words, to reflect upon them and to express their love.

10.  When does the loving colloquy begin?
The loving colloquy begins as soon as we have formed the lively conviction that we ought to return God's love for us.  The ease with which we can place ourselves in this necessary disposition determines how soon we can begin our loving conversation.  We acquire this facility by practice.

11.  What do we say in this colloquy?
We make known above all our desire to love God and to prove our love.  Taking our theme from the mystery we are considering, we refer to it in many ways and our colloquy becomes most varied.  It should be noted that we may express our love not only for the Most Holy Trinity, but also for our Lord.  We may also speak lovingly to the Saints.

12.  How should does colloquy be made?
It can be made in many ways.  We may use vocal expressions of affection, or we may speak to God interiorly  with a movement of the heart or will.  These expressions may be brief and follow one another rather frequently, or they may be prolonged and repeated only at fairly long intervals.  We might even be content just to remain lovingly in God's company.

13.  Must this conversation be continuous?
Yes, it should be continuous in the sense that we should remain in contact with our Lord, but not in the sense that we must be speaking all the time.  Carmelite authors are careful to point out that we should not speak long or in an excited manner, but rather peacefully with frequent pause, in order to be attentive to God's answer. 

Little Catechism of Prayer: Chapter 4: Meditation and Colloquy

 

1.  Is meditation always treated in the same way by Carmelite authors?
 There are some differences among Carmelite authors in the manner of presenting meditation, but all are in accord as to the essentials.  Some speak of it without distinguishing its various elements.  Others distinguish the loving colloquy  from the meditative reflection which leads to it, and call this colloquy contemplation.  Others subdivide meditation itself into the elements of representation and reflection.  Those who do not specifically treat of these various elements still make some allusion to them.  We may therefore assert that the majority of our Carmelite authors distinguish three elements in meditation:
1. Representation- the work of the imagination.
2. Reflection- the work of the intellect
3.  Colloquy- the work of the will.

2.  In what does REPRESENTATION consist?
It is an activity of the imagination with which we form "within ourselves" that is to say, without having the objects before us, a sort of picture or representation of the mystery on which we desire to meditate, or, as the case may be, a representation of material objects by means of which our minds are raised to God.

3.  What is the purpose of representation?
Its purpose is to facilitate the work of reflection which is naturally dependent on the representations of the imagination.  It is undoubtedly easier for us to think of the Scourging before a picture of it.  The picture offers the advantage of holding the imaginative powers which easily wonder when they have no object to fasten.  Stability of the imaginative faculty helps us to think clearly.

4.  Is representation always necessary?
Carmelite authors do not insist much on the necessity of this element of meditation, but rather indicate in what way it may be useful.  Representation is useful when there is question of considering the life of Christ, or of the Saints.  Even in the consideration of the most abstract mysteries, for instance, the Divine Attributes, the intellect can start out from the consideration of sensible objects represented by the imagination.  Thus we may rise from the contemplation of the beauty of nature to that of God, the Supreme Beauty.  In treating of this element of meditation, Carmelite authors distinguish the different aptitudes of souls who meditate.  Some persons have a lively imagination which can picture things with ease; others, on the contrary, feel almost incapable of constructing any image whatsoever.  The former will do well to make use of this faculty in representation; the latter will profit by the knowledge that this exercise is not absolutely necessary.  Imaginative representation need not be very detailed in order to be useful.  A rather vague representation may suffice.

5.  How should the representation be made?
We may give these rules:
1.  We must, of course, give this exercise our earnest attention; otherwise, nothing worthwhile will be accomplished.  Nevertheless, it is not expedient to excite the imagination too much, making the subject on which we wish to meditate too lifelike.  Those persons especially who have a vivid imagination should try to proceed with great simplicity; otherwise, their imagination may lead them into illusion and make them think they are having visions.
2.  As for the perfection of the representation, it is not advisable to picture details.  Carmelite authors point out that an outline representation may suffice for a person not gifted with much imagination.  But a rather precise representation is more useful because it is more readily holds the attention.  Carmelite authors never speak of what is called application of the senses. 
3.  It is not necessary to devote much time to the forming of a representation; a few moments suffice.  It goes without saying, however, that we may keep it before us during the whole time of meditation.  If we succeed in doing this, we shall find in it the further advantage of more easily avoiding distractions.  
Let us conclude by saying that without being actually necessary, representation is often useful, and those who succeed therein should not deprive themselves of this aid.  But those who find it more of a hindrance may omit it and begin immediately with reflection.

Little Catechism of Prayer: Chapter 3: Preparation and Reading

6.  What is the most practical way of drawing close to God?
Every practice of placing oneself in the presence of God is helpful provided we give ourselves to it in earnest.  For prayer, however, two ways are especially indicated: 1.) Placing ourselves in the presence of the  Blessed Sacrament (we do, in fact, make our meditation in front of our Lord in the Eucharist): 
2.) Withdrawing into our own souls by devout attention to the Three Divine Persons dwelling therein by grace, in order to know and love them.  To begin the colloquy with God present we then recall the subject chosen for our reading.

7.  When should this reading be done?
Preferably before going to prayer, that is, during the fifteen minutes which are given us for preparation.  If we have not been able to do it at that time, we may do it at the beginning of prayer.  In religious communities it is customary to read aloud a short meditation at the beginning of the time of prayer.

8.  Of what use is the reading in common?
It serves a purpose of offering a subject of meditation to those who have been prevented from making the preparation.  There is, however, no obligation of making use of the points which are read.  Ordinarily, we come to prayer with a subject prepared in our private reading.  But if at the time of meditation the point read attracts us more than the subject prepared, we may change the theme of our prayer with perfect liberty.

9.  Should the reading always serve the purpose of providing a subject of meditation?
This is its original purpose which distinguishes it from spiritual reading with its wider scope of instructing us in spiritual matters.  The reading we speak of here provides us with a truth which we penetrate by reflection in order to draw therefrom a deeper conviction of God's love for us.  Sometimes, for souls who no longer make prayer in the form of meditation, but who have reached the prayer of which St. Teresa calls the prayer of recollection, or a form of prayer even further advanced, reading no longer serve the purpose of providing a subject, but rather helps to recollect the soul and dispose it sweetly to enjoy the repose in God.

10.  What books should we prefer for reading?
This depends on the purpose of the reading.  When it is a question of finding a subject for meditation, besides collections of meditations, any book which explains the many manifestations of God's love for us may be used.  It would be well, however, to make use of standards books that are best known.  When it is a question of reading to recollect the mind, every work which inspires intense love of God is useful.  The works of our Carmelite Saints belong in this category.  The choice of books depends, therefore, on the immediate purpose of our reading, but the educational background and spiritual development of a person should also influence the choice.  Books that are either intellectually or spiritually too advanced will be little understood and will necessarily cause dryness in prayer.

11.  May we also take our reading from the lives of the Saints?
Such lives cannot well be excluded from our reading, especially since many souls are more impressed by the way the Saints lived the spiritual doctrine that by its speculative exposition.  We should not, however, read to satisfy curiosity, nor should we prolong the reading unnecessarily, nor should we read a new life as a preparation for prayer, because this would tend to excite the imagination too much.  It is more helpful to read a biographical sketch of some Saint we have previously studied.

12.  How should we read?
We should read with attention, since the purpose of the reading is to find a subject of conversation with our Lord; hence the necessity of going over the reading slowly, lest many an inspiration escape our notice.  Moreover, we should read with devotion and recollection because such disposition help us to find what is useful for our souls and render us more attentive to God and more receptive to good thoughts.  Then too, we shall readily select what is fruitful and prepare the affections we wish to express and the resolutions we shall want to make.  We should do all this without becoming too involved, because the purpose of the reading is simply to help us according to our needs.  We add just one remark, if the reading is made in common it should be short, lest it become an annoyance to our companion who are not making use of it, and these may be many.

13.  May we take up the book again during prayer?
This is not to be discouraged and may even be recommended on some occasions.  St. Teresa never went to prayer without a book.  It happens at times that we find ourselves so distracted that the most practical way of getting back to our Lord is to provide the mind with a good thought through reading.  Likewise, when meditation and conversation with God are rendered difficult by fatigue, it is often a help to have a subject of meditation before our eyes.  This is an exterior aid to attention.  We must be on our guard, however, not to change meditation into mere reading.  Prayer should remain at least meditative reading, during which we pause from time to time to make affections and resolutions.  Then reading itself becomes an instrument, an aid to our conversation with God.

Little Catechism of Prayer: Chapter 3: Preparation and Reading

1.  Are there different kinds of preparation for prayer?
Carmelite authors often speak of a two-fold preparation:  the proximate preparation by which the soul makes immediate contact with God to begin its intimate conversation with Him and the remote preparation by which the soul disposes its faculties that it may the more easily become recollected in God.

2.  What dispositions of soul are required as a preparation?
To dispose our faculties for recollection, we should avoid becoming excessively absorbed by things of the world and try to be occupied more frequently with God .  Two points help us to cultivate these dispositions and make up  our remote preparation:  the first, because it removes obstacles, is negative; the second, because it forms in us correct dispositions, is positive.

3.  What is NEGATIVE element of the remote preparation?
The negative element of the remote preparation is the avoidance of distractions of mind and all attachments.  In order to practice more easily the love of God, it is necessary that our hearts be freed from all attachments to creatures.  He who love God greatly must reserve for Him the strength and tenderness of his affections and not squander them on persons and things which easily ensnare an unguarded heart.  Moreover, we cannot attain this liberty of spirit without real mortification of the senses which are to the soul like windows opened upon earthly things; nor can we have liberty of spirit without control of those memories which keep the world constantly before us.  It is necessary, therefore, to keep constant watch over the heart and mind.

4.  What is the POSITIVE element of the remote preparation?
The positive element is the exercise of the presence of God, which we endeavor to make continuous as far as possible.  Fidelity to this practice  develops in us increasing facility in speaking with God and greater ease in establishing the intimate contact with Him known as the proximate preparation for prayer.

5.  What spiritual attitude is most helpful in establishing this contact with God?
An attitude of humble confidence helps us to assume our rightful relationship with God.  God is indeed our Father and He wants us to act towards Him as needy children.  We shall awaken within ourselves a consciousness of our spiritual poverty by the remembrance of our many faults, the evidence of our misery.  But far from going back upon ourselves and feeling discouraged by the sight of our weakness, we shall seek refuge in the arms of Jesus Who invites us to have recourse to Him in the words, "Without Me you can do nothing."  This is the reason why St. Teresa tells us to examine our conscience at the beginning of prayer, recite the Confiteor and then seek the company of Jesus.

Little Catechism of Prayer: Chapter 2: The Method of Mental Prayer

9.  Why meditate?
The meditation or personal reflection which we make on the divine gift or on the mystery we have chosen in our reading, serves a double purpose, one intellectual, the other affective. Its intellectual function is to make us more conscious of the love of God for us, a love which is manifested in the mystery or the divine gift that we are considering.  We thus become more and more convinced of the call of love addressed by God to our soul.  The affective function consists in moving the will to love and to show this love by answering the divine invitation.  Meditation then becomes an immediate preparation for a loving conversation with our Lord.

10.  How does one pass from meditation to the loving colloquy?
This transition is not to be made at a precise, mathematically determined moment, but quite spontaneously.  While making personal reflection in the presence of God and seeing more clearly in the light of these how much God loves us, we feel easily moved on our part to speak lovingly to Him.  It often happens that we continue these personal reflections for some time while conversing with our Lord, and this serves to give us a greater realization of His love for us.  Finally, we leave behind all considerations in order to abandon ourselves entirely to the exercise of love and to its manifestations; in other words, we pass to the loving colloquy.  In this colloquy we tell God and repeat in a thousand ways that we love Him, that we desire to love Him more and to prove our love to Him.

11.  Is this colloquy important?
This colloquy is important; it is the central point of prayer.  In it is clearly realized the idea that St. Teresa had of mental prayer, that it consists in an intimate conversation with our Lord in response to His love for us.  Moreover, the soul could occupy itself in this way during prayer for a long time, sometimes for the whole hour.

12.  What is the purpose of the last three parts of prayer?
The last three parts or steps of prayer, that is, thanksgiving, oblation, and petition, serve to prolong more easily our loving conversation with our Lord.  They are really only more definite acts of affection, various ways of manifesting our love.

13.  With what sentiments should we make these acts?
In the thanksgiving, we testify to our Lord our humble gratitude for His great love for us and for the gifts we have received from Him.  In the offering or oblation, urged by loving gratitude, we in our turn want to give something to our Lord.  In the petition, humbly convinced of our weakness and great need, and desirous of really loving our Lord, we implore His help that we may succeed and be faithful to the resolutions formed in the oblation.  These steps then, in the strict sense, are a prolongation of the loving colloquy, flowing spontaneously from our meditation.

14.  Is it necessary to follow a definite order in the arrangement of the parts of prayer?
The order indicated above is the most logical, but one may feel perfectly free at prayer; it is legitimate to follow any order in which the steps spontaneously suggest themselves.  We may even take up any one part several times.  This applies to the meditation and the loving colloquy which we may also alternate repeatedly during the same prayer.

15.  Are the final parts of the payer necessary?
No, these acts are optional.  A soul that finds sufficient occupation in the loving colloquy without having recourse to these acts may disregard them.  In the beginning of the life of prayer, however, a certain variety of acts is often an aid to attention.  In this case the soul would do well to have recourse to these acts.

Little Catechism of Prayer: Chapter 2: The Method of Mental Prayer

1. What is a method of mental prayer?
A method of mental prayer explains how to make prayer with ease.  We shall indicate the various steps to be taken in order to succeed in this holy exercise.

2.  Has the Carmelite Order a method of mental prayer?
Yes, since the beginning of the Teresian Reform, we find a method in use.  It is explained in the two oldest Instruction for Novices, in Spanish (1591) and in Italian (1605).

3. What is the origin of this method?
This method is drawn directly from the works of St. Teresa of Jesus and of St. John of the Cross, but its definitive form is the work of their disciples.  We shall give a general explanation of this method and then take up its different parts.

4.  Into how many parts is this method of mental prayer divided?
Usually we distinguish six or seven parts or steps, namely, preparation, reading, meditation (with a loving colloquy), thanksgiving, oblation, petition.

5.  Are not so many divisions confusing?
This division into parts does not complicate the practice of mental prayer.  In fact, the first two parts do not really constitute prayer, but are, as it were, the introduction to prayer.  The three last steps merely make for greater completeness and are optional; they may be omitted, when we no longer need them.  Prayer in its essentials is thus reduced to meditation accompanied by an intimate conversation with our Lord, that is, a loving colluquy.

6.  What should we keep in mind in order to understand prayer?
In order to understand the Carmelite method of prayer, we must keep in mind the idea of mental prayer expounded by St. Teresa.  In the eyes of this seraphic virgin, prayer is an intimate conversation with our Lord in which we speak to Him especially of love in response to His invitation to love Him.  The different parts of prayer are meant to lead us gently to this loving conversation with Him.

7.  How does the preparation serve this purpose?
The preparation should serve to bring us closer to our Lord.  You cannot speak intimately with a person unless you are near that person.  We should place ourselves in the presence of God  with lively faith  and in the humble attitude  of a soul which know itself to be  a child of God.

8.  What is the purpose of the reading?
Reading furnishes us  with a subject for our loving conversation with our Lord, a conversation sustained by the consideration of the mysteries of faith, and the gifts and graces we have received from God, all of which manifests God's love for us.  But since it is not possible to speak of all these matters at one time, we may choose for our reading the subject with which we wish to be occupied and make our considerations easier by following the explanations and reflections of a book.

Little Catechism of Prayer- Chapter 1

10.  What is love?

By love we may understand both sense love and love of the will.  Sense love consists in the feeling that draws us to a person with some display of affection, and makes us experience pleasure in the presence or remembrance of that person.  Love of the will consist in wishing a person well by free choice and determination of the will.  Then, when this love takes entire possession of us, we want to belong to the One loved and to consecrate to Him our very life.

11.  Which of these is true love?

Love of the will, because the will is that which is most personal in us.  Liberty resides  in the will and it is precisely in surrendering this will that we give ourselves to God.  For this reason, God asks of us the gift of our will.  Complete consecration to God means this total gift.  Sense love is only of secondary importance.  Moreover, we cannot determine when we may experience it, whereas we can always love with the will.

12.  Why do we naturally desire sense love?

We desire sense love because of its sweetness and because it brings us comfort and consolation.  But this is just the reason why in sense love we often seek ourselves, whereas in love of the will we seek God.  Often God takes away sense love to make us advance more resolutely, depending upon love of the will alone.

13.  With which love should we love God in prayer?

With the love of the will, assuredly, since it is the more important of the two.  If sense love accompanies this, instead of seeking pleasure in it, we should profit by its help to strengthen our will in the act of giving ourselves to God.  When sense love fails us, we should continue prayer with the will alone.

14.  How can I occupy myself for a whole hour in this conversation of love with God?

In the beginning of the practice, many souls experience great difficulty.  They tire easily and are plagued by many distractions.  It is therefore necessary to realize that making mental prayer is a thing to be learned.  In order to teach it, Carmelite theologians, after a study of the life of prayer, have devised a method of mental prayer.

End of Chapter One

Little Catechism of Prayer- Chapter 1

My next several posts will be an effort  to present by installments Fr. Gabriel of St.Mary Magdalene, OCD, "Little Catechism of Prayer."  This is one of those little books which takes its place among the classics of Carmelite spirituality.  The small pamphlet deals with the Carmelite way of meditation and leans heavily on the teachings of St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross.  I thought it would be wonderful to share this not so well known book to my readers who will find it to be a tremendous treasure in  their spiritual life.  Fr. Gabriel is one of my favorite Carmelite authors and the author of another great meditation book, "Divine Intimacy."

PRAYER IN THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE

1.  What is Christian Life?

The Christian life is human life lived in conformity with the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to which we should direct all our actions to the glory of God by loving Him and observing His holy laws.  The Christian soul lives for God.

2.  What is the Contemplative life?

The contemplative life is a form of the Christian life in which we endeavor to live not only for God, but also with God.  It is not restricted to Religious, but can be lived perfectly in the world.  This life is wholly centered on the quest for divine intimacy, to attain which it calls for repeated spiritual exercises throughout the day.  These are especially exercises of prayer, which should be accompanied by the practice of mortification, "because", says St. Teresa, a great Mistress of the contemplative life, "prayer and comfort do not go together."

3.  What place does prayer hold in the contemplative life?

Prayer occupies the first place in the contemplative life.  Practically, the contemplative life is the life of prayer.  Hence, contemplative Orders devote much time to prayer.  In the Rule of Carmel, an eminently contemplative Order, the central precept is that of continual prayer: "Let each  one remain in his cell, meditating day and night on the law of the Lord and watching in prayer."  Carmelites give themselves to many pious exercises: they make mental prayer twice daily, assist at Holy Mass, recite the Divine Office, and apply themselves to the Presence of God throughout the day, besides practicing various private devotions.

4.  What is Prayer?

Prayer is a conversation with God in which we manifest to Him the desires of our hearts.  Prayer can be vocal or mental.

5.  What is Vocal Prayer?

Vocal prayer consists in the recitation of a formula to express our desires: for example, the Our Father, which was taught by Jesus Himself, and in which we make seven petitions to God.  We recite this formula with the intention of honoring God.  Often we do not think in a disrinct way of the sense of the words we are pronouncing, but this does not hinder our prayer from being true prayer, provided our soul remains turned towards God with the desire of honoring Him.  Vocal prayers can be recited to the Saints with the same desire of honoring them.

6.  What is Mental Prayer?

Mental prayer consists in a "heart to heart" talk with God, not using prepared or memorized formulae, but speaking spontaneously.

7.  What do we say to God in Mental Prayer?

In this form of prayer, contemplative souls may manifest to God all their desires, but according to the teaching of St. Teresa, they will prefer to tell Him that they love Him, or at least they desire to love Him.

8.  Why speak to God especially of love?

We speak to God of love, because love is the substance of the contemplative life.  According to St. Teresa, contemplatives are to become intimate friends of our Lord; and it is precisely love which makes friendship fluorish and which leads to intimacy.  Moreover, St. Teresa wishes us to be convinced that when we go to prayer God is calling us to love Him and we are answering His call.

9.  Is it also necessary to think in prayer?

It is not possible to love without having some thought of the object of our love.  To love God, it is necessary to think of Him.  But the thought of God may vary much, according to the occasion.  Sometimes it will consist in somewhat prolonged reflection on God's love for us; sometimes it will be a simple remembrance of the lovableness of our Lord and of His goodness.  Consequently, in prayer we think only in order to love, in order to nourish love.  St. Teresa says, in fact, that prayer consists not in thinking much, but in loving much.

To Be Continued.......

Spirituality of the Everyday

The "spirituality of the everyday" is not a new notion. Many writers have commented on this among them were St. Francis de Sales, Fr. Jean de Caussade (author of the famous "Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence), St. Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer (founder of Opus Dei) and many more. But it was St. Therese of the Child Jesus who brought it back into focus and gave it a new name, the "little way." Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, another saint of Carmel, also made it part of her spiritual teaching as she wrote about the Divine Indwelling and Presence of God. So we see, it is not a novel subject at all. So what is it? How does one live it?