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Learn

the gi+ of Contempla2ve Prayer Fr. Michael J. Denk


fathermichaeldenk.blogspot.com

Prayer

The Church invites the faithful to regular prayer: daily prayers, the Liturgy of the Hours, Sunday Eucharist, the feasts of the liturgical year. The Chris2an tradi2on comprises three major expressions of the life of prayer: vocal prayer, medita2on, and contempla2ve prayer.

Vocal Prayer

Through his Word, God speaks to man. By words, mental or vocal, our prayer takes esh. Yet it is most important that the heart should be present to him to whom we are speaking in prayer: "Whether or not our prayer is heard depends not on the number of words, but on the fervor of our souls.

Medita2on

Medita2on is a prayerful quest engaging thought, imagina2on, emo2on, and desire.

Both vocal prayer and medita2on can lead us to contempla2on with is the highest form of prayer

Contempla2on

Contempla2ve prayer is the simple expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gaze of faith xed on Jesus, an aUen2veness to the Word of God, a silent love.

What is contempla/ve Prayer?


Year of Faith 50th Anniversary of Va2can II 25th Anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

What is contempla/ve Prayer?


What does the Catechism say about Contempla2ve Prayer?

5 Ps of Prayer
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Prepare Place Posture Presence Passage

Prepare Know ahead of 2me what you are going to pray with. Look at it early in the morning, meditate upon it throughout the day.

Place

Find a place that is good for prayer. A place of silence where you will not be disturbed. Make a place signicant for praying i.e. candle, crucix, bible. Advent: Advent Wreath, Manger Scene, Na2vity Icon

Posture

We are human beings and we pray with our bodies. Find a posture that you can be relaxed and comfortable so your body is not a distrac2on during prayer.

Presence

Take a moment before prayer to realize that you are in the Presence of God. Invite the Holy Spirit to come into your heart and teach you how to pray.

Passage

Go to the Word, Icon, or nature. Become familiar with it and rest with whatever word, image, phrase, sense God speaks to you. Be s2ll.

What can I contemplate?

Gods created beauty around you. Using your senses. Luke 15 The Prodigal Son Came to his senses!

Seen with the eye of contempla2on, creatures are ves2ges, that is, the very footprints of God; they are roads leading to God, ladders which we can climb to God; they are signs divinely given so that we can see God - shadows, echoes, pictures, statues, representa2ons of God; crea2on is a book in which we can read God, a mirror in which the divine light shines in various colors. -St. Bonaventure

In order to contemplate the First Principle, who is most spiritual, eternal and above us, we must pass through his ves2ges, which are material, temporal and outside us." -St. Bonaventure

In order to contemplate the First Principle, who is most spiritual, eternal and above us, we must pass through his ves2ges, which are material, temporal and outside us." -St. Bonaventure

JESUS, when he became man, li+ing man up in the beauty of God, and so li+ing up all creatures in him In this raising up in the Sons incarna2on and in the glory of his resurrec2on according to the esh, the Father gave creatures not just a par2al beauty; we can say that the en2rely clothed them in beauty and dignity. -St. John of the Cross.

PRAY WITH NATURE

Do I have the 2me?

The choice of the !me and dura!on of the prayer arises from a determined will, revealing the secrets of the heart. One does not undertake contempla2ve prayer only when one has the 2me: one makes /me for the Lord, with the rm determina2on not to give up, no maUer what trials and dryness one may encounter.

Choice of a 2me and dura2on.

Anyone who desires a serious prayer life must Pray daily. An intense dedicated undistracted period. Time of the day is up to you Dura2on: anywhere from 10 minutes to a holy hour. For this group I suggest star2ng with 15 minutes.

Chris2an iconography expresses in images the same Gospel message that Scripture communicates by words. Image and word illuminate each other. (Catechism 1160)

Review the Catechisms sec2on on the Icon.

Pray with the Icon.

Do I have the Time?

The choice of the !me and dura!on of the prayer arises from a determined will, revealing the secrets of the heart. One does not undertake contempla2ve prayer only when one has the 2me: one makes /me for the Lord, with the rm determina2on not to give up, no maUer what trials and dryness one may encounter.

Choice of a 2me and dura2on.

Pray daily Time of the day is up to you Dura2on: anywhere from 10 minutes to a holy hour. For this group I suggest star2ng with 15 minutes.

Choose a scripture passage, phrase, or a word. Pray with upcoming Sunday Readings Choose a book of the Bible, one of the 150 Psalms, one of the Gospels Russian RouleJe

What does the Catechism say about Scripture?

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Prayer is always a gi+. We cannot make it happen, rather God ini2ates and invites us into it.

We can, however do certain things that will help us to receive the Holy Spirit.

The prac2ce of lec$o divina engages thought, imagina2on, emo2on, and desire. This mobiliza2on of facul2es is necessary in order to deepen our convic2ons of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ.

Chris2an prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lec!o divina or the rosary.

This form of prayerful reec2on is of great value, but Chris2an prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him. (Contempla/ve Prayer). Lec$o Divina can be a way to enter into Contempa!o.

What are the steps? -Lec2o, Medita2o, Ora2o, Contempla2o

Read the passage slowly several 2mes Slowly and reec2vely so that it sinks into us

A Slow Read

Read the passage again Think about how you apply to your own life. Picture the scene or images. Uses your sense to imagine you are there in the scene. Watch, listen, speak if you are inclined, smell, touch, taste, feel. Let Jesus speak to you and reect on the scripture passage Lord, what are you saying to me in this passage today?

Read the scripture a third 2me Let your heart speak to God Trust God enough to become emo2onally involved/spontaneous prayer Ask God for the grace that you are desiring.

(the above three are all really prepara2on and should lead us into Contempla2ve Prayer)

Read the scripture a nal 2me Repeat slowly whatever word or phrase you feel the Lord speaking to you.

Rest with the word or phrase and let it

sink in to your heart. Let Jesus heart speak to your heart and your heart to Jesus.

Contempla2ve prayer is silence, the "symbol of the world to come" or "silent love."

Words in this kind of prayer are not speeches; they are like kindling that feeds the re of love.

Contempla2ve prayer is also the pre- eminently intense 2me of prayer.

In it the Father strengthens our inner being with power through his Spirit "that Christ may dwell in [our] hearts through faith" and we may be "grounded in love.

Contempla2ve prayer is hearing the Word of God. Far from being passive, such aUen2veness is the obedience of faith, the uncondi2onal acceptance of a servant, and the loving commitment of a child.

Contempla2on is a gaze of faith, xed on Jesus. "I look at him and he looks at me": this is what a certain peasant of Ars in the 2me of his holy cur used to say while praying before the tabernacle.

This focus on Jesus is a renuncia2on of self. -The Ego must die!

Praying with the upcoming Sunday Gospel Reading.

How o+en?

The choice of the !me and dura!on of the prayer arises from a determined will, revealing the secrets of the heart. One does not undertake contempla2ve prayer only when one has the 2me: one makes /me for the Lord, with the rm determina2on not to give up, no maUer what trials and dryness one may encounter.

Choice of a 2me and dura2on.

Pray daily Time of the day is up to you Dura2on: anywhere from 10 minutes to a holy hour. For this group I suggest star2ng with 15 minutes.

Learn to Pray Contempla2vely through

Fr. Michael J. Denk


fathermichaeldenk.blogspot.com

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