AI Notes on "The Ways of Mental Prayer"

Daniel Posthuma

2024-07-17

Based on the teachings in “The Ways of Mental Prayer” and the broader Christian contemplative tradition, here is a guide for practicing contemplative spirituality in daily life, even without extensive spiritual reading:

Daily Practice:

  1. Set aside a regular time for prayer each day, ideally in the morning. Begin with at least 20-30 minutes and gradually increase as you are able.
  2. Begin your prayer time by placing yourself in God’s presence. Make an act of faith in His presence within you and around you. Humble yourself before Him and ask for the grace to pray well.
  3. Spend some time in vocal prayer, reciting prayers like the Our Father, Hail Mary, or the Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”). Let these prayers draw your mind and heart to God.
  4. Transition to mental prayer or meditation. You can use a passage from Scripture (especially the Gospels), an incident from the life of a saint, or a spiritual truth as a starting point. Read a short passage, then reflect on its meaning and application to your life. Let your reflection lead to conversation with God - speaking to Him about what you have read, asking for understanding and grace, and listening for His response in your heart.
  5. As you progress, your meditation may become more affective and simplified. You may find yourself drawn to a loving, silent attentiveness to God’s presence, with fewer thoughts and words. If so, follow this attraction, as it may be a sign of a growing contemplative grace.
  6. Close your prayer time with an act of thanksgiving, a request for God’s blessing on your day, and a renewal of your intention to live in His presence.

Throughout the Day:

  1. Strive to maintain a continual remembrance of God’s presence. Pause frequently to make short aspirations or to quietly recite the Jesus Prayer.
  2. Offer your work, sufferings, and joys to God. Do everything for love of Him and with the intention of pleasing Him.
  3. Practice the virtues, especially humility, obedience, patience, and charity. Look for opportunities to serve others and to deny your own preferences.
  4. Examine your conscience briefly at midday and more thoroughly in the evening. Give thanks for graces, ask forgiveness for faults, and renew your resolutions.
  5. Cultivate silence and recollection as much as your state in life allows. Avoid unnecessary distractions and practice moderation in food, drink, and entertainment.

Dealing with Depression and Anxiety:

  1. Bring your struggles to God in prayer. Pour out your heart to Him and trust in His love and mercy.
  2. Meditate on God’s providence and fatherly care. Entrust yourself and your concerns to Him.
  3. Focus on the present moment and on doing God’s will in the here and now. Avoid dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
  4. Practice gratitude, noting the blessings and graces in your life, even in the midst of trials.
  5. Serve others, as getting outside of oneself and caring for those in need can alleviate one’s own suffering.
  6. Remember that dark nights and times of purification are a normal part of the spiritual journey. Persevere in prayer and trust, knowing that God is at work even when He cannot be felt.

Relating to God:

  1. Foster a personal, intimate relationship with God. Speak to Him as a friend, sharing your joys, sorrows, hopes, and fears.
  2. Cultivate a deep love for Jesus Christ, meditating on His life, Passion, and presence in the Eucharist. Unite yourself with Him and seek to imitate His virtues.
  3. Develop a filial devotion to Mary, asking for her motherly intercession and guidance.
  4. Rely on the Holy Spirit, invoking His light and strength in all your needs and endeavors.

Living Virtuously:

  1. Make a firm commitment to grow in holiness and to put God first in your life.
  2. Faithfully observe the commandments and fulfill the duties of your state in life.
  3. Practice the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, as well as the moral virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.
  4. Embrace the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience according to your vocation.
  5. Be generous in serving others and in performing works of mercy.

The Purpose of Life for the Contemplative:

  1. To know, love, and serve God in this life, and to be united with Him forever in the next.
  2. To seek union with God through prayer, sacramental life, and the practice of virtue.
  3. To collaborate with Christ in the work of redemption, offering one’s life and prayers for the salvation of souls.
  4. To bear witness to the primacy of God and the reality of the supernatural in an increasingly secular world.
  5. To anticipate and prepare for the eternal contemplation and adoration of God in heaven.

Remember, the contemplative journey is a gradual process of growth and transformation. Be patient with yourself, trust in God’s grace, and seek the guidance of a wise spiritual director. By persevering in prayer and in the practice of virtue, you can trust that God will lead you to the fullness of union with Him.