CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER AS AN EXPRESSION OF PRAYER. Sunday Rice and Stew

CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER AS AN EXPRESSION OF PRAYER

3rd October 2021.

There are three expressions of Prayer as taught by the catechism, these forms of prayer though they are different but they all revolves around the facts that they all leads us to God.

The Catechism of the Catholic church teaches us that the three ways or expressions of prayer are:

1. Vocal prayer.

 

2. Meditative prayer

 

3. Contemplative prayer.

I will like us to look into Contemplative prayer in this week edition of our Catholic catechism.

 

CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER DISCUSSED

 

Contemplative prayer is an expression of prayer whereby the individual talks and listens to God directly. In this form of prayer, the individual gives adequate time to listen to the voice of God. For one to achieve success in this kind of prayer, he/she needs to create time for the prayer.

 

Contemplative prayer as quoted by St. Teresa is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.

 

The choice of the time and duration of the prayer arises from a determined will, revealing the secrets of the heart. One does not undertake contemplative prayer only when one has the time: one makes time for the Lord, with the firm determination not to give up, no matter what trials and dryness one may encounter.

 

One cannot always meditate, but one can always enter into inner prayer, independently of the conditions of health, work, or emotional state. The heart is the place of this quest and encounter, in poverty ant in faith.

 

The Catechism of the catholic church teaches us that Contemplative prayer is the simplest expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gift, a grace; it can be accepted only in humility and poverty.

 

Contemplative prayer is a covenant relationship established by God within our hearts.

 

Contemplative prayer is a communion in which the Holy Trinity conforms man, the image of God, “to his likeness.”

 

Contemplative prayer is hearing the Word of God. Far from being passive, such attentiveness is the obedience of faith, the unconditional acceptance of a servant, and the loving commitment of a child. It participates in the “Yes” of the Son become servant and the Fiat of God’s lowly handmaid.

 

Contemplative 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 kindlin.” Words g that feeds the fire of love.

 

In this silence, unbearable to the “outer” man, the Father speaks to us his incarnate Word, who suffered, died, and rose; in this silence the Spirit of adoption enables us to share in the prayer of Jesus.

 

ELEMENTS OF CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER

 

There are four (4) elements of contemplative prayer. These elements helps one to achieve success in contemplative prayer. They include:

 

1. Our relationship with God:

 

You may enter into contemplative prayer, but the strength and depth of your relationship with God will certainly impact your experience of this form of prayer.

 

This doesn’t mean that you can’t try contemplative prayer if you don’t know God very well, but being honest with yourself about the state of your spiritual life can help you have more realistic expectations of how it will unfold.

 

This entails that one needs to have a good relationship with God before embarking into contemplative prayer. We should not be discouraged but try and build a good relationship with God so as to enjoy this form of prayer as a Christian.

 

 

2. Silence:

 

This is a very important aspect of contemplative prayer. Silence means been still and listening to the voice of God. It is only when we are silent that God can reach over and take our hand, so to speak, or gently comfort us and give us peace.

 

The capacity for the interior silence needed for contemplative prayer is definitely a skill. The good news is that there are techniques and ways to develop this skill, and it is a skill that will not only benefit us in prayer, but also in our daily lives, because it will help us be more attentive to those around us.

 

 

3. Presence:

Another foundational element for contemplative prayer is presence the capacity to be truly present to this moment in time. Contemplative prayer requires that we direct the same focus and attention to the presence of God as we would in an intimate meeting with a loved one.

 

There may be noises around us, thoughts seeking to be followed, but we must learn the art of being present to the moment to the here and now  in order to remain in God’s presence.

 

4. Patience and perseverance:

Patience and perseverance go hand-in-hand in developing a habit of contemplative prayer because it is a form of prayer that requires multiple attempts before getting the hang of it.

 

There will be times when you feel you “didn’t do it right,” and other times when it seems you don’t know what you’re doing, and maybe times when you share your frustration with someone who looks at you like you must be really dumb not to get the simplicity of the prayer.

 

Persevering through all this apparent failure requires patience with yourself and with God — patience and trust that the awkwardness and frustration will pass. Our culture has trained us well to look for outcomes — and not just outcomes, but immediate outcomes.

 

The outcome or fruits of contemplative prayer will not be immediate, though. Rather, they unfold in tiny increments, at first. But if we are patient and persevere, we will begin to recognize the fruits of contemplative prayer in ourselves.

 

Contemplative prayer allows us to come to know and experience God’s unconditional love and be transformed by it, and then, in turn, grow in our love of God. And if we grow in our love of God, we grow in our love for all that God loves — we tap into the transformative force that powers all of creation.

 

May God bless this teaching in our lives and give us the grace to seek his face constantly in prayer. Have a wonderful Sunday and a great week ahead.

 

You can drop Questions, comments or feedback at the comment section. God bless you dearest.