The Catechism teaches us that prayer “is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment” (CCC 2697). Most of us are familiar with what is called “Vocal Prayer” – that prayer characterized by predetermined “formulas” that are recited either individually or in common. Things like the rosary, the Our Father, various litanies, and even the Mass, recitation of the Psalms, and the Liturgy of the Hours are all forms of vocal prayer. It helps to form our interior dispositions according to the heart and mind of the Church and the Lord. This is a critical thing to keep in mind when we think of prayer. Consider the Psalms, which we chant during Mass at the beginning, during the readings, and at Communion. These are God’s own words of praise for Himself, that He Himself composed. These words are perfect in their form and expression, and so they become the perfect words for praising God, which is why we utilize them so frequently in our Mass.
A perhaps lesser-known and less practiced form of prayer is “Mental Prayer”. Mental prayer is “an ascent of the mind to God. It is nothing else than a communing of spirit with spirit, a communing of the created intelligence with the uncreated” (Leen, Progress through Mental Prayer). In mental prayer we “turn over” in our hearts and in conversation with Jesus the mysteries of His life and our faith, the truths He gave us for our salvation, so that they become more and more truly “personal.” That all may seem very abstract, but it is best thought of as a contemplative form of prayer, as a contemplating of the Lord. The Catechism has some beautiful and illuminating descriptions of this type of prayer:
“Contemplative prayer is the prayer of the child of God, of the forgiven sinner who agrees to welcome the love by which he is loved and who wants to respond to it by loving even more. But he knows that the love he is returning is poured out by the Spirit in his heart, for everything is grace from God. Contemplative prayer is the poor and humble surrender to the loving will of the Father in ever deeper union with His beloved Son” (CCC 2712).
“Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus…This focus on Jesus is a renunciation of self. His gaze purifies our heart; the light of the countenance of Jesus illumines the eyes of our heart and teaches us to see everything in the light of His truth and His compassion for all men. Contemplation also turns its gaze on the mysteries of the life of Christ. Thus, it learns the “interior knowledge of our Lord,” the more to love him and follow him” (CCC 2715).
It is in mental prayer, contemplation, that the soul fosters the “personal relationship with Jesus” it is called to develop. St. Teresa of Avila, the great teacher in the way of prayer, said that mental prayer is “nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” This requires an attentiveness, entering into the presence of God and attending to Him with all our heart, mind, and soul; without that first step, there will be no progress in prayer and it will feel much like time wasted. Once in His presence, we consider something of the Lord, a mystery, a passage from the Gospels, a word from the Psalms, entering into a dialogue with Him. Then, of course, we allow Him to speak to us, which He does primarily by deepening our faith, illuminating our intelligence, granting a penetration into the mysteries of our religion, and giving our wills an impulse to do the good. The saints testify that growth in the spiritual life depends largely on the time one allots for mental prayer, and the habit of mental prayer is one of the surest safeguards against falling away from the Lord. In other words, to become a saint, mental prayer is essential! It is the best means of developing a true friendship with the Lord, and sanctity is nothing other than that friendship.
I want to share an upcoming change at Saint Bernard. Parishioners donated money to purchase new server garments, and so in the coming weeks our young men will begin wearing cassocks and surplices at Mass, and we will have new albs and scapulars for our young women to wear as well. I’m looking forward to making this change and I am grateful to the parishioners who donated. I also want to thank Linda Rauh for her donated time in making the scapulars – she worked hard and fast to get them done for us! May God bless you in the week ahead and may Mother Mary lead you more deeply into the Sacred and Merciful Heart of Jesus. I remain,
Affectionately Yours in Christ,
Fr. Hess
