Catholic Contemplative Affiliation

Contemplative Notes

Contemplative Notes How do we pray? In what does prayer consist? The raw material of prayer is this fact of our experience: WHENEVER WE ARE QUIET, WE ENTER INTO OUR INTERNAL CONVERSATION. As soon as we are free from some external activity, the internal conversation begins. It consists of thoughts, images, feelings, commentaries, full and complete re-running of the events of our life. It is in this space, the internal space of our inner conversation that the prayer can happen. The usual definition of prayer is: lifting up our minds and hearts to God, that is, we direct this internal conversation to God. In prayer we make a conscious decision to direct this internal conversation to God. God becomes the topic of this conversation and He is the one addressed. As we become more proficient in prayer, God becomes also the initiator of the prayer and directs it. The work of redemption in the power of Christ’s cross is to remove our egoism as the center of our hearts, the cause of death, and to replace it with the living Spirit of the Triune God Life. Prayer is an integral part of the process of redemption. Our redemption consists of total transformation into the Son of God. The enemy of true prayer is, therefore, our egoism: our egoism, the source of sin, seeks to dominate the internal conversation. Love of God is the process of dethroning ourselves, and placing God at the center of our love and life. Prayer is an integral part of this life of union with God, because in it we direct consciously our internal conversation away from self to love of God and obedience to His inspiration. Prayer is intimate abandonment to God, giving ourselves over to God, absolutely in all. But most of all, prayer is a taste of eternal life. “This is eternal life: to know you, the one true God, and him whom you have sent, Jesus the Christ” (St. John 17.2). The knowing of the Triune God now through the love-gift of the Holy Spirit and in the immediacy of the Divine Presence, is prayer—contemplative prayer, in its deepest moments. In Christian Revelation, only God can cause prayer to happen. Prayer is part of the life of grace. The life of grace is sharing in the divine life of the Holy Trinity. Grace by its very definition is gift, unmerited, un-purchased. To find ourselves in prayer is to find ourselves under the influence of grace. Our Lord Jesus entered into prayer for lengthy periods. The sight of Christ at prayer must have been like another Transfiguration. The disciples were so moved, that they asked Jesus, “Teach us to pray.” Jesus responded with the "Our Father." The first part of the prayer is directed completely to God and His glory; only in the second part we deal with ourselves, and then, only in relation to God. St. Paul in Romans 8. 26-27 teaches that we are unable to pray as we ought. The Holy Spirit causes prayer within us. And, prayer is a mystery beyond us. The unutterable groaning of the Spirit is at the center of our prayer.
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Contemplative Notes

How do we pray? In what does prayer consist?

The raw material of prayer is this fact of our experience: WHENEVER WE ARE QUIET, WE ENTER INTO OUR INTERNAL CONVERSATION. As soon as we are free from some external activity, the internal conversation begins. It consists of thoughts, images, feelings, commentaries, full and complete re-running of the events of our life.

It is in this space, the internal space of our inner conversation that the prayer can happen.

The usual definition of prayer is: lifting up our minds and hearts to God, that is, we direct this internal conversation to God. In prayer we make a conscious decision to direct this internal conversation to God. God becomes the topic of this conversation and He is the one addressed. As we become more proficient in prayer, God becomes also the initiator of the prayer and directs it.

The work of redemption in the power of Christ’s cross is to remove our egoism as the center of our hearts, the cause of death, and to replace it with the living Spirit of the Triune God Life. Prayer is an integral part of the process of redemption. Our redemption consists of total transformation into the Son of God.

The enemy of true prayer is, therefore, our egoism: our egoism, the source of sin, seeks to dominate the internal conversation. Love of God is the process of dethroning ourselves, and placing God at the center of our love and life. Prayer is an integral part of this life of union with God, because in it we direct consciously our internal conversation away from self to love of God and obedience to His inspiration. Prayer is intimate abandonment to God, giving ourselves over to God, absolutely in all.

But most of all, prayer is a taste of eternal life. “This is eternal life: to know you, the one true God, and him whom you have sent, Jesus the Christ” (St. John 17.2). The knowing of the Triune God now through the love-gift of the Holy Spirit and in the immediacy of the Divine Presence, is prayer—contemplative prayer, in its deepest moments.

In Christian Revelation, only God can cause prayer to happen. Prayer is part of the life of grace. The life of grace is sharing in the divine life of the Holy Trinity. Grace by its very definition is gift, unmerited, un-purchased. To find ourselves in prayer is to find ourselves under the influence of grace.

Our Lord Jesus entered into prayer for lengthy periods. The sight of Christ at prayer must have been like another Transfiguration. The disciples were so moved, that they asked Jesus, “Teach us to pray.” Jesus responded with the "Our Father." The first part of the prayer is directed completely to God and His glory; only in the second part we deal with ourselves, and then, only in relation to God.

St. Paul in Romans 8. 26-27 teaches that we are unable to pray as we ought. The Holy Spirit causes prayer within us. And, prayer is a mystery beyond us. The unutterable groaning of the Spirit is at the center of our prayer.