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PRAYER

The Examen - Lectio Divina - Imaginative Contemplation - 3 Prayers: Take and Receive, Anima Christi & Eternal Lord
Prayer on Life - Prayers from the Spiritual Exercises - Discernment

prayer 'Prayer', we were told in the old Catholic catechism, 'is the raising of the mind and the heart to God'. Both mind and heart. Prayer allows us to deepen our relationship with God, to go to the heart of our ourselves and experience God's loving, healing, touch.

There are many different methods or styles of prayer. Though many like to create a hierarchy of prayer with wordless mystical prayer at the top of the tree and 'saying prayers' somewhere nearer the bottom, in fact what is best is whatever type of prayer helps us come closer to God.

If you come on retreat you will have plenty of time to spend on prayer. You may well like to try different ways of praying to see which work for you.

The examen (examination of conscience), and two ways of praying with scripture, Lectio Divina and Imaginative Contemplation are on separate pages. But whatever method of prayer, when entering into a formal period of prayer a period of quietening down and centring on God are usually most helpful.

Quietening down can often be done by stillness exercises:

  • Spend five minutes listening to the sounds around me, not concentrating on any, but just being aware of noises both great and delicate.
  • Become aware of the sensations of my body, from head to toe, can also be a good stilling exercise.
  • A mantra, where I repeat a word or phrase might also be helpful. It might be my own personal motto.
    It might be one of the short sayings from Scripture such as “I am the way the truth and the life”, “I believe, help thou my unbelief”. The aim of the mantra is to quieten and move into a still space within.

When you become quieter, you might want to move on an use Scripture, a prayer, or a poem to focus your mind and heart on God.

Try:
Lectio Divina
Imaginative Contemplation
Prayer from the Ignatian Exercises on: 10 Commandments, 7 deadly sins, 5 Senses, 3 Powers of the Soul
 

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