So we are now ready to actually go and pray. How do we do it, and what should be aware of as we strive to do it? Tonight, we will discuss expressions of prayer, as well as some of the battles we have to fight in our prayer life.
There are three types of expressions of prayer in the Catholic tradition.
The first expression is vocal. In Revelation, as we have noted, God speaks to man. If he speaks to us, we can obviously speak to him. Our prayer "takes flesh" in the words of the Catechism (p.2700). Jesus prayed vocally, and he taught us vocal prayers, like the Our Father. We must involve our whole being in prayer, and our speech is a vital part of our being. God likes to hear us praise him. This is the form of prayer most accessible in a group setting.
The second expression is meditative. In meditation, we focus on something to draw our attention to deeper truth. In specifically Christian meditation, we focus on written words, especially those of Sacred Scripture, but we can also focus on icons, a beautiful work of art, or even the beauty of nature, to draw our attention to the how and why of Christian life ( p.2705 ), and eventually, to what the Lord might be asking or telling each of us. When we read a book, or look at sacred art, the book or painting of our own lives comes to reality. Mediation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire (p. 2707). Lectio divina and the Rosary are examples of vehicles of meditation.
The third, and most perfect expression of prayer, is contemplative. Contemplative prayer is beyond words, so it is difficult to describe. It is like being alone with a best friend. We are fixed on the Lord himself, as opposed to the Christian life in general, or our own life in Christ. It is a love affair between the lover (God) and the beloved (us). We welcome the merciful, tender love of God, and want to love more in return. Like the theological virtues, contemplative prayer is an infused gift, not something we can do on our own. We gaze on Christ, just like we do at Mass or at Eucharistic Adoration, to the Blessed Sacrament. It is a silent, yet intense type of prayer. The mystery that we celebrate at the Eucharist lives in us in contemplative prayer.
So, contemplative prayer, which is intimate union with the Blessed Trinity, is the goal of our lives, as it is the goal of the Church in her sacred liturgy. However, can we love someone whom we never speak of or to? Can we love God without vocal prayer? No. Can we love someone whom we don't try to learn about or "study" so to speak? Can we love God without meditation? No. Therefore, while contemplative prayer is the highest expression of prayer, we cannot live without the other two expressions, and in fact, need both, in my opinion, throughout our lives, to sustain the third.
All this, especially contemplative prayer, may not sound realistic. Yet, when we pray, we realize prayer points us to the truly real. The things around us fade away, go in and out. God remains.
Besides being unrealistic in terms of its end, the world might have other objections to prayer, as the Catechism notes. For example, the world might say that things that can only be verified by science or reason are true. However, prayer encompasses both that, and the unconscious world, and it reveals otherwise. Our consumer and materialistic world might also say prayer is unproductive, and does not produce anything. However, those who pray will tell you it produces the best kind of fruit, for themselves and for others. Some might go so far as to say is a retreat from real life. No, true prayer is far from an escape, it engages reality at its deepest level.
Besides objections to prayer, there are also challenges and difficulties in prayer. We may think we are a failure at prayer. We may think we are not being heard. We may feel dry. Finally, we may feel we just cannot give our all to the Lord. The Catechism proposes three keys to overcoming all these obstacles.
1) Humility We must not try to fight distractions in prayer in our own power. We must realize distractions are a sign we have not turned all to the Lord, and we must turn to Him. We must also cling to Him when we experience dryness in prayer, as Our Lord did in the desert, in the Garden, and on the Cross. A lack of faith is a sign of a proud heart. We must ask the Lord for the gifts of humility and faith to help our prayer life.
2) Trust We have to trust that God always hears our prayers, and answers them, even if it is not the answer we were looking for. Prayer, we must realize, is God's action in history, not ours. In prayer, we cooperate with His Divine Providence. Jesus always intercedes for us. Only if our prayer is united to His we will obtain all that we ask for in His name.
3) Perseverance The Scriptures tell us on numerous occasions to "pray constantly." To help us do that, the Catechism proposes three truths we have to open our heart and accept. We have to realize it is always possible to pray (p.2743) . Prayer is vitally necessary (p.2744) . Prayer and Christian life are inseparable (p.2745). If we realize these three things, we will persevere in prayer.
If we are humble, if we trust, and if we persevere, we will grow in prayer, and grow in love. We will win the battle of prayer. If we win the battle of prayer, we will have a much better chance of winning the battle of life, here on Earth, and more importantly, in the fullness of the Kingdom.
A few of the titles of Saint Joseph in the litany to him I think are appropriate to the themes we discussed here. Mirror of patience (he can help us persevere in prayer when we do not see instant results), lover of poverty (to help us be poor in spirit, humble, which will help in prayer), and solace of the wretched ( how we may feel sometimes, when our prayer reveals how poor and sinful we are, compared to the awesome majesty of God). We can and should pray to Saint Joseph to help us grow in prayer, to become ever more aware of the presence of God, and his action in our lives.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
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