Mental prayer, also known as interior prayer, is a practice that has been esteemed by spiritual masters across the ages, and its transformative effects have been lauded by numerous saints and devout souls. So important is this prayer to our spiritual growth that many giants of the Faith have outlined particular steps and stages to assist their spiritual children in this practice. As we consider the information and guidance provided by saints and pious teachers, we will begin to see how mental prayer, incorporated into our devotional life will bring us closer to God and reveal His will for us. In seeking to imitate the saints in their fervent devotions and holiness, we can follow them through this prayerful practice to greater intimacy with Our Creator and the heights of virtue in the daily duties of our state of life.
What is Mental Prayer?
As we’ve seen, mental prayer at its core is an interior conversation with God. It is a silent and profound communion in which the soul elevates itself to focus mind and heart on the divine, leaving behind the distractions and frivolities of the world. Adolphe Tanquerey, theologian and Sulpician priest of the early 20th century explains that mental prayer is intended to promote the glory of God by our “advancement in virtue.”
Unlike vocal prayer, which uses specific words and formulas to petition and implore, mental prayer provides the foundation for a thriving interior world, animated by the Holy Spirit and invigorating the entire spiritual life. In this spiritual exercise, our soul, drawn by the silence of God, enters into that silence, adoring Him and admiring His works and merciful love with wonder and gratitude. Through mental prayer, we are moved to follow our Master in His holiness and sacrificial love.
Choosing a Subject for Mental Prayer
The subjects for mental prayer are inexhaustible and we want to select something to consider in meditation well before we begin our time of prayer. Many teachers will encourage making our selection the evening before we plan to pray the next morning, and that one cannot find better material for consideration than the Passion of Our Lord. Jesus is the best example of all that we desire. His love, patience, humility, courage, and obedience throughout His passion inspire us to bear our crosses with the virtues so perfectly exemplified by Our Lord.
There are other subject options, of course. Saint Alphonsus Liguori quoting sacred scripture offers the following as a worthy subject to consider. “‘In all thy works remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin’ (Sirach 7:36). He who often meditates on the four last things—–namely, death, judgment, and the eternity of Hell and Paradise will not fall into sin.”
We may also use the Mass readings for the day or a spiritual book such as The Imitation of Christ. We might also take a verbal prayer, read it through slowly, or focus on just one line for our meditation. Saint Teresa said she once meditated for an hour on just the words, “Our Father,” considering all the ways in which God is a Father to us.
We can select a virtue of Our Lady, such as her humility in the Annunciation or the Nativity. Or we can consider one of Her seven sorrows. Anything we choose that is consistent with authentic Church teaching and leads us to love Our Lord and to become better Catholics is sufficient.
Steps to Making Mental Prayer
Many of the masters of the interior life enter directly into the presence of God, needing little or no prompting or imagination. But for those of us starting on this journey, there are important steps to keep in mind that provide structure to our prayer. These steps focus our minds and hearts and help us avoid distractions. For instance, we wouldn’t want to skip over meditation and go immediately to affective prayer because the material for meditation is like wood for the fire of our love. Without the truths of the Faith deeply impressed in the mind, the heart will grow cold and find affection dry and difficult.
- Preparing for Prayer: The initial step is preparation. This involves withdrawing from external distractions and entering into a state of interior silence – placing ourselves consciously in God’s presence and acknowledging His loving gaze upon us. We may make an act of faith, believing that God “rewards those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6), and an act of contrition, because “[God] gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
- Reflecting on a Spiritual Truth – Meditation: This begins the main body of mental prayer. We read or re-read whatever we have selected as our subject of meditation. This intellectual engagement helps to direct the mind towards God and His truths. Perhaps we have selected an aspect of Christ’s passion to consider – His patience and serenity when sentenced to death by Pilate. We thoughtfully consider the scene, perhaps placing ourselves in the crowd, picturing Christ at Pilate’s side and hearing the mob demanding His crucifixion. Sitting with this we may imagine what Our Lord is thinking as He looks at us. Was not this the crowd who cried “Hosanna” a few days before?
- Making Acts of the Will – Affective Prayer: This next step moves us from the intellect to engage the will. The will can be thought of as our heart. Following the reflection or when something in the meditation is particularly moving to us, we make acts of the will. The scene above may move us to mourn our own betrayals of Christ, the occasions we catered to the opinions of others, or shirked speaking the truth because we feared human rejection. Or we may be filled with love and gratitude considering the sacrifice Jesus made for us. These acts express our response to God’s truth and our loving desire for deeper union with Him.
- Resolutions: Most saints and theologians agree that an important part of mental prayer is gathering the insights received and making an act of the will to practice a virtue or avoid some evil. We must be specific in this act. Perhaps there is a person whom we have difficulty loving. We resolve today to treat them kindly and to refrain from impatience when they speak to us. Or if we are struggling with a particular vice, we may make a resolution every day for a month to act contrary to that vice and practice its opposite virtue with God’s grace. This step of resolution moves us from simply knowing the good to doing the good. This is how we bear good fruit.
- Concluding the Time of Prayer: Finally, we conclude our mental prayer by thanking God for the graces received, expressing contrition if we gave in to distractions, and asking for His grace to be faithful to our resolutions. Invoking Our Lady for assistance is always advised, as She is the supreme example of Christian prayer and obedience.
How long should it take?
It is commonly understood that daily mental prayer should begin by setting aside at least 15 minutes and working to increase that to half an hour or more if time and schedule permit. Anything less than 15 minutes does not allow for depth of consideration or intimate communication with God.
It may be helpful to think of our allotted time as segmented into sections.
- Opening prayers – 3 to 4 minutes. This could include an Act of Faith, an Act of Contrition, and invoking the Holy Spirit and Our Lady.
- Reflecting on the passage and responding – 10 to 20 minutes. Reading slowly through the passage to be considered and spending time in meditation and affective prayer, talking and listening to God.
- Making a resolution – 5 minutes. Considering a resolution based on the insights and inspirations received, and how it will apply concretely to the interactions and work of our day.
- Thanksgiving – 3 to 4 minutes. Closing with acts of thanksgiving, invoking Our Lady and the saints to help us, and remembering to pray for the Holy Souls.
It’s easy to see that with little effort we can spend 15 minutes in solitude with Our Lord. And with consistency, our mental prayer will increase to 30 minutes or more.
Of course, we must remember that we are in conversation with God, who loves and is patient with us. If we can only begin with a few minutes, with the intent of growing in mental prayer and praying for God’s grace to do so, we are on the path – which is so much better than never having begun.
Overcoming Distractions in Mental Prayer
Distractions are common when engaging in mental prayer. Many of us are not used to practicing silent consideration of God’s truths and our minds are prone to wander. Moreover, if mental prayer is powerful for the practice of virtue and overcoming vice, the enemy of our souls will do everything he can to frustrate our plans to engage in this prayer. Let us anticipate that there will be distractions, even spiritual warfare, and let’s look at a few things to help us overcome these challenges:
- Gentle Refocusing: When distractions arise, gently redirect your focus back to the prayer. Do not become frustrated or discouraged. Simply acknowledge the distraction, release it, and return to your conversation with God. St. Teresa of Avila directed her spiritual children to do just that when their minds would wander, cautioning them not to become anxious but very gently to turn again to the subject of meditation or to God Himself.
- Prayer Aids: Utilize prayer aids such as Sacred Scripture, prayer books, or devotional materials to help maintain focus during mental prayer. These resources can provide structure and guidance especially when staying attentive seems challenging. Even after many years of practicing mental prayer, Saint Teresa turned to a book to help her re-focus if her mind began to wander.
- Accept Imperfection: Mental prayer is not about achieving a flawless experience. It is a journey of deepening our relationship with God. Peacefully accept the imperfections, distractions, and challenges, and purpose to move beyond them with God’s grace. Remember, He honors our sincere efforts and desires to unite Himself with us, even more than we do.
- Invoke Our Lady: The Blessed Virgin Mary lived a life of mental prayer. “She pondered all these things in her heart.” Our Lady will share her virtues of silence and deep love for God with us as we pray. She has power over the enemy and if he is attacking, we can turn to Her for motherly protection.
Methods for Engaging in Mental Prayer
Now that we’ve covered the general steps of Mental Prayer, let’s take a look at a few common methods developed by the saints whereby we can begin to practice this devotion with confidence. We will focus on the approaches of St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Frances de Sales, and St. Teresa of Avila. Their methods are considered tried and true and frequently referred to by other saints and theologians as helpful when starting on the path of mental prayer.
Ignatian prayer
This method is characterized by the use of the imagination to enter into the mysteries of faith. Saint Ignatius had a vibrant imagination and understanding its power to motivate the will, he used it to deepen his relationship with God. In the Spiritual Exercises, he teaches his disciples how to enter into the Gospel stories: to imagine the setting, the characters, the details, and then to place ourselves there. Saint Ignatius says he does not want us to simply think about Jesus and His words, but to experience Jesus in the place and time of the story or parable, to notice how He interacts with people, the direction He gives, and the way He responds. He wants us to be captivated by Our Lord’s love and desire to save us. This method promotes an active engagement of our minds and imaginations with the divine mysteries making them immediately relevant to our lives.
Saint Ignatius encourages us to stay with the same subject of meditation for several days if it continues to enlighten and move us. In this way we can delve into its truths, forming a deeper understanding of its application to our lives. As we see ourselves more clearly through Ignatian prayer, we are moved to make an examination of conscience, leading to resolutions that align our wills with God’s will.
Salesian Prayer
Saint Frances de Sales outlines a method in his book, Introduction to The Devout Life that is very clear and helpful for those who benefit from more concrete instructions when launching into mental prayer. It begins with verbal prayer, acknowledging God’s presence, then follows up with an act of contrition and a prayer for grace to see what God would reveal to us. The Salesian method also engages the imagination using spiritual reading to bring the divine mysteries into the present, as if unfolding before our eyes. He encourages staying with those aspects of the meditation that are particularly speaking to us, pondering their meaning in the presence of the Holy Spirit. After time for affective prayer in response to the truths revealed, Saint Frances guides us to close with acts of thanksgiving, making a resolution and gathering the insights to carry with us throughout the day.
Teresian prayer
Also known as Carmelite prayer, this method is less structured and focuses on silent interior communion with God. Saint Teresa said, “Mental Prayer is nothing else than an intimate friendship, a frequent heart-to-heart with Him by whom we know ourselves to be loved.” The goal of Teresian prayer is deepening our relationship with the God who abides silently within us.
Although it may begin with spiritual reading and reflection, this prayer emphasizes “less thinking and more loving.” Saint Teresa encouraged forging a deep, intimate union with God through a loving silence and recollection in which the Holy Spirit works to enlighten and transform us. The profound interior silence of Carmelite prayer is not easy to attain when we are just beginning, but with consistent practice, we will grow to love spending time in reflective silence with God. Saint Teresa does not specifically instruct on making resolutions, however, she still emphasizes the importance of mental prayer bearing good fruit in our lives.
Many other saints spoke and taught on the benefits of mental prayer or what they referred to as silent meditation: Saint Augustine, Saint Bonaventure, and St. Alphonsus Liguori to name a few. Current methods of mental prayer may synthesize those discussed above or use various aspects from them.
Keep in mind that there is no particular approach required for successful mental prayer. The key is to discover what method best fits us and compliments how our minds and hearts work to focus and express ourselves in our relationship with God. As long as our meditation is Christ-centered and founded on the truths of the Faith, the Holy Spirit will guide our efforts and lead us to communion and conversion.
Mental Prayer on the Go – The Spirit of Recollection
Saint Frances de Sales and Saint Alphonsus Liguori strongly encourage us not to ignore or forget the insights gained in mental prayer, but to make our resolution so that we can take the spiritual graces God has given us into our lives through the spirit of recollection. If we practice keeping God ever before us and act in accordance with our resolutions we will indeed grow in the life of virtue. We must not simply use mental prayer to obtain consolations from God, but we must be intentional in our desire to obey His commands. Then we can be confident that God will grant us the grace to gain the fruit of this spiritual practice.
Therefore, let us consider how to maintain the spirit of recollection. Remember that a recollected spirit remains aware of God’s presence throughout the day. Although we may be deeply engaged in our work, we can develop a habitual turning of the mind and heart towards God. We may choose 1 or 2 aspirations to bring us back at certain times of the day, especially when we anticipate an opportunity to act on our resolution. Invoking Our Lord or Our Lady we may pray, “O Jesus who offered all Thy sufferings to The Father for the salvation of the world, let me join my sufferings to Thee.” or “Dear Blessed Mother, loving and forgiving the persecutors of Thy Son, pray for us that we may forgive.” Prayers such as these can remind us of our morning meditation and bring us back to awareness that God is always with us and wants to give us the grace we need to do His will.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori taught that constant communication with God is what transforms our souls. Recollection and prayerful aspirations go hand in hand to achieve this continual connection to the life of God, making mental prayer meaningful and fruitful in our daily interactions.
Conclusion
Mental prayer serves as a pillar in the quest for growth and union with God. It grants us the opportunity to turn to the interior of our souls, quieting the distractions of the world and opening ourselves to the presence and inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Through consistent practice of mental prayer in our daily lives, we can experience a profound transformation of our hearts and minds, growing in love for God, advancing in virtue, and fostering a more profound sense of peace and purpose. Through mental prayer, we can offer our joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, seeking guidance, solace, and strength in the loving embrace of our Creator.
