As Catholics, we are called to develop a vital and intentional prayer life so we may grow in our faith. Most of us pray daily using the prayers we have come to know and love, verbal prayers taught by Our Lord, found in Sacred Scriptures, or written by the fathers of the Faith. These beloved verbal prayers help orient our lives to God and ask Him for graces.
However, we are also encouraged to cultivate a prayerful conversation with our Creator in the solitude of our hearts and minds, an act known as Mental Prayer. This prayer is quiet, often non-verbal, and is a channel of deep interior conversation and communion with God. By understanding the essence and importance of mental prayer, we can unlock its power to open us to God’s presence, nourish our souls by grace, and guide us on our journey toward spiritual growth.
Definition of Mental Prayer
Mental prayer as taught by the Church, is interior prayer in the solitude of the soul in which the life of faith is considered and personal sentiments are expressed to God. Adolph Tanquerey, a Sulpician priest and theologian of the early 20th century, defines mental prayer as,
“a silent elevation and application of our mind and heart to God in order to offer Him our homages and promote His glory by our advancement in virtue.”
Saint Teresa of Avila 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 Roots of Mental Prayer
Sacred Scripture
The practice of mental prayer has deep historical roots within the Catholic tradition. Going back to the Old Testament, David and the other writers of The Psalms repeatedly expressed the importance of meditation on God’s law. This meditation evoked personal conversations with God in expressions of thanksgiving, love, and dependence on Him – particularly amid trial and temptation. We see that The Psalms provide an outline of mental prayer, illustrating its fruit in the lives of those who practice it. For instance, Psalm 118 (119) is a tribute to the benefit and necessity of meditation on God’s word to keep our souls pure, so that we may “run in the path of [His] commands.” The book of Proverbs also illustrates the spiritual and material benefits of reflecting on God’s ways as paramount for living a blessed life that pleases Him.
In the New Testament, Jesus taught the importance of prayerful dialogue with God in solitude, away from distractions. In Matthew 6:6 He exhorts, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.” This emphasis on the interiority of prayer fosters a soul’s intimacy with God and is a fundamental aspect of mental prayer.
The Church and the Saints
In that same spirit, numerous saints, mystics, and spiritual writers have emphasized the importance of mental prayer. Saint Augustine wrote extensively about the significance of interior conversation with God and the pursuit of the contemplative life. The desert hermits and ascetics of the early Christian period, such as Saint Anthony of Egypt and Saint Macrina, embraced mental prayer as a primary means of spiritual ascent and communion with God.
The development of monasticism in the Middle Ages also played an important role in promoting mental prayer. Monks and nuns were encouraged to cultivate a life of silence, solitude, and prayerful recollection to develop a deep interior relationship with God.
The writings of renowned mystics like Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Avila have further enriched the understanding and practice of mental prayer within the Catholic tradition. These saints reached sublime heights in the interior life and have left us with some of the greatest spiritual instruction available today.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms the significance of mental prayer, stating that it is a form of prayer in which the mind and heart focus on God and penetrate the mystery of his presence (CCC 2708). The Church recognizes mental prayer as a vital means of responding to God’s invitation to seek a personal encounter with him so that we may know and trust Him, making ourselves docile to the movements of His grace.
Components of Mental Prayer
We go into more detail in Getting Started with Mental Prayer but, at its core, mental prayer consists of four essential components.
- The first is preparation, wherein we gather our thoughts and withdraw from the distractions of the external world, turning our minds and hearts toward God and asking for His light. This step is essential as it creates a sacred space within the mind for a loving encounter with God.
- The second component is meditation, wherein we reflect upon a chosen topic, such as a mystery of the Faith or a scriptural passage, considering its meaning and relevance to our lives. This reflective process is Christ-centered, deepening our understanding and fostering a personal connection with God’s Word and friendship with the Blessed Trinity.
- The third component is affective prayer, which involves engaging the heart and emotions in a genuine response to God’s presence and the insights received in meditation. The stages of meditation and affective prayer may blend together as we converse with God.
- Finally, well-developed mental prayer may transition into a loving profound silence, characterized by admiration and openness to the movements of the Holy Spirit in the soul. This stage is referred to as silent communion or in the Carmelite understanding, contemplation. Stillness of our being in the presence of God is not easily achieved but with time and faithfulness to mental prayer, we will grow in the gift of devoted silence and union with God.
Many teachers of this prayerful discipline include a fifth stage that involves making a resolution to live out some aspect of our meditation in our daily lives. For example, we may resolve to practice a virtue highlighted in our meditation or to overcome a vice that became more evident to us as we prayed. Many saints consider this step indispensable because it is a purposeful and specific commitment, empowering us to abide in Christ more fully as we live our Catholic faith.
Schools of Mental Prayer
There are many approaches to mental prayer and commonalities between them. We want to look briefly at a few of the more familiar schools of this prayerful discipline, keeping in mind that we are pursuing friendship with God and each person’s experience will be unique. The methods described are launching points but there is no need to follow a prescribed formula as long as we spend time in Christ-centered meditation, open ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit, and express our thoughts, love, and devotion to the Blessed Trinity.
Saint Ignatius Loyola knew the power of the imagination and promoted a method that brought it front and center in mental prayer. He wanted his disciples to immerse themselves in the life of the Spirit, going beyond spiritual reading into experiencing Jesus. He believed this experience of Christ, gained by using our memory and imagination to see ourselves living its truths, would ignite the fire of our hearts in union with Him. This experience would foster victory over sin and the courage to do all that God would ask of us. A proponent of making resolutions to advance in holiness, St. Ignatius also used the particular examen to assess whether they were being lived out in daily life.
Saint Frances de Sales advanced a similar approach, using the imagination but with slightly different emphases. Saint Frances placed great importance on making resolutions and carrying the meditation with us throughout the day.
Saint Teresa of Avila promoted a less structured method of prayer, emphasizing the importance of interior silence and recollection. She encouraged spiritual reading for beginners in meditation or whenever the mind would tend toward distraction. However, Teresian prayer consists primarily of acts of affection and familiarity that lead to silent interior communion with God. She placed less emphasis on thinking and more on loving in that “heart-to-heart” conversation with Our Lord.
Lectio Divina, a method highlighted by Pope Benedict XVI, is a prayerful reflection on Sacred Scripture. It reaches back to the early Church Fathers and unites the soul to God through His word. This prayer consists of four stages similar to other forms of mental prayer: Lectio (Focused Reading), Meditatio (Reflection and Pondering), Oratio (Prayerful Responding), and Contemplatio (Resting in God).
The approaches highlighted here are by no means exhaustive, but provide a few tried and true options giving us a place to start.
Transformation Through Mental Prayer
Mental prayer is a transformative process that leads to profound spiritual growth. Through mental prayer, we rid ourselves of distractions so that we may cooperate with God in the renewing of our minds thus proving through our actions “what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
But how does this occur?
Because the intellect informs the heart, it is critical that we intentionally discipline our minds to consider deeply the truths of God. As the Holy Spirit gives light to the mind through meditation on the divine mysteries, our intellect is re-formed. As a result, our hearts are moved to express profound emotions of love and devotion, to put to death the deeds of the flesh, and to live according to the Spirit (Romans 8:13). When Saint Paul tells us in Philippians 4 to think about “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,” etc., he is urging us to change our mindset so that our wills are motivated toward the true good, that which is from God above. Mental Prayer achieves this.
Yet, there is another powerful motivator of the will. It is the imagination, a formidable force for good or ill, often misunderstood or overlooked in the life of faith. Living in a culture saturated with provocative images, most of which appeal to the lower appetites where our disordered desire naturally reigns, the imagination is quickly overwhelmed. These images we encounter are bland at best, but most often enticing and even sinful. They inundate the eyes and ears, damaging and haunting our imaginations, burdening us, and often preventing us from living in the joyful freedom God intends.
Mental prayer purifies the imagination by giving it heavenly food to feast on. When we meditate on divine mysteries such as the Passion of Our Lord, or the humility of Our Lady, we open a door through which grace can fill the imagination. Our Lord heals the wounded imagination just as He healed the sick in Galilee. His holy presence in us is the principle of our purity and the more we interact with Him in prayer the more He elevates our imaginations, healing them, and filling them with the realistic hope of an eternal destiny that we can begin to live here on earth.
With the intellect and imagination re-formed to reflect the truths of the Faith, our will is captivated and fortified to make decisions that are in keeping with God’s commands. As our will considers the various paths to be taken in any given situation, it clearly sees by the light of faith the highest good, and though it may be arduous, will choose that good over personal peace and comfort for the love of God, rebuffing the world and its attractions.
The Spirit of Recollection – Keeping Mental Prayer Alive
Saint Alphonsus Liguori taught that living this holy life requires us to keep our meditation alive through constant communication with God. This communication throughout the day transforms our souls and becomes the fruit of mental prayer.
But with busy lives and active minds engaged in all kinds of work, how do we achieve this ongoing conversation? Through a spirit of recollection, the habitual turning of the mind and heart towards God. A recollected spirit remains aware of God’s presence throughout the day, regardless of the activity in which it is engaged. It remembers the meditation and the resolutions made and looks for ways to live them out.
Aspirations, brief prayers whispered to God, assist us in recollection reminding us of His presence and of our commitment to practice a specific virtue. A short prayer, such as, “O merciful Jesus, grant me the grace to be merciful,” can bring our morning meditation to the forefront and obtain the grace we need to live our resolutions. Recollection and prayerful aspirations go hand in hand to achieve a continual connection to the life of God, making mental prayer meaningful and fruitful in our daily interactions.
Conclusion
Mental prayer is a daily practice indispensable to the life of virtue and grace. This prayer is available to all Catholics and requires only the willingness to begin and persevere. There are no special materials or books needed. If we possess a Bible, we have access to ample material for meditation. With a sincere desire to delve deeply into God’s truths and a willingness to persist, we will grow in intimacy with God, Our Lady, and the saints. As we become more comfortable incorporating mental prayer into our lives, we will begin to see that the rewards are immense – a deeper spiritual life, growth in virtue, and a profound sense of God’s abiding presence. No wonder the saints mark this prayer as the surest way to Heaven.
“All the saints became saints because of mental prayer.” – Saint Alphonsus Liguori
