Dear Robert:

What follows is the section in the Formation of Novices in our Order that outlines Mental Prayer:

III. MENTAL PRAYER

MENTAL PRAYER IS…

Mental prayer is often simply called "prayer". That is, it is prayer in the truest sense. By its very name mental prayer is distinguished from vocal prayer, although vocal prayer done meditatively can indeed become mental prayer. Mental Prayer is using the mind and heart as creative and constructive tools to think of God, communicate with Him, and be one with Him. It is the process of knowing and communing with God, eventually going from knowing to loving to truly loving. 

STAGES OF MENTAL PRAYER

1. Meditation.
2. Affective prayer.
3. Prayer of Simplicity (prayer of quiet) and beyond.

TYPICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT MEDITATION

1. Why is meditation so fundamental to the St. Michael spirituality? By the St. Michael Rule, a Legionnaire is directed to meditate day and night on the Law of the Lord and to be watchful in prayer. Prayer in general is fundamental to all spirituality. Mental prayer, such as, meditation, as the inner occupation of the mind and will or heart with God, is the foundation of all prayer. "It is the very soul of vocal prayer (Carmelite Directory, pg. 369).

   In meditation the mind seeks to understand and to appreciate Jesus and His teaching. It seeks to know His will. This is the object of meditation and provides inspiration for the will to make acts of adoration, thanksgiving, sorrow for sin, and petition.

   Meditation, then, helps deepen our faith, prompts the conversion of the heart, and strengthens the will to follow Jesus Christ

   To pray means to spend "quality time with the Lord."

   Ask the Lord to help you discover yourself in meditation. Present yourself to the Lord as you are and then ask God to transform you in accordance with His will. You might ask God for what you would like, but be ready to accept His will.

2. Where can one meditate? Preferably, a quiet place.
3. How long should one meditate? One may effectively meditate over short snippets of time, such as a five or ten minute break. But the more complete meditative experience would suggest at least 30 minutes to 'get from one world to another," time to quiet our mind and settle down into the meditation and time to discern the Lord's Will.
4. How often should one meditate? Daily. Given the busyness of the world, daily mediation is especially recommended to Secular Expression members.
5. When is the best time for meditation? Early morning is usually the best time; but evening may be better for some persons.
6. Should meditation be done regularly? Absolutely! We should strive for a faithful and regular period of time for this type of conversation with the Lord.
7. What position should one be in for meditation? Meditation is an "active" form of prayer. Thus being too comfortable whereby we might easily fall into sleep or day-dreaming should be avoided. Sitting upright with proper posture or kneeling may best facilitate this active form of prayer.
8. Are there any particular steps for meditation? They vary according to the method used.

SOME METHODS OF MEDITATION

1. There are as many methods as there are spiritual masters - and quite possibly many more! A method is only a guide; the important thing is to advance in one's prayer life by constantly responding to the grace of God, i.e., by being submissive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit
2. The traditional Christian method:

   a. Remote preparation by striving to constantly live in the presence of God.

   b. Proximate preparation: Have some source for reflection such as a Scripture passage, etc., and place oneself in the intimate presence of God.

   c. Read or reflect on the source material and consider (slowly) its content Let your mind go.

   d. Allow for affective prayer.

   e. Resolutions and/or petitions.

   f. Thanksgiving.

3. Simplified steps for the traditional method.

   a. Presence of God. Place oneself in the intimate presence of God. Praise and adoration.

   b. Considerations. Use a resource for focus of this particular meditation such as Scripture or some other spiritual reading material, an image, etc. This should be planned out long before the given meditation period.

   c. Affections and thanksgiving.

   d. Resolutions and/or petitions.

4. The 'traditional" method stated yet another way:

   a. Preparation: place oneself in the presence of God.

   b. Consideration: reflect on some truth or ponder some thing - like a flower, and consider its impact or application to oneself spiritually.

   c. Affections: these can intermingle with considerations. It is good to think of the four ends of prayer, namely: adoration, thanksgiving, reparation, and petition.

   d. Resolutions: prayer should always have a real effect on one's daily life otherwise something is basically wrong with it!

5. Lectio Divina. This was one of the original forms of meditation in the early Church, and was presented in Lesson 4 of Phase 3. It would be advisable to review that section in context with this instruction on Mental Prayer.
6. Prayer of the Desert Fathers. It consists of four steps:

   a. Reading (Oectio): selecting and reading carefully and thoughtfully a passage, preferably of Scripture.

   b. Meditation (meditatio): reflecting on the meaning of the Scripture text and what the Lord may wish to say to you through it Seeing if there is any particular word or thought that struck you and reflecting on it

   c. Prayer (oratio): this is a time for making affections suited to the text, the word, the thought that seemed to mean the most to you.

   d. Contemplation (contemplatio): this is considered the heart of the prayer. It is the prayer that seeks Him "whom my soul loves." It is, in the words of St. Teresa of Avila, "nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us."

USEFUL HELPS IN MEDITATION

1. A meditative reflection on the Lord's prayer, as given by St. Teresa of Avila.
2. Examples of some good sources for meditation.

   a. Liturgy of the Hours, especially the Psalms.

   b. Holy Scripture, e.g., the Gospels, Letters, the Acts of the Apostles, or Books of the Old Testament, such as, Proverbs or Wisdom.

   c. The Rosary, as a means to trigger the imagination - like putting oneself into the scene (the mystery).

   d. Focusing on the Stations of the Cross - one each day, for example, for 14 days or more.

   e. The writings of the Saints - especially our Carmelite masters.

   f. One's own imagination - which, if properly guided, can provide numerous and wonderful spiritual insights.

   g. Specific texts provided by one’s spiritual director.

   Note: It is well to be reminded that these sources are simply used to stimulate the intellect, which becomes the active part of our being during (traditional) meditation.

3. Someone once said pictures can be "windows to the other world". As a source of meditation this implies they can be much more than simple reminders!
4. By entering into the scenes described by each author of the Gospels, we can write what has often been referred to as the fifth Gospel - our personal interpretation.

AFFECTIVE PRAYER

1. After persons have practiced meditation for a time and begin to feel drawn to God's love in a special way, it is time to begin practicing affective prayer.
2. Affective prayer is not just a loving conversation; it is a loving movement of our heart and mind and the desire to be intimately united to God. Our affective prayer gradually grows brief and concise in words and finally may be reduced to just a single word. In its highest form, it is a simple inclination of the heart, consisting of a glance, sigh or a desire of love which lasts for some time. It should be recognized that all of this is the work of the Holy Spirit
3. It is important not to begin this practice or try to force, as it were, oneself into this form of prayer, but rather accept it as a natural and gentle consequence of our meditation or state of being in the presence of God. It may also be difficult at the beginning but becomes much easier when acquired as a habit

PRAYER OF SIMPLICITY (Prayer of Quiet)

Note: The points below come from St Teresa of Avila's works. Since her expositions are not always systematic and organized, we are not always able to make clear distinctions between her descriptions of the various stages. St John of the Cross speaks of "quieted" (quiet) which is comparable.

1. The prayer of quiet is the beginning of passive prayer - i.e., infused contemplation. St Teresa distinguishes between "consolations" and "delights." "Quiet' in its "delights" is passive or "infused" contemplation.
2. We cannot obtain this prayer by our own efforts. A person often doesn’t know what is being enjoyed. It is a "ray of darkness" yet not painful, but a prayer of great delight and consolation. One can prepare oneself for this prayer by gentle affective mental prayer. God will not deny those who prepare for it Teresa says it is given to many persons, though few pass beyond it to the still higher stages of prayer.
3. It is not necessarily a peaceful state. Our memory or imagination may be disturbed throughout its length. In a higher state of itself, it can even be maintained while performing our daily tasks.
4. It is probably most comparable to the 'second water' of St. Teresa, which in this explanation St. Teresa uses to describe the "prayer of quiet' or 'spiritual delight." This "second water" is like the water of a spring welling up noiselessly and abundantly, originating from God, producing delight with the greatest peace and quiet and sweetness, filling one deeply within and overflowing into one's whole being (see Castle IV, Chap. 2, #3-4, pp. 323-324),

SOME ADDITIONAL POINTS:

1. Not everything which is called "mental' prayer is really prayer. Much of it is only a preamble to prayer.
2. Christian prayer is essentially the establishment of a relationship with God, a loving friendship. It is not only a knowing and loving but also a living. It means recognizing that one's will must be united with God's will and that this must result in action and behavior according to God's will.
3. Don’t get trapped into the notion of 'quietism," a fallacy from the 15th through the 17th century. We should use our intellect during meditation; that's why it's called 'mental" prayer. Quietism was an exaggeration of orthodox spirituality. The Quietists said that the way to passive contemplation is acquired by anyone, if they wish, just by ceasing the operation of their will, memory, intellect and imagination. They spurned meditation, stressing only the contemplative gaze. They saw no need for virtue, examinations of conscience, prayer of petitions and confession. Their teachings were condemned by the Church. This form is the method most often associated and experienced in the various "Eastern" meditation techniques found in Hindu and other traditions. Many of these "Eastern" techniques were "westernized" and popularized in various forms such as the famous Hindu based meditation known as Transcendental Meditation. Some of these "Eastern" techniques were also mingled with traditional Catholic meditation practices, the most noted being Centering Prayer (Keeting and Pennington). The Catholic should avoid these forms.

I would advise you begin with a subscription to the Magnificat. This magazine includes morning and evening prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, plus meditations written by the Fathers of the Church and other spiritual writings. Meditate on those readings.

Also I advise the practice of Lectio Divina, which means "Divine Reading". What you do here is to read passages from the Bible. Read them slowly. Think about what the passage is saying to you. Reflect upon the Bible passage.

As an aid with this you can use the Carmelite Order Lectio Divina Calendar. This resource will give you a passage for each day and reflections to meditate upon.

This will get you started.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary