In contemplation, you come into an experiential contact with the One behind and beyond the text. By God's action of grace, you may be raised above meditation to a state of seeing or experiencing the text as mystery and reality. Contemplation (contemplatio) is a gaze turned toward Christ and the things of God.In this prayerful engagement with the text, you open yourself up to the possibility of contemplation. The next element is prayer (oratio) or your personal response to the text: asking for graces, offering praise or thanksgiving, seeking healing or forgiveness.It is through this meditation that you encounter the text and discover its meaning for your life. By using your imagination enter into the Biblical scene in order to "see" the setting, the people, and the unfolding action. The second element is meditation (meditatio).The first element of this type of prayer is reading (lectio): you take a short passage from the Bible, preferably a Gospel passage and read it carefully, perhaps three or more times.Lectio divina is prayer over the Scriptures. This spiritual reading is traditionally called lectio divina or divine reading. Spiritual reading of Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is an important form of meditation. Meditation is an essential form of Christian prayer, especially for those who are seeking to answer the vocational question, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" How do we pray with Sacred Scripture? It is a question of acting truthfully in order to come into the light: "Lord, what do you want me to do?" (CCC 2705-2706). "To the extent that we are humble and faithful, we discover in meditation the movements that stir the heart and we are able to discern them. The mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking." By meditating on the Gospels, holy icons, liturgical texts, spiritual writings, or "the great book of creation," we come to make our own that which is God's. As the Catechism states: "Meditation is above all a quest. Meditation is a Christian practice of prayer dating back to the early Church. These various forms include prayer of blessing or adoration, prayer of petition, prayer of intercession, prayer of thanksgiving, and prayer of praise. Various forms of prayer are presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2623-2649). Prayer to Saint Joseph after the RosaryĮxposition of the Blessed Sacrament flows from the sacrifice of the Mass and serves to deepen our hunger for Communion with Christ and the rest of the Church.Scriptural Rosary: The Sorrowful Mysteries.From On the Most Holy Rosary ( Rosarium Virginis Mariae) Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer. With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium. It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb. The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. Therefore, prayer is not merely an exchange of words, but it engages the whole person in a relationship with God the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. Prayer is our response to God who is already speaking or, better yet, revealing Himself to us. He speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Word-made-flesh. Let it become your own personal prayer and let God speak to you and strengthen you through it.God invites us into a relationship with Him that is both personal and communal. Next time you have an opportunity to pray in silence, take one or more of these beautiful prayers and spend time with it. In order for these words to become true prayer, they must be reflected upon, understood, meant, and the prayer must come from the depths of your soul. Saying a prayer, however, is not the same as praying. Below is a list of beautiful and powerful Catholic prayers.
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