"Persevere in Prayer":

Learning the Meaning and Value of Persistence in Prayer

ADDENDUM

            It is obviously quite impossible to cover a topic as big as "prayer" in one blog entry.  Therefore, I feel the need to put out this "addendum" to the blog entry just posted.  My post dealt primarily with the subject of perseverance in prayer, but in a certain sense, it also dealt with the reality of prayer in general as a normative Christian responsibility and a necessary aspect to living out an authentic Christian vocation.  To the end that the blog did deal with prayer in general, I believe it may be helpful to offer some "prayer resources" that might aid you, my dear reader, in your prayer life.  I would first of all like to make it clear that there are several "modes" of prayer, particularly in the Catholic Church, the Church of Christ entrusted with the fullness of Christian faith and the means of salvation.

Four "Modes" of Prayer

            There are typically identified four "modes" of prayer: Oratio, Lectio, Meditatio, and Contemplatio.  You'll pardon me for using their Latin names.  "Oratio" is related to "oration," that is, to the praying of vocal prayers, prayers such as the Lord's Prayer, the Memorare, the Salve Regina, Prayer to Saint Michael, and so on and so fourth.  This is a fairly "active" way of praying: we speak to God either out of our hearts, spontaneously, or from an already prepared ritual or prayer book.  It is a fine way of praying, the one with which most of us are probably most familiar. 

            "Lectio" refers to "Lectio Divina," or "divine reading," a prayerful reading of Scripture or of another spiritual work, though Scripture has pride of place.  This reading is in fact prayer, a prayer in which we encounter the inspired Word of God and allow it to "ruminate" within us and speak to us of God's wisdom, love, mercy, joy, peace, and grace.  This type of prayer has more to do with seeking understanding than offering supplication, as is the case with Oratio. 

            "Meditatio" refers to meditation.  The Holy Rosary is a prime example of this type of prayer.  While praying the Holy Rosary, we engage our mind in meditating on the "mysteries" of the Gospel ("mysteries" here not meaning "unknowable," but rather, infinitely knowable, unable to be exhausted).  In Meditatio, the mind seeks to understand better the realities of the Christian life so as to better live them out in daily life.  That is, a better understanding of the mystery of the Transfiguration, for instance, can help us realize our own human dignity and gives us a foretaste of heavenly reality in our mind's eye. 

            In "Contemplatio," that is, contemplation, the person who prays is purely receptive, opening him/herself completely to God and to His moving.  Contemplation is wholly gift, purely mercy.  It must be received from God, and not sought after.  In this type of prayer, the person (and their mind) is truly elevated to the heights and depths of the fullness of God and all of divine reality.

Recommendations

I have several book recommendations which may be helpful:

            ~ "Introduction to the Devout Life" by St. Francis de Sales

            ~ The fourth section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on prayer (essential)

            ~ "Prayer Primer" by Fr. Thomas DuBay

            ~ "The Tradition of Catholic Prayer" by the Monks of Saint Meinrad Archabbey

Undoubtedly, there are MANY MORE resources for prayer out there.  I have given you some of the ones I have on my book shelf as a kind of "introduction" to what and where one should or could start to go deeper into the life of prayer.

Praying with Icons

            As a matter of personal taste and preference, I enjoy praying with icons.  Icons are probably more familiar to Christians of the Eastern Churches (both Orthodox and Catholic) than they are to Latin Rite Catholics (though, for Latin Rite Catholics, we are all very familiar with sacred images).  "Icon" simply means "image."  It is the custom of Eastern Christians to pray with icons on a regular basis, particularly in the context of the Divine Liturgy (i.e., of St. John Chrysostom {Byzantine}).  In the Eastern Churches, the icon takes on an almost sacramental reality.  For us as Latin Rite Catholics, we know that the Sacraments are efficacious symbols- they achieve in reality what they outwardly symbolize. Thus, Baptism, for instance, is indeed a pouring of water over the body, but it is also a purification of the soul; Baptism achieves what it symbolizes, it is efficacious.  Just so, icons, for Eastern Christians, take a very similar role, though not exactly the same role, of course.  The icon is representational of the reality, or person it represents.  In some sense, the icon "mediates" the person or event which it represents. 

            Praying with icons, as a form of Christian piety, is justified by virtue of the incarnation of the Word of God.  Thus, in John's Gospel, "Philip said to Him, 'Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.'  Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?  Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.'" (John 14:8-9b).  Jesus, through the incarnation, is an icon of God: whoever has seen Him has seen God.  His divinity is veiled in flesh, but above and beyond His flesh, and through the flesh, the face of God is seen on the face of Christ.  This is the reality and basis for icons.  The icon is simple and its simplicity impels us to look beyond the face of the icon to the reality behind.  For example, when we look on an icon of Christ the Savior (NOTE: iconography does not promote excessive "familiarity" with the realities they symbolize and thus an image of Christ would always be just that, not an image of "Jesus," since that name is more familiar) or of the Holy Theotokos (i.e., the Blessed Mother) or of any of the Saints or events in the Old and New Testament, we are compelled to see not the image before us, but to see the reality that lies behind it.  Praying with the image invites us into the mystery of the life of the person or event upon which our physical eyes gaze.  Praying with icons can be a very powerful and moving experience, one in which it can be hard to just "walk away from," especially if the icon does in fact mediate the person and reality to one's perception and understanding.  This is often my experience after praying with icons. 

            There are many different ways to pray.  I've listed here only a few.  This "addendum" to my previous blog post probably does not do the subject justice, but hopefully it helps you to understand the rich depths of the tradition of Christian prayer, and thereby aids you in growing in your prayer life!  Ad majorem Dei gloriam!

Peace,

Noah J.