I was baptized September 11th four days before my fifth birthday. I did my Confirmation in 1992 when I was a teenager... no one, I repeat no one taught me the real teachings of God Laws and Commands... I can not believe that I just started learning the real teachings / laws of God. Thanks to TH-cam for the past three years I have been learning. God bless and protect all of The Priests who have taught me about my beloved faith on TH-cam.... Father Chris Alar, Father Robert Altier, Father Jeffrey Kirby, Father Mike Schmitz, Father James Mawdsley, Father MIke O'Connor, Father Chad Ripperger, Mother Miriam, Father Edward Meeks, and so, so many others that I do not remember their names right now that I have learned from watching and listening on TH-cam.
Hi Diane 👋 I wrote about my church in excessive detail under Elizabeth’s post. I don’t know why 🤷🏼♀️😁🤣 It’s 2 AM & I had 3 hours of sleep the last 2 nights. 😴 That probably allows more random thoughts.
@@TrixRN I am going to go there now. The electrician is coming to jonathan's tomorrow and I am suppose to go to a luncheon right in our own community. I am not sure if I will go as I have been a bit under the weather lately. 🥰
@@dianefrank3688 I definitely understand. Our parish has a penance service tonight; I don’t know if I’ll go. In the evening, especially, I feel worse. They have from 12-15 priests from across the diocese come to hear confession for the penance service. It’s one of several throughout the diocese. The priests urge us to go because the lines become so long during regular hours of confession & there’s not much time, 45 minutes-an hour. You still have a long wait, but, for the penance service, they stay until everyone has confessed. The priests announced we would have a Christmas Mass at 4:00 PM Christmas Eve, but urged everyone to choose another time. This is the Mass that once a year Catholics go to; there’ll be an overflow Mass at 4:30 in the old church. Just think there are 6 Christmas Mass times & the church seats 1500. I think the overflow seats 500. Every Mass is packed with standing room only & they still can’t accommodate everyone inside for popular Masses, people gather outside if it’s not raining & they bring 2 jumbo screens to broadcast & extra deacons & extraordinary ministers for communion. If I can get a ride I plan to go to the Midnight Mass. Imagine if everyone tried to go to Mass regularly.🤔😮😁 I hope you feel well enough to go.😘🙏❤️
Fr. Mike, I never knew contemplative prayer was a “grace.” I thought everyone was able/willing/wanting to. Knowing this now through your words, we can all put it in practice for Our Lord!! God bless you!!🙏🏻❤️🕊💖🎚️
This is such an excellent analysis of contemplative prayer. It's indeed God's grace because not everyone can focus on God with all the anxiety and worries. The meditation prayer requires focus and the contemplation prayer is natural. I'm sure that the incident of "under the fig tree" was a contemplative prayer by Nathanael that was heard by Jesus. When we talk to God in our mind and hide nothing, our prayer is bound to get answered. Thank you so much for this, Fr Mike and Team Ascension. I'm praying for you and for the fellow listeners. God bless
Contemplative prayer is a simple gaze upon God in silence and love. It is a gift of God, a moment of pure faith during which the one praying seeks Christ, surrenders oneself to the loving will of the Father, and places oneself being under the action of the Holy Spirit. St. Teresa of Avalon defined contemplatative prayer as the intimate sharing of friendship, "in which time is frequently taken to be alone with God who we know loves us"
I know, I'm dense! But for me every time I pray, I try to include all of these aspects. Sometimes my mind wanders and my prayers seem dry or ineffective, but I always adore God and think about his love for me while praying. Every prayer should be an intimate moment with the One who unconditionally loves us.
This I think we can learn more from practice each type of prayer. We must do it and persevere through dryness and distractions. Much like life in many areas.
Thanking God for Father Mike guiding us in the teachings of the Catholic church. We need all the prayers we can get from each other. Jesus, Mary and Joseph teach us how to pray. Amen.
Hello, God bless you on this beautiful day. Praying for the soul of my niece, 😢🙏🫶💕Heather Dawn Burton. Tomorrow is the anniversary of her death. It will be 4 years.
@@connienavarette1948 That is so good that you pray for your deceased niece, Heather. Even if she is in heaven the prayers are not wasted but pasted on to another soul in Purgatory. I will also pray for you niece, Heather and will ask her to pray for me❤🙏
Hi y’all 👋 Happy day 347.🙏❤️ I missed Mass tonight.😢 They celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe w/ the rosary & Mass then a fiesta on the plaza in the front of the church. Our new church opened about 15 years ago. We went from a modern abstract 70s church building w/ a funky box tabernacle on the wall to the side to a hybrid between a Spanish mission/traditional church w/ a beautiful tabernacle front & center behind the altar. The tabernacle is closed off from the sanctuary by sliding glass doors when there’s no Mass & the room where it’s kept is for adoration. It has stained glass windows being slowly put in, several mosaics, a few statues (though I’m not crazy about the statue of Our Lady), & a large plaza for celebrations. 6 years ago they built a chapel used for daily Mass, smaller weddings & funerals, & adoration next to the main church. I consider the chapel to be breathtaking even though it’s very simple. It has a midnight blue ceiling w/ tiny gold stars, the crucifix has a Christ that looks like ivory, & beautiful statues of Our Lady & St Joseph on either side & just below the crucifix. The tabernacle is in a gold mosaic open niche w/ cherubim on either side. I consider the church & chapel far superior aesthetically. We still use the original campus. Practically the whole area except the chapel is used for the school. We also have a section of rooms that are used for faith formation (where we hold RCIA) & St. Vincent de Paul Society. We still use the chapel for adoration. The church has 3 chapels for adoration.
Father, may everything that I do this day, whether it be full of joy or pain, whether it be full of love or of grief, I ask that everything I go through today be offered to you just like Jesus offered everything to you. It is in his name we pray. Amen. 12/13/2023.
Day 347 If we need to enter into contemplative prayer, we need to be willing to tolerate silence. We need to to seek solitude. Let us not fear silence as the *Lord is near to us* _Lord help us to not be afraid of silence. Help us to not be afraid of being alone. But let us enter with great confidence, courage and love.... Help us to find you..._
Greetings! CIY community greetings to you. In meditative prayer we press play, and in contemplative prayer we press pause and in this silence the spirit of adoption enables us to share in the prayer of Jesus. Let's pray for Mike Schmitz, all the Clergy, Seminarians, and all of us in this CIY community. Let us also pray for all those we promised to pray. Amen!
St Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises and Discernment of Spirits are so good. I read one of his books after hearing Fr Mike mention them. He talks about spiritual dryness but also the consolation we receive too in our spiritual lives!!! So many great Saints experienced spiritual dryness, St Mother Teresa being another one. I know I have experienced this and attacks on my Faith. But perseverance and encouragement in these times is so important!! May we continue to turn our hearts to Jesus!!!! Always!!! Amen!! Praying for you all!!! Please pray for me!!!! 🙏💓💞🙏💗
All of you people watching this please pray for a friend of mine her words exactly “I don't know if non-believer is the right word, I'm not affiliated with any particular religion, I'm probably agnostic right now, I do find value in the psychospiritual, maybe to say I'm questioning is more accurate.”
Prayer in the presence is the most powerful place to pray. There is a God, I know that I know. While in contemplative prayer He came to me speaking into my most darkest moments of my life. Locutions are true and they are for everyone moreso than ever, not for just the mystics for a mystic I am not but I heard God speak to me in spirit, "Don't let the circumstances of this life overwhelm you but be solely overwhelmed by My love for you." Only God could speak these words into my heart. Let them be His words for you in your despair. Go before the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar and hear His voice. Listen with your spirit. Know that if the locution causes a spirit of pride it is not of God but if it is humble then you have heard from Him. I haven't heard from Him in a while but I will continue to seek Him to hear His voice welling up within my soul. Jesus loves you, let him love you. There is no greater joy sublime.
We are made to contemplate the One who loves us. It's a gift of God - to be alone with the Alone, with confidence, courage and love. Its to seek the one who ❤️ loves us as it is the beginning of love. Contemplative prayer is only focusing on Jesus by making time for the Lord not giving up inspite of trials and dryness. Its an inner prayer even when sick as we simply enter into God's Presence and abide in it. Its a gaze of faith a hearing of God's word in silence, listening to the Father speaking to us about His Son Jesus - a gift of grace to be accepted only in humility and poverty. 🙏 ❤ 🙏
"Never give up prayer, and should you find dryness and difficulty, persevere in it for this very reason. God often desires to see what love your soul has, and love is not tried by ease and satisfaction." -St. John of the Cross
Amen. Praise, Thanks, Honor, and Glory be to God forever and evermore❣️ Thank you so much Fr. Mike and Ascension. As always, I am praying for all. God Bless 🙏🏻
December 13, 2023 When the Catechism is complete (or maybe even now), consider listening to Saint Faustina’s Diary in a year and/or EWTN Mother Angelica’s Classics to add to your Catholic learning! Oh my goodness so much life guidance in conjunction with Father Mike’s Bible and Catechism in a Year!
The explanation about contemplative prayer relaxed me….made me feel free to just BE with the Lord and let him love me….I think that may be the difference between meditative prayer and contemplative….
There are many articles online. It takes practice. To get you started, my first query was from an article that appeared in the November 2013 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 78, No. 11, pages 18-22). Interview with Father William Meninger commenting on a book called "The Cloud of Unknowing", an anonymous 14th-century manual on contemplative meditation. 12/14/2023.
“He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with a deep, personal affection for Me, as for a close friend]?” Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, “Do you [really] love Me [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend]?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend].” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” John 21:17
DAY 347 WOW... just 18 days left of the 365. Viva Cristo Rey. Oracion mental. AS a child... I do not even remember how old I was when I learned this oracion / prayer : Dios conmigo ( God with me ) , yo con El ( I am with Him ) . El delante ( He is in front ) yo atras de El ( I am behind Him ). Quienes andan en mi compania ( Who are my company )?. Jesus, Jose, Y Maria me acompanan de noche y de dia ( Jesus, Joseph, and Mary are my company night and day ). Jesus Christ our only Saviour like it or not Christian or not Christian. There no other Name but Jesus who can saved our souls from burning in hell. Thank you Father Mike Schmitz and Ascension Press. God bless you all. Please, pray for the whole conversion and healing of my son Homer Hernandez. Thank you in advance for your prayer for my son. Happy 347 day of the CIY.
Greetings Father Mike, Thoughts :- -> Message reflect with, "Contemplative Prayer necessitates Spiritual Purity towards Lord Jesus Christ by all means in every aspects of Life." -> Wonderful Insights Father.. Thanks Team, CIY Team Ascension Press. With Prayers, Ranjith Joseph (R.J)
December 13, 2023 Do you have just a moment in time to pray for Souls in Purgatory with me? According to tradition, St. Gertrude the Great, was told by Our Lord that each time she piously recited the following prayer, it would release 1,000 souls (or a vast number) from their suffering in purgatory: Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen. In her account of another vision, St. Faustina describes Purgatory as a "great crowd of suffering souls" undergoing purification. Further, she says that the souls are "praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid" (Diary, 20)
@@dawnmireles2912yep. On my 3rd year with biy. Each time I learn something different. I'm sure same with ciy. Taking notes, I have 3 years of Fr Mike's thoughts and reflections (1 yr with ciy). It's really nice to go back and read the Bible again. So much to learn and understand. God moves in his own way.
@@dawnmireles2912 I've since given some thought to your simple question. I've followed BIAY for 3 years (and CIAY for the first year). I've taken fairly good notes in my bible and I read the notes before the daily reading and get more insight from the Word. Reading the Bible is necessary, but I think I'm going to take a deeper track next year so as to study deeper into the Scripture with different references and prayer. While I most likely not finish the bible in a year, hopefully, I'll be more informed. I may stick one more year with CIAY, filling my notes out more, then use it as a reference. The safe bet is that both BIAY and CIAY are now online, hopefully for a very long time so I can refer back and go directly to a section with the reading plan. In hindsight, I should have also marked each day's section in my hard copy of the bible and catechism, so I could skip referring to the reading plan altogether. I did that for the Psalms and Proverbs and find it quicker locating Fr Mike's reading online. I hope you don't give up your mission of spreading the word for interceding for the holy souls in Purgatory. Like you always say, they need our prayers. I also say add a special prayer for the most forgotten soul in Purgatory (a priest used to remind me to do this). I often imagine a time, if I'm fortunate to make it to heaven, that some of the souls I prayed for, pray for me to make it in heaven and we can praise the Lord together thanking Him for new friendships. Thanks for being a friend here on earth spreading the Good Word. 12/17/2023.
@@rm-paradise you are pure joy! Thank you for the guidance on BIAY. I have only listened and not followed along with an actual Bible in front of me. I am not sure this qualifies as daily Bible reading. I look forward to going through another year journey together with the CIAY and in prayer for Souls in Purgatory. I, too, pray that I get to Heaven along with my family and maybe see some who I prayed for! God Bless you!
The fruits of contemplative prayer have changed my life. I learned this form of prayer 20 years ago at a Centering Prayer workshop led by my parish priest. For me, it is just listening to God for 20 minutes once or twice a day. It has helped me to see Him in everything and everyone I encounter with no judgement, no agenda, no preconceived opinions. I was disturbed when I heard Fr. Mike's criticism of Centering Prayer a few days ago. I have heard others say similar things and I think he and they don't really understand what the practice of Centering Prayer really is. For me it is exactly the same as today's lesson. I am praying for you, please pray for me. .
I don't know if I was less than attentive this morning while listening to Father, but I am still struggling with this concept, trying to grasp the difference between meditative prayer and contemplative prayer. I plan to rewatch this episode later when I have more time and maybe more attentiveness and less distraction. (sort of ironic that those two came into play while listening to this subject).
Yes do listen once again. Meditative prayer is exactly what is done during the Rosary reflecting on Jesus and Mary. Contemplative prayer is a deep union with your spirit and God's. This is best done before the exposition in adoration but it can happen anywhere where you can connect with God in spirit in the silence of your heart. He is not in the wind or the fire or even the earthquake but in that still small voice.
Many articles online. To get you started, my first query was from an article that appeared in the November 2013 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 78, No. 11, pages 18-22). Interview with Father William Meninger commenting on a book called "The Cloud of Unknowing", an anonymous 14th-century manual on contemplative meditation. 12/14/2023.
Lots of articles online. To get you started, my first query was from an article that appeared in the November 2013 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 78, No. 11, pages 18-22). Interview with Father William Meninger commenting on a book called "The Cloud of Unknowing", an anonymous 14th-century manual on contemplative meditation. 12/14/2023.
Since God does not love me, contemplative prayer is beyond my reach. Since God has left me in dryness for 53 years, I see no love from Him. hope you all have great prayers, I give up.
Oh no, God does love you!! Today's readings are all about the lost sheep. God fights for YOU! Be still and he will come and get you!! Trust in Jesus' mercy!!
1122: One makes time for prayer and perseveres: Personally, I am inconsistent and, when I slip into grave sin, my motivation plummets. It's so discouraging. Round and round it goes ... sin, mercy, repeat.
Fr. Mike.. i'm doing Ascensions Rejoice Advent series. that entails meditative prayer. i 've never had luck w 'hearing from God' so yesterday, i read the reading. they say to reflect on it and asked 'how does God think of/view you?' i'm sitting there in silence. i asked God how He sees me. 3 words popped into my head...selfish, lazy, and ignorant. i was like whuuut!?😳
Contemplative Prayer is "seeking Him Whom my soul loves:" Seeking to be in the Presence of God purely to be with Him. Vocal prayer is saying words out loud (while thinking of their meaning. Meditative or mental prayer is putting oneself in the Presence of God while thinking about the meaning of some Scripture or other sacred writing, or event and how it applies to your life. Imprecatory prayer is asking for something. Then there's praise, adoration and thanksgiving. You can move from one form of prayer to another in a single prayer session. Don't overly complicate these labels.
Do some research yourself online - tons of articles. My first query was from an article that appeared in the November 2013 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 78, No. 11, pages 18-22). Interview with Father William Meninger commenting on a book called "The Cloud of Unknowing", an anonymous 14th-century manual on contemplative meditation. 12/13/2023.
@@wms72 Overly complicating it is exactly what the Catechism does. Not necessary! Pray to the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit deeply and often. Every prayer should include all of these elements. Whether you say your prayers out loud or in your head doesn't matter. You should always include focus on the meaning of the words and you should always feel blessed that God is with you and loves you every minute of every day. The Our Father is perfect! It gives Him praise, acknowledges His plan, asks for His graces, asks for forgiveness of sins, and asks for protection from the evil one. Say this while knowing He loves you and you are good to go.
I don’t feel so bad. I thought there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t grasp the concept of contemplative prayer. I see other listeners are having trouble too. I understood the meaning of each individual word, but they made no sense put together in a sentence. What’s the difference between meditative & contemplative prayer? In other words, how do you contemplate rather than meditate? If anyone has a better way to understand please share.
I am not sure either. Fr. Mike said it ws a gift. I do recall as a child during recess at school I would slip into the darkened church and just feel God's presences all around me. I would just kneel in the first pew by the vigil candles and say hardly nothing but just feel surrounded by the awesomeness of God. I do not know if that is what Fr. Mike meant by contemplative prayer. I only wish I could feel that awesomeness now. I wonder if the priest & people that spend hours in total adoration at the tabernacle or the exposed Host are in a state of contemplative prayer. I think it must be that kind of intimacy.⁉
Contemplative Prayer is "seeking Him Whom my soul loves:" Seeking to be in the Presence of God purely to be with Him. Receiving Light from God. Vocal prayer is saying words out loud (while thinking of their meaning. Meditative or mental prayer is putting oneself in the Presence of God while thinking about the meaning of some Scripture or other sacred writing, or event and how it applies to your life. Imprecatory prayer is asking for something. Then there's praise, adoration and thanksgiving. You can move from one form of prayer to another in a single prayer session. Don't overly complicate these labels.
You shall love the Lord your God...with all your mind..Mark 12:30. Meditation can be defined as praying with the mind, especially by prayerfully reading and pondering scripture. It uses INTERIOR THOUGHTS to reflect on God. One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion..Jesus of Nazareth..Luke 10:42....Contemplation comes from the Latin verb "contemplor" which means to look at, behold or gaze attentively. In contemplative prayer a person takes time to be alone with God out of a simple desire to be in his presence, to listen to his voice, and to seek his face. Summary.... Vocal prayer uses external words...meditation uses interior thoughts...contemplation is a gaze of love...think Adoration. I tried to summarize these ideas from Brant Pitre's book INTRODUCTION TO THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. He goes into all this in detail.
I don’t know which form of prayer I use…I spend about 2 hours every morning saying my prayers, spiritual reading, BIAY and CIAY. Maybe I’m doing a bit of all them. But my mind seems to wonder less if when saying my prayers I play Gregorian Chants very softly in the background. I’ve been thinking about taking my small earphones with me to Adoration, would that be wrong?
That's not wrong at all. Sometimes my husband and I play the Divine Mercy Chaplet from our phone, or a rosary. We do however, have a ser hour [9pm-10pm] every Tuesday night.
Lots of articles online. I think it's more mental than physical. To get you started, my first query was from an article that appeared in the November 2013 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 78, No. 11, pages 18-22). Interview with Father William Meninger commenting on a book called "The Cloud of Unknowing", an anonymous 14th-century manual on contemplative meditation. 12/14/2023.
Wow! This has been a week of word salad! Leave it up to the Catholic Catechism to make it as wordy, nebulous, and confusing as possible. I have been attentive, I have been over this material more than once, but I will admit that I cannot compare and contrast vocal, meditative, and contemplative prayer. Why can't the Church provide this information in a form that people can actually understand? So we make time, let our masks fall, turn our hearts to God! OK, we do those things for vocal and meditative prayer as well, do we not? To me prayer is prayer, the rosary, stations of the cross, liturgy of the hours, it is all prayer. We open our hearts to God, we are honest, and we praise, thanks, and petition God in a heartfelt manner. So someone please make me a chart that compares and contrasts vocal, meditative, and Contemplative Prayer. The way I see this is contemplative prayer is meditation or meditative prayer focused on God. Are we talking about substantial differences or just nuances of prayer. So confusing!
It's written with precise details; but in a language for a theologian. We need theologians to preserve the TRUE UNDERSTANDING. However, I have another brand for young people. And still - it is not appealing. For me - it is because: I have to condition myself to the routine; LIKE PRAYER: WEATHER YOU FEEL LIKE IT OR NOT. So, I have a third leg with Fr. Mike. I would not even bother with the catechism; - if it were not for him. YET IT IS AS, JUST AS IMPORTANT AS PRAYER; AND I MISSED OUT. Thank God for Fr. Mike.
@@MorreHope The purpose of the teacher is to make complex information easy to understand, hence Jesus and his parables. I understand that some people avoid the catechism. I would suggest that it is because of the way it is written, a bit to wordy and flowery for the most part. But I still seek to understand. I started studying the catechism on my own to try to answer some of the challenges I encounter in everyday interactions. It is very challenging, and I appreciate Father Mikes efforts in this regard. There is a reader's digest compendium that is more condensed and readable. Today's lesson was pretty flowery and nuanced. If anyone can explain it in layman's terms, I'll be appreciative.
@@tommaxwell429Contemplative Prayer is "seeking Him Whom my soul loves:" Seeking to be in the Presence of God purely to be with Him. Vocal prayer is saying words out loud (while thinking of their meaning. Meditative or mental prayer is putting oneself in the Presence of God while thinking about the meaning of some Scripture or other sacred writing, or event and how it applies to your life. Imprecatory prayer is asking for something. Then there's praise, adoration and thanksgiving. You can move from one form of prayer to another in a single prayer session. Don't overly complicate these labels.
@@wms72what a terrific explanation! When I am in adoration, I do feel that my brain kind of goes back-and-forth between various forms of prayer. But I’m not sitting there concerned about which one I am doing. I just let things ebb and flow.
I was baptized September 11th four days before my fifth birthday. I did my Confirmation in 1992 when I was a teenager... no one, I repeat no one taught me the real teachings of God Laws and Commands... I can not believe that I just started learning the real teachings / laws of God. Thanks to TH-cam for the past three years I have been learning. God bless and protect all of The Priests who have taught me about my beloved faith on TH-cam.... Father Chris Alar, Father Robert Altier, Father Jeffrey Kirby, Father Mike Schmitz, Father James Mawdsley, Father MIke O'Connor, Father Chad Ripperger, Mother Miriam, Father Edward Meeks, and so, so many others that I do not remember their names right now that I have learned from watching and listening on TH-cam.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world ♥️✝️🙏
Amen! ❤🙏
❤
Wow this is so beautiful 💕
Jesus I love you and I trust in you🙏!
Thank you Father Mike.
Thank you father Mike!❤🙏❤
Praying for Fr. Mike & CIY 🙏🙏🙏
Hi Diane 👋 I wrote about my church in excessive detail under Elizabeth’s post. I don’t know why 🤷🏼♀️😁🤣
It’s 2 AM & I had 3 hours of sleep the last 2 nights. 😴 That probably allows more random thoughts.
@@TrixRN I am going to go there now. The electrician is coming to jonathan's tomorrow and I am suppose to go to a luncheon right in our own community. I am not sure if I will go as I have been a bit under the weather lately. 🥰
@@dianefrank3688 I definitely understand. Our parish has a penance service tonight; I don’t know if I’ll go. In the evening, especially, I feel worse.
They have from 12-15 priests from across the diocese come to hear confession for the penance service. It’s one of several throughout the diocese. The priests urge us to go because the lines become so long during regular hours of confession & there’s not much time, 45 minutes-an hour. You still have a long wait, but, for the penance service, they stay until everyone has confessed.
The priests announced we would have a Christmas Mass at 4:00 PM Christmas Eve, but urged everyone to choose another time. This is the Mass that once a year Catholics go to; there’ll be an overflow Mass at 4:30 in the old church. Just think there are 6 Christmas Mass times & the church seats 1500. I think the overflow seats 500. Every Mass is packed with standing room only & they still can’t accommodate everyone inside for popular Masses, people gather outside if it’s not raining & they bring 2 jumbo screens to broadcast & extra deacons & extraordinary ministers for communion.
If I can get a ride I plan to go to the Midnight Mass. Imagine if everyone tried to go to Mass regularly.🤔😮😁 I hope you feel well enough to go.😘🙏❤️
Fr. Mike, I never knew contemplative prayer was a “grace.” I thought everyone was able/willing/wanting to.
Knowing this now through your words, we can all put it in practice for Our Lord!!
God bless you!!🙏🏻❤️🕊💖🎚️
This is such an excellent analysis of contemplative prayer. It's indeed God's grace because not everyone can focus on God with all the anxiety and worries. The meditation prayer requires focus and the contemplation prayer is natural. I'm sure that the incident of "under the fig tree" was a contemplative prayer by Nathanael that was heard by Jesus. When we talk to God in our mind and hide nothing, our prayer is bound to get answered. Thank you so much for this, Fr Mike and Team Ascension. I'm praying for you and for the fellow listeners. God bless
God bless 🙏❤️
@@TrixRN Thank you so much, Theresa! God bless you too! Highly appreciate your comments as well during this Catechism in a year journey
Amen! Some information to ponder, the state of union with the Lord,Nathanael was in when he was under the fig tree.
Fr. Thank you ❤. Praying for you, for the Ascension team and for all my CIY brothers and sisters. God bless ❤🙏
❤🙏
@@dianefrank3688 🙏❤
Contemplative prayer is a simple gaze upon God in silence and love. It is a gift of God, a moment of pure faith during which the one praying seeks Christ, surrenders oneself to the loving will of the Father, and places oneself being under the action of the Holy Spirit. St. Teresa of Avalon defined contemplatative prayer as the intimate sharing of friendship, "in which time is frequently taken to be alone with God who we know loves us"
I know, I'm dense! But for me every time I pray, I try to include all of these aspects. Sometimes my mind wanders and my prayers seem dry or ineffective, but I always adore God and think about his love for me while praying. Every prayer should be an intimate moment with the One who unconditionally loves us.
This I think we can learn more from practice each type of prayer. We must do it and persevere through dryness and distractions. Much like life in many areas.
Thanking God for Father Mike guiding us in the teachings of the Catholic church.
We need all the prayers we can get from each other.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph teach us how to pray. Amen.
Amen!
Hello everyone & Happy Day 347!🙏😊
🙋♀ Elizabeth & All 😊Day 347 ❤🙏 I have been catching up on some of the beautiful hymns that you posted and I missed. Thanks again. 💙🙏
Hello, God bless you on this beautiful day. Praying for the soul of my niece, 😢🙏🫶💕Heather Dawn Burton. Tomorrow is the anniversary of her death. It will be 4 years.
@@connienavarette1948 That is so good that you pray for your deceased niece, Heather. Even if she is in heaven the prayers are not wasted but pasted on to another soul in Purgatory. I will also pray for you niece, Heather and will ask her to pray for me❤🙏
Hi y’all 👋 Happy day 347.🙏❤️ I missed Mass tonight.😢 They celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe w/ the rosary & Mass then a fiesta on the plaza in the front of the church.
Our new church opened about 15 years ago. We went from a modern abstract 70s church building w/ a funky box tabernacle on the wall to the side to a hybrid between a Spanish mission/traditional church w/ a beautiful tabernacle front & center behind the altar. The tabernacle is closed off from the sanctuary by sliding glass doors when there’s no Mass & the room where it’s kept is for adoration. It has stained glass windows being slowly put in, several mosaics, a few statues (though I’m not crazy about the statue of Our Lady), & a large plaza for celebrations.
6 years ago they built a chapel used for daily Mass, smaller weddings & funerals, & adoration next to the main church. I consider the chapel to be breathtaking even though it’s very simple. It has a midnight blue ceiling w/ tiny gold stars, the crucifix has a Christ that looks like ivory, & beautiful statues of Our Lady & St Joseph on either side & just below the crucifix. The tabernacle is in a gold mosaic open niche w/ cherubim on either side. I consider the church & chapel far superior aesthetically.
We still use the original campus. Practically the whole area except the chapel is used for the school. We also have a section of rooms that are used for faith formation (where we hold RCIA) & St. Vincent de Paul Society. We still use the chapel for adoration. The church has 3 chapels for adoration.
@@TrixRN It sounds like this would be a church where you could go to various areas to pray. It sounds like a beautiful church. ❤🙏
Father, may everything that I do this day, whether it be full of joy or pain, whether it be full of love or of grief, I ask that everything I go through today be offered to you just like Jesus offered everything to you. It is in his name we pray. Amen. 12/13/2023.
Amen!🙏
This episode is completely crucial to the life of Christian and I pray all people listen to it and try to do contemplative prayer early and often.
Thank you Fr Mike. Praying for you and everyone here. God bless🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻
Day 347
If we need to enter into contemplative prayer, we need to be willing to tolerate silence. We need to to seek solitude. Let us not fear silence as the *Lord is near to us*
_Lord help us to not be afraid of silence. Help us to not be afraid of being alone. But let us enter with great confidence, courage and love.... Help us to find you..._
Thank you.
God bless Father Mike, the Ascension team and everyone listening to Father Mike’s CIY.
Thanks!
Thank you for supporting Ascension! May God bless you 💛
Greetings! CIY community greetings to you. In meditative prayer we press play, and in contemplative prayer we press pause and in this silence the spirit of adoption enables us to share in the prayer of Jesus. Let's pray for Mike Schmitz, all the Clergy, Seminarians, and all of us in this CIY community. Let us also pray for all those we promised to pray. Amen!
Give time to time,if you want to you find the time 🙏❤🕊
What a beautiful reflection on contemplative prayer. It touched my heart. Thank you, Father Mike.
Amen
🙏❤️
God bless Fr. Mike 🛐
St Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises and Discernment of Spirits are so good. I read one of his books after hearing Fr Mike mention them. He talks about spiritual dryness but also the consolation we receive too in our spiritual lives!!! So many great Saints experienced spiritual dryness, St Mother Teresa being another one. I know I have experienced this and attacks on my Faith. But perseverance and encouragement in these times is so important!!
May we continue to turn our hearts to Jesus!!!! Always!!! Amen!!
Praying for you all!!! Please pray for me!!!! 🙏💓💞🙏💗
Blessings to all who are participating in the CIY & BIY today🙏🏻🕊✝️🕊🙏🏻
Thank you, Fr. Mike! You continue to help me with my transformation. God bless you!
Praise you lord Jesus Christ ❤❤❤Amen amen prayers Father Mike Amen 🙏
All of you people watching this please pray for a friend of mine her words exactly “I don't know if non-believer is the right word, I'm not affiliated with any particular religion, I'm probably agnostic right now, I do find value in the psychospiritual, maybe to say I'm questioning is more accurate.”
I love my time alone with God during Adoration.
Thank you Father
Thank youFather
The Best of Times 💯prayer faithfully done always in Love♥️ Ty Fr Mike GBU🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼♥️♥️♥️🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Prayers Father Mike Thank you lord JESUS CHRIST ❤you Amen
Prayer in the presence is the most powerful place to pray. There is a God, I know that I know. While in contemplative prayer He came to me speaking into my most darkest moments of my life. Locutions are true and they are for everyone moreso than ever, not for just the mystics for a mystic I am not but I heard God speak to me in spirit, "Don't let the circumstances of this life overwhelm you but be solely overwhelmed by My love for you." Only God could speak these words into my heart. Let them be His words for you in your despair. Go before the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar and hear His voice. Listen with your spirit. Know that if the locution causes a spirit of pride it is not of God but if it is humble then you have heard from Him. I haven't heard from Him in a while but I will continue to seek Him to hear His voice welling up within my soul. Jesus loves you, let him love you. There is no greater joy sublime.
"Don't let the circumstances of this life overwhelm you but be solely overwhelmed by My love for you." I need to surrender to this daily.
Praying for you Father Mike May God bless you 😇💞🙏
We are made to contemplate the One who loves us. It's a gift of God - to be alone with the Alone, with confidence, courage and love. Its to seek the one who ❤️ loves us as it is the beginning of love.
Contemplative prayer is only focusing on Jesus by making time for the Lord not giving up inspite of trials and dryness. Its an inner prayer even when sick as we simply enter into God's Presence and abide in it.
Its a gaze of faith a hearing of God's word in silence, listening to the Father speaking to us about His Son Jesus - a gift of grace to be accepted only in humility and poverty. 🙏 ❤ 🙏
Day 347. 🙏🙏🙏❤
"Never give up prayer, and should you find dryness and difficulty, persevere in it for this very reason. God often desires to see what love your soul has, and love is not tried by ease and satisfaction."
-St. John of the Cross
God please give me the gift grace for contemplation
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Day 347....Thankyou Fr.Mike....Praying for you and all in the Ascension team 🙏
Beautiful thank you Fr. Mike
❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
❤🙏
I needed this talk today . Thank you fr mike , I'm praying for you.
God is good to all. Thanks to be to God
❤
Amen. Praise, Thanks, Honor, and Glory be to God forever and evermore❣️
Thank you so much Fr. Mike and Ascension. As always, I am praying for all. God Bless 🙏🏻
Thank you Father Mike. Praying for you & CIY Group here 🙏
My poor and humble contemplation with God.
Thank you. Fr. Mike!!!!
I have been pressing play each morning and love seeing the likes and views going up within the duration of the video.
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️Thank you Father Mike
I am simply abiding in the Lord himself, so beautiful ❤
God's presence is eternal but we forget this. Life reminds us anew, so we pray to reunite with our Lord Jesus.
December 13, 2023
When the Catechism is complete (or maybe even now), consider listening to Saint Faustina’s Diary in a year and/or EWTN Mother Angelica’s Classics to add to your Catholic learning!
Oh my goodness so much life guidance in conjunction with Father Mike’s Bible and Catechism in a Year!
The explanation about contemplative prayer relaxed me….made me feel free to just BE with the Lord and let him love me….I think that may be the difference between meditative prayer and contemplative….
There are many articles online. It takes practice. To get you started, my first query was from an article that appeared in the November 2013 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 78, No. 11, pages 18-22). Interview with Father William Meninger commenting on a book called "The Cloud of Unknowing", an anonymous 14th-century manual on contemplative meditation. 12/14/2023.
Praise to you God and Jesus Christ😇🙏❤
“He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with a deep, personal affection for Me, as for a close friend]?” Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, “Do you [really] love Me [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend]?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend].” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”
John 21:17
DAY 347 WOW... just 18 days left of the 365. Viva Cristo Rey. Oracion mental.
AS a child... I do not even remember how old I was when I learned this oracion / prayer : Dios conmigo ( God with me ) , yo con El ( I am with Him ) . El delante ( He is in front ) yo atras de El ( I am behind Him ). Quienes andan en mi compania ( Who are my company )?. Jesus, Jose, Y Maria me acompanan de noche y de dia ( Jesus, Joseph, and Mary are my company night and day ).
Jesus Christ our only Saviour like it or not Christian or not Christian. There no other Name but Jesus who can saved our souls from burning in hell.
Thank you Father Mike Schmitz and Ascension Press. God bless you all.
Please, pray for the whole conversion and healing of my son Homer Hernandez. Thank you in advance for your prayer for my son. Happy 347 day of the CIY.
Prayers for your son 🙏
Greetings Father Mike,
Thoughts :-
-> Message reflect with, "Contemplative Prayer necessitates Spiritual Purity towards Lord Jesus Christ by all means in every aspects of Life."
-> Wonderful Insights Father.. Thanks Team, CIY Team Ascension Press.
With Prayers,
Ranjith Joseph (R.J)
December 13, 2023
Do you have just a moment in time to pray for Souls in Purgatory with me?
According to tradition, St. Gertrude the Great, was told by Our Lord that each time she piously recited the following prayer, it would release 1,000 souls (or a vast number) from their suffering in purgatory:
Eternal Father,
I offer You the most precious blood
of thy Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with the Masses said
throughout the world today,
for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the universal Church,
for those in my own home,
and in my family. Amen.
In her account of another vision, St. Faustina describes Purgatory as a "great crowd of suffering souls" undergoing purification. Further, she says that the souls are "praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid" (Diary, 20)
I'm with you Dawn! Keep up the great work. 12/13/2023
@@rm-paradise thank you so much. Will you be going another round with CIAY and BIAY?
@@dawnmireles2912yep. On my 3rd year with biy. Each time I learn something different. I'm sure same with ciy. Taking notes, I have 3 years of Fr Mike's thoughts and reflections (1 yr with ciy). It's really nice to go back and read the Bible again. So much to learn and understand. God moves in his own way.
@@dawnmireles2912 I've since given some thought to your simple question. I've followed BIAY for 3 years (and CIAY for the first year). I've taken fairly good notes in my bible and I read the notes before the daily reading and get more insight from the Word. Reading the Bible is necessary, but I think I'm going to take a deeper track next year so as to study deeper into the Scripture with different references and prayer. While I most likely not finish the bible in a year, hopefully, I'll be more informed. I may stick one more year with CIAY, filling my notes out more, then use it as a reference. The safe bet is that both BIAY and CIAY are now online, hopefully for a very long time so I can refer back and go directly to a section with the reading plan. In hindsight, I should have also marked each day's section in my hard copy of the bible and catechism, so I could skip referring to the reading plan altogether. I did that for the Psalms and Proverbs and find it quicker locating Fr Mike's reading online.
I hope you don't give up your mission of spreading the word for interceding for the holy souls in Purgatory. Like you always say, they need our prayers. I also say add a special prayer for the most forgotten soul in Purgatory (a priest used to remind me to do this). I often imagine a time, if I'm fortunate to make it to heaven, that some of the souls I prayed for, pray for me to make it in heaven and we can praise the Lord together thanking Him for new friendships.
Thanks for being a friend here on earth spreading the Good Word. 12/17/2023.
@@rm-paradise you are pure joy! Thank you for the guidance on BIAY. I have only listened and not followed along with an actual Bible in front of me. I am not sure this qualifies as daily Bible reading. I look forward to going through another year journey together with the CIAY and in prayer for Souls in Purgatory. I, too, pray that I get to Heaven along with my family and maybe see some who I prayed for! God Bless you!
Praise be to God
I think I like this contemplative prayer.🔥💥
May God bless you always 🙏
Amen 🙏.
God bless yb
The fruits of contemplative prayer have changed my life. I learned this form of prayer 20 years ago at a Centering Prayer workshop led by my parish priest. For me, it is just listening to God for 20 minutes once or twice a day. It has helped me to see Him in everything and everyone I encounter with no judgement, no agenda, no preconceived opinions. I was disturbed when I heard Fr. Mike's criticism of Centering Prayer a few days ago. I have heard others say similar things and I think he and they don't really understand what the practice of Centering Prayer really is. For me it is exactly the same as today's lesson. I am praying for you, please pray for me.
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I think Fr Mike said that sometimes it is taught incorrectly. Apparently, you were taught the correct way. Praise God
Amen and God Bless🙏📿🙏
Goose bumps
Sister Miriam’s favorite❣️🙏🏼
This was so good, Fr Mike. I learned so much from this episode. Thank you, God Bless. Claire.
Amen.
Thank you Father.
🙏🙏🙏🤗❤️
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼.
I don't know if I was less than attentive this morning while listening to Father, but I am still struggling with this concept, trying to grasp the difference between meditative prayer and contemplative prayer. I plan to rewatch this episode later when I have more time and maybe more attentiveness and less distraction. (sort of ironic that those two came into play while listening to this subject).
Yes do listen once again. Meditative prayer is exactly what is done during the Rosary reflecting on Jesus and Mary. Contemplative prayer is a deep union with your spirit and God's. This is best done before the exposition in adoration but it can happen anywhere where you can connect with God in spirit in the silence of your heart. He is not in the wind or the fire or even the earthquake but in that still small voice.
Many articles online. To get you started, my first query was from an article that appeared in the November 2013 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 78, No. 11, pages 18-22). Interview with Father William Meninger commenting on a book called "The Cloud of Unknowing", an anonymous 14th-century manual on contemplative meditation. 12/14/2023.
Beautiful lesson.
I need more explanation in layman's terms if these readings
Lots of articles online. To get you started, my first query was from an article that appeared in the November 2013 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 78, No. 11, pages 18-22). Interview with Father William Meninger commenting on a book called "The Cloud of Unknowing", an anonymous 14th-century manual on contemplative meditation. 12/14/2023.
🙏🙏🙏
Since God does not love me, contemplative prayer is beyond my reach. Since God has left me in dryness for 53 years, I see no love from Him. hope you all have great prayers, I give up.
Oh no, God does love you!! Today's readings are all about the lost sheep. God fights for YOU! Be still and he will come and get you!! Trust in Jesus' mercy!!
1122: One makes time for prayer and perseveres:
Personally, I am inconsistent and, when I slip into grave sin, my motivation plummets. It's so discouraging. Round and round it goes ... sin, mercy, repeat.
Fr. Mike.. i'm doing Ascensions Rejoice Advent series. that entails meditative prayer. i 've never had luck w 'hearing from God' so yesterday, i read the reading. they say to reflect on it and asked 'how does God think of/view you?' i'm sitting there in silence. i asked God how He sees me. 3 words popped into my head...selfish, lazy, and ignorant. i was like whuuut!?😳
Thank you Fr Mike. Would Contemplative Prayer be the same as Adoration? I’m praying for all of us. Please keep praying for me.
I think so! I think that is the best!! Mother Teresa said if you are too busy to adore Jesus for an hour, than do two!
I need more explanation in layman's terms OF these readings.
You’re not alone.🙏❤️
Contemplative Prayer is "seeking Him Whom my soul loves:" Seeking to be in the Presence of God purely to be with Him. Vocal prayer is saying words out loud (while thinking of their meaning. Meditative or mental prayer is putting oneself in the Presence of God while thinking about the meaning of some Scripture or other sacred writing, or event and how it applies to your life. Imprecatory prayer is asking for something. Then there's praise, adoration and thanksgiving. You can move from one form of prayer to another in a single prayer session. Don't overly complicate these labels.
Do some research yourself online - tons of articles. My first query was from an article that appeared in the November 2013 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 78, No. 11, pages 18-22). Interview with Father William Meninger commenting on a book called "The Cloud of Unknowing", an anonymous 14th-century manual on contemplative meditation. 12/13/2023.
@@wms72 Overly complicating it is exactly what the Catechism does. Not necessary! Pray to the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit deeply and often. Every prayer should include all of these elements. Whether you say your prayers out loud or in your head doesn't matter. You should always include focus on the meaning of the words and you should always feel blessed that God is with you and loves you every minute of every day. The Our Father is perfect! It gives Him praise, acknowledges His plan, asks for His graces, asks for forgiveness of sins, and asks for protection from the evil one. Say this while knowing He loves you and you are good to go.
DaY 347 (12-JuNe-2024)
HaPpY WedneSDaY
A❤m❤e❤N❤
🙏
🕊❤
I hear music in my heart and have for years. I wonder is this is a form of prayer? Anyone know about this?
I don’t feel so bad. I thought there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t grasp the concept of contemplative prayer. I see other listeners are having trouble too. I understood the meaning of each individual word, but they made no sense put together in a sentence.
What’s the difference between meditative & contemplative prayer?
In other words, how do you contemplate rather than meditate?
If anyone has a better way to understand please share.
I am not sure either. Fr. Mike said it ws a gift. I do recall as a child during recess at school I would slip into the darkened church and just feel God's presences all around me. I would just kneel in the first pew by the vigil candles and say hardly nothing but just feel surrounded by the awesomeness of God. I do not know if that is what Fr. Mike meant by contemplative prayer. I only wish I could feel that awesomeness now. I wonder if the priest & people that spend hours in total adoration at the tabernacle or the exposed Host are in a state of contemplative prayer. I think it must be that kind of intimacy.⁉
Contemplative Prayer is "seeking Him Whom my soul loves:" Seeking to be in the Presence of God purely to be with Him. Receiving Light from God. Vocal prayer is saying words out loud (while thinking of their meaning. Meditative or mental prayer is putting oneself in the Presence of God while thinking about the meaning of some Scripture or other sacred writing, or event and how it applies to your life. Imprecatory prayer is asking for something. Then there's praise, adoration and thanksgiving. You can move from one form of prayer to another in a single prayer session. Don't overly complicate these labels.
You shall love the Lord your God...with all your mind..Mark 12:30. Meditation can be defined as praying with the mind, especially by prayerfully reading and pondering scripture. It uses INTERIOR THOUGHTS to reflect on God.
One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion..Jesus of Nazareth..Luke 10:42....Contemplation comes from the Latin verb "contemplor" which means to look at, behold or gaze attentively. In contemplative prayer a person takes time to be alone with God out of a simple desire to be in his presence, to listen to his voice, and to seek his face.
Summary....
Vocal prayer uses external words...meditation uses interior thoughts...contemplation is a gaze of love...think Adoration.
I tried to summarize these ideas from Brant Pitre's book INTRODUCTION TO THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. He goes into all this in detail.
One thing to add to contemplative prayer......its more than talking TO God....its talking WITH God.
@@wms72 ❤🙏 Thanks!
I don’t know which form of prayer I use…I spend about 2 hours every morning saying my prayers, spiritual reading, BIAY and CIAY. Maybe I’m doing a bit of all them. But my mind seems to wonder less if when saying my prayers I play Gregorian Chants very softly in the background. I’ve been thinking about taking my small earphones with me to Adoration, would that be wrong?
That's not wrong at all. Sometimes my husband and I play the Divine Mercy Chaplet from our phone, or a rosary. We do however, have a ser hour [9pm-10pm] every Tuesday night.
We cal listen to ths rosary or chaplet in music and still cl concentrate on Jesus.
So how do i physically do this? My focus is thin and silence is impossible. My mind never shuts off.
Lots of articles online. I think it's more mental than physical. To get you started, my first query was from an article that appeared in the November 2013 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 78, No. 11, pages 18-22). Interview with Father William Meninger commenting on a book called "The Cloud of Unknowing", an anonymous 14th-century manual on contemplative meditation. 12/14/2023.
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Wow! This has been a week of word salad! Leave it up to the Catholic Catechism to make it as wordy, nebulous, and confusing as possible. I have been attentive, I have been over this material more than once, but I will admit that I cannot compare and contrast vocal, meditative, and contemplative prayer. Why can't the Church provide this information in a form that people can actually understand? So we make time, let our masks fall, turn our hearts to God! OK, we do those things for vocal and meditative prayer as well, do we not? To me prayer is prayer, the rosary, stations of the cross, liturgy of the hours, it is all prayer. We open our hearts to God, we are honest, and we praise, thanks, and petition God in a heartfelt manner. So someone please make me a chart that compares and contrasts vocal, meditative, and Contemplative Prayer. The way I see this is contemplative prayer is meditation or meditative prayer focused on God. Are we talking about substantial differences or just nuances of prayer. So confusing!
It's written with precise details; but in a language for a theologian. We need theologians to preserve the TRUE UNDERSTANDING. However, I have another brand for young people. And still - it is not appealing. For me - it is because: I have to condition myself to the routine; LIKE PRAYER: WEATHER YOU FEEL LIKE IT OR NOT. So, I have a third leg with Fr. Mike. I would not even bother with the catechism; - if it were not for him. YET IT IS AS, JUST AS IMPORTANT AS PRAYER; AND I MISSED OUT. Thank God for Fr. Mike.
@@MorreHope The purpose of the teacher is to make complex information easy to understand, hence Jesus and his parables. I understand that some people avoid the catechism. I would suggest that it is because of the way it is written, a bit to wordy and flowery for the most part. But I still seek to understand. I started studying the catechism on my own to try to answer some of the challenges I encounter in everyday interactions. It is very challenging, and I appreciate Father Mikes efforts in this regard. There is a reader's digest compendium that is more condensed and readable. Today's lesson was pretty flowery and nuanced. If anyone can explain it in layman's terms, I'll be appreciative.
@@tommaxwell429 I agree, Tom. I understood the individual words, but I didn’t grasp the concept of contemplative prayer. What does it mean?
@@tommaxwell429Contemplative Prayer is "seeking Him Whom my soul loves:" Seeking to be in the Presence of God purely to be with Him. Vocal prayer is saying words out loud (while thinking of their meaning. Meditative or mental prayer is putting oneself in the Presence of God while thinking about the meaning of some Scripture or other sacred writing, or event and how it applies to your life. Imprecatory prayer is asking for something. Then there's praise, adoration and thanksgiving. You can move from one form of prayer to another in a single prayer session. Don't overly complicate these labels.
@@wms72what a terrific explanation! When I am in adoration, I do feel that my brain kind of goes back-and-forth between various forms of prayer. But I’m not sitting there concerned about which one I am doing. I just let things ebb and flow.
Is the phrase "grounded in love" supposed to make us think of a mortar & pestle?! Sometimes that is what contemplative prayer feels like. 🫤
Thank you Fr Mike. Praying for you and everyone here. God bless🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻
Amen 🙏.
Thank you, Father Mike
❤
Amen
🙏🙏🙏