Pray constantly.

— 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Either before you arrive or as you wait for class to begin, find this short passage from Sacred Scripture in your Bible or through an online search. Reading it will prepare you for this week’s material.

—Romans 8:26–28

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

As you watch the video lesson, refer to these key highlights. Feel free to use the space provided to take notes.

• Mental prayer is interior prayer cultivated by the personal search for a more conscious union with Christ. It should be a regular part of every…Christian life and is one of the most essential ways that we discover Christ in a more personal and intimate way.

• The practical way to develop this habit of mental prayer is to set time aside for it daily in a regular and committed way, usually at least twenty to thirty minutes.

• The Christian who prays daily in profound ways can become progressively rooted in Christ and stable in his love for God so that his union with God affects the whole of his life.

• Mental prayer disposes us to a deeper participation in the Mass and the other sacraments. It is best coupled with faithful Mass attendance and regular confession.

Wisdom of the Saints

We need no wings to go in search of God, but have only to find a place where we can be alone and look upon Him present within us.

— St. Teresa of Avila

Take a moment to go through these questions with the group. For larger classes, divide them up into partners. Answers are provided to assist you in leading discussion.

1. What is mental prayer and why is it important?

   Mental prayer is interior prayer in which we seek to lift up our minds and hearts in the darkness of faith to contemplate directly the mystery of God revealed in Christ. It provides living contact with Christ and teaches us to know him personally. It is essential to the Christian life as a form of prayer by which we learn to commune with God in spiritual intimacy.

2. How can we nourish mental prayer?

   There are several means available: prayer in the presence of the blessed sacrament; making interior acts of faith, hope and love; lectio divina, in which we read Scripture so as to discover the presence of the Holy Trinity in our souls and to converse with God. The Virgin Mary has a role to play in teaching us how to pray to Christ and how to persevere in mental prayer.

3. What is the relationship between prayer and the sacramental life?

   Frequent reception of the Eucharist nourishes the growth of charity in our souls and therefore helps deepen the bond of union with Christ in…
   …faith. Frequent reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation (even for venial sins) sharpens our conscience and makes us more aware of the liberating power of God’s mercy so that we can devote our lives more completely to God.

Catechism Connection

Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus. . . . This focus on Jesus is a renunciation of self. His gaze purifies our heart; the light of the countenance of Jesus illumines the eyes of our heart and teaches us to see everything in the light of his truth and his compassion for all men. Contemplation also turns its gaze on the mysteries of the life of Christ. Thus, it learns the “interior knowledge of our Lord,” the more to love him and follow him.

— CCC 2715

Discuss these questions with the group, pair them with a partner, or ask them to meditate on their own.

1. Do you take time to pray each day? How can you find time to make this part of your personal schedule?

   Yes. Establish a consistent daily slot (morning or evening), start with a short period (5–10 minutes) and build up, use brief prayers or Scripture if time is tight, set reminders, and link prayer to an existing routine so it becomes a protected priority.

2. Do you think you might make use of the Eucharistic presence of Christ in order to grow in your prayer life? Does being in the presence of the Eucharist help you to pray?

3. Does mental prayer help you to grow in your spiritual life?

After concluding your group discussion, return to watch the second video where converts to the Catholic faith discuss their conversion and how they live today as Catholics.

Rome to Home

There are others who deny any impetratory power to our prayers, or who endeavor to insinuate into men’s minds the idea that prayers offered to God in private should be considered of little worth, whereas public prayers which are made in the Name of the Church are those which really matter, since they proceed from the Mystical Body of Christ. This opinion is false; for the divine Redeemer is most closely united not only with His Church, which is His Beloved Spouse, but also with each and every one of the faithful, and He ardently desires to speak with them heart to heart.

— Pius XII, Mystici Corporis Christi, no. 89

Mental Prayer: Interior prayer by which we seek personal union with Christ.

Lectio Divina: Sacred reading where we dwell on the words of Christ in the Gospels and the teachings of the apostles in the epistles so as to seek to encounter Christ personally.

Divine Office: The psalms and associated biblical prayers prayed daily by priests, members of the religious orders, and many of the lay faithful.

God’s Word

The end of all things is at hand; therefore, keep sane and sober for your prayers.

— 1 Peter 4:7

Direct, O Lord, we beseech you, all our actions by your holy inspirations, and carry them on by your gracious assistance, that every prayer and work of ours may begin always from you, and by you be happily ended. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This serves as a review of the material that your students can read after each class, but it may be helpful for you to read as well. Consider reading it before each class to better prepare you for group discussion.

Pray Without Ceasing

Spiritual writers in the Catholic Church traditionally distinguish between vocal prayer and mental prayer. Vocal prayer is based on written texts or personal petitions. It makes use of psalms, hymns, and other prayers of the Church to direct the mind toward God, usually in liturgical settings or while reading.

Mental prayer is interior prayer cultivated by the personal search for union with Christ. It is not opposed to vocal prayer but is more inward and can be developed in our lives intentionally in a different way than vocal prayer. Mental prayer should be a regular part of every Christian life and is one of the most essential ways that we discover Christ in a more personal and intimate way. It is the doorway to the interior life.

Mental prayer is best practiced in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, the Eucharist, since we find in the Eucharist the silent, substantial presence of Our Lord. There, it is helpful to read the Word of God and to practice lectio divina (sacred reading), where we dwell on the words of Christ in the Gospels and the teachings of the apostles in the epistles so as to seek to encounter Christ personally, to touch the face of God, and to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to us inwardly, spirit to spirit. The Holy Trinity dwells in our souls by grace, and we are able to discover this presence of God especially in mental prayer.

The practical way to develop this habit of mental prayer is to set time aside for it daily in a regular and committed way, usually at least twenty to thirty minutes. During this time, whether in a Church or in some other quiet place, it is helpful to read Scripture prayerfully and to make repeated personal acts of faith, hope, and charity directed to the Father, to Christ, and to the Holy Spirit. Some examples of specific mental prayer include saying in the depths of one’s heart such things as: ’Lord Jesus, I believe in you, I believe you are the Son of God. Enlighten me and reveal yourselfto me. Help me to grow in faith, to confess my sins, to convert my life in accord with your grace and charity.“ “Thank you Lord for the gift of your sacred heart. Please conform my poor heart to yours, through the working of the Holy Spirit.” “Father, have mercy on me, reveal to me your Son, Jesus the Lord.”

Mental prayer can, in fact, be practiced in all times and places, for as St. Paul tells us, we should pray without ceasing (see 1 Thes 5:17). We can seek union with God on the bus in the midst of a busy city, while walking quietly in the forest, or even during the course of daily conversations with others. Sometimes it helps to lift our hearts up to God by brief javelin prayers of the mind, thrown upward to heaven in the midst of our busy day, in which we confess the truth of Christ and pledge ourselves to the service of his kingdom. We should ask for his help and ask the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and move our hearts and minds from within.

If we develop stable habits of mental prayer we can grow deeply in faith, hope, and love, even in the midst of the great trials of life. During times of great doubt, we can say, Lord, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mk 9:24). The Christian who prays daily in profound ways can become progressively rooted in Christ and stable in his love for God so that his union with God affects the whole of his life. This is a grace God wants to give every baptized Christian who is willing to cooperate with him by regular recourse to the sacraments and by daily prayer.

Mental prayer disposes us to a deeper participation in the Mass and the other sacraments and is best coupled, when possible, with daily Mass attendance and weekly or bi-weekly confession. Those who wish to find God in a deeper way do well to receive these two sacraments regularly since each of them, in a distinctive way, open the mind and heart to contemplative union with God. A regular confession of sins allows the conscience of the Christian to become refined and dedicates us exclusively to the truth of Christ and his revelation. It teaches us to see even our sins in the consoling light of his mercy. Regular communion in the Body and Blood of Christ strengthens our union with the Lord in charity and binds us more directly to the mystery of Christ’s love for God and for others. It expands our narrow hearts to conform them gradually over time to the …measure of the sacred heart of Jesus. Mental prayer helps us live in this world without any separation from God and prepares us in peace and hope to encounter God in the life of the world to come.

Teresa of Avila, The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila by Herself.