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isjalu0826
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| Posted: March 20 2007 at 9:19am | IP Logged
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Hello all!
I am new here, just joined the forum. I have been reading, though, since Advent (including many older posts) and have gotten ALOT of wonderful ideas from you wonderfully creative spiritual faith-filled women!!!
I had a question to ask you about your personal prayer.
I'll tell you about mine first.
I attend Sunday Mass each week and I have been trying to attend a Daily Mass on Mondays. I pray the Rosary. I love the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) and try to at least get my Morning Prayers said. With my son (who is 4), we say a Morning Offering each morning (Good morning Dear God, this day is for You. We ask You to bless all we think, say and do.) And then we each say at least one petition. Usually he prays for our dear Aunt in heaven (who died this past November)...
At night, we thank God for the day and for each other and for a bunch of other people and things in our lives, sort of a recap of that particular day... and then we say the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and "Now I lay me down to sleep..."
As much as I feel that I am prayerful, faith-filled... I feel like something is missing. It's a lot of vocal prayer we do... but I don't have a lot of stillness and contemplation. I think that is what I'm missing.
Do you any of you spend a regular committed time in meditation? How do you fit it in?
Do you any of meditate with your children or are teaching them how to?
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Helen
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| Posted: March 20 2007 at 8:44pm | IP Logged
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Welcome to 4Real!
I thought I would offer some links to previous threads on prayer.
(I didn't realize how many there were until I began searching. I hope this is not overkill?!  )
Morning Routine
Family Prayer
Personal Prayer Time
another personal prayer time
Prayer after Communion
Short Act of Contrition
How to make your home more Catholic
Family Prayer life - philosophical
Daily Mass
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Ave Maria!
Mom to 5 girls and 3 boys
Mary Vitamin & Castle of the Immaculate
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isjalu0826
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| Posted: March 20 2007 at 9:39pm | IP Logged
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Hi Helen, thanks for the reply and the threads... I see you did a search on 'prayer' --- I was more so wondering about meditation... When I did a search on that word, I didn't get much.
But now it turns out it's not even meditation I'm thinking about, it's contemplation. I'll explain: I am reading a book called "Full of Grace: Women and the Abundant Life" (by Johnnette S. Benkovic). In it, she writes about '3 main categories of prayer---vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplation' (p. 31).
Vocal prayer she describes two kinds: 'formulated vocal prayer' which are the prayers we all know and love.. and 'spontaneous vocal prayer' which is when we 'talk' to God, ejaculations, and the like. This I get; I'm there!
For meditation, she writes about prayerful pondering on the Word of God... This I get too!
Finally, she talks about contemplation. So I guess it's contemplation I'm asking about!!
"...in meditation we consider the smallest details as we progress in love of God... In contemplation, however, our loving gaze rests on the One we love, no longer lingering over one detail or another..."
From what I gather, unlike vocal prayer, when we are praying specific prayers of the church or words of our own, and unlike meditation, when we are reading and pondering Scripture or spiritual reading, contemplation is more about sitting in silence with God---maybe like before the Blessed Sacrament? You're not 'doing' anything, but waiting in stillness? And God fills you up?
I'm just wondering if anyone is familiar with this thought or who in fact practices this form of prayer?
SORRY TO BE SO LONG-WINDED... !!!
(P.S. Helen, I joined the Mary Vitamin group some time back. I love it!!!)
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Helen
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| Posted: March 20 2007 at 9:44pm | IP Logged
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isjalu0826 wrote:
| Do you any of meditate with your children or are teaching them how to? |
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After reading the daily Gospel at tea time I ask the children,
What is the Lord saying to you today?
I suppose this is one way to conduct a "meditation" with children. I find children readily pray and ponder things deeply.
I wonder how much is needed to teach them? As a parent, it is probably more important to keep distractions away: Limit TV, video games, modern music, many activites - just for starters!
What do you think?
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Ave Maria!
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Mary Vitamin & Castle of the Immaculate
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Helen
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I posted before I saw your post!
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Helen
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| Posted: March 20 2007 at 9:46pm | IP Logged
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isjalu0826 wrote:
| Finally, she talks about contemplation. So I guess it's contemplation I'm asking about!! |
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Contemplation is a gift of God. You can't make it happen. He calls you. (If I understand the meaning of your word.) There is no dictionary for these prayer terms. St. Teresa of Avila comes closest.
It is important to continually purge oneself, pray, and follow the Lord's Will.
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Ave Maria!
Mom to 5 girls and 3 boys
Mary Vitamin & Castle of the Immaculate
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isjalu0826
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| Posted: March 20 2007 at 9:52pm | IP Logged
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We are reading and posting simultaneously (almost). Ha ha!!
Thank you Helen! It's becoming clearer...!
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Helen
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| Posted: March 21 2007 at 9:08pm | IP Logged
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isjalu
I had another thought today about meditation/contemplation. I remember a priest saying,
"No spiritual gift is given without first asking for it."
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Ave Maria!
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Mary Vitamin & Castle of the Immaculate
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isjalu0826
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| Posted: March 22 2007 at 8:13am | IP Logged
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I love that.
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doris
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| Posted: March 22 2007 at 6:19pm | IP Logged
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I'm a novice at these matters too, but I just wanted to mention Lectio Divina (although this is one of the things you 'get') and also quote Teresa of Avila (who is my confirmation saint; I've always felt aware of the need for help with prayer). She said, talking about Jesus and meditating about Him, 'See Him looking at you lovingly and humbly.'
I think that's absolutely wonderful, and just a glimpse of what contemplation is all about (not that I'd know!)
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Home educating in London, UK with dd (2000) ds (2002), dd (2004), ds (2008) and dd (2011).
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Prayer and Meditation
