Developing the habit of mental prayer (Christian meditation) is vital to Catholic or Christian spirituality, but it is also a challenging practice in our fast-paced, modern lives. I personally can say that I have struggled in developing the habit myself. Aside from setting aside the time for mental prayer, there is also the effort it takes for us to push distractions from our mind in the midst of it. We are not alone — most of the great saints of the Church attest to the challenging “work” of mental prayer. We are also not without resources. Aside from the many saints and Doctors of the Church who have taught us about mental prayer, there are many good current formulas and guides to help us develop a rich life of quiet meditation with our Lord. I recently found a wonderfully helpful guide that I am so happy to share: The Practice of Mental Prayer. Continue reading
Author Archives: jptomey
Conversion Memoir Entry #8: A Living Apologetic…the Domestic Church
I grew up pretty familiar with faith apologetics. That doesn’t mean I was some wiz at it, able to recite Bible verses and creeds off the cuff or reference philosophical proofs for God on demand. But I understood the mandate to “be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). I participated in my share of debate, mock trial, and worldview camps (yes, I was a cool kid), and I learned some principal ways that Christians can defend their faith and make an argument for its truth to others. Continue reading
Conversion Memoir Entry #7: The Gift of the Catechism
I still recall from my childhood learning the first question and answer of the Westminster Catechism: What is the chief and highest end of man? Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God and fully to enjoy him forever. This is the catechism used by Reformed churches, but I never heard it in church. My mom thought it would be a good idea for us to try and learn the Catechism (even though we did not attend a Reformed church at the time). The discipline didn’t last very long, and was soon abandoned. But over all these years I have remembered that first line. I also remember being a little confused about what the Catechism was and which churches professed it. I sort of understood that John Calvin and other early Protestant theologians contributed various portions of different versions of Protestant catechisms, but I also got the feeling that these were old documents that newer churches didn’t use that much anymore, because, well, they didn’t. Continue reading