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
Tag Archives: prayer
The Fruit of Sacrificial Suffering
A wonderful woman passed away a couple of days ago — Annalise “Cubby” La Hood. She was a wife, mother, and friend to many. She and her husband founded and operated a non-profit daycare service for school-aged children with severe disabilities called St. Joseph’s House, and over the last 30 years they have served the particular needs of many families in their community. After losing her second child shortly after birth, she co-founded Isaiah’s Promise, an organization that supports families who have received severe or fatal prenatal diagnoses and are carrying their babies to term. Continue reading
Conversion Memoir Entry #6: The Liturgical Service
People often ask what started our investigation into Catholicism. While the prodding of the Holy Spirit took the form of discovering different “puzzle pieces” that connected to each other, there is one piece that I remember identifying close to the beginning of the search — the liturgy. Continue reading