CONTEMPLATIVE
PRAYER
To help you understand the types of prayer, these sites are
useful:
The first link below contains CHURCH
FATHERS, the writings of the earliest fathers and saints of the Church from the
first, second, third centuries, including St. Augustine and St. Thomas
Aquinas:
LINK: CATHOLIC
UNDERSTANDINGS OF PRAYER
LINK: SPIRITUAL DIRECTION IN PRAYER
LINK: KINDS OF PRAYER -- VATICAN
ARCHIVES
LINK: WARNING ABOUT THE "CENTERING PRAYER"
MOVEMENT
Another good article explaining why Centering Prayer can be
dangerous: http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/dissent/centerprayer.htm
DOCTORS OF THE
CHURCH:
ST. TERESA OF AVILA
ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS
If you would like to do more reading on
contemplative prayer, turn to the classics of the church. St. Teresa of Avila,
a discalced Carmelite in Spain who reformed her order during the Spanish
Inquisition, wrote to her beloved sisters of entering the "Interior Castle"
where they could enter in union with the King of Kings. You can find the entire
text on line at this site:
LINK: ST.
TERESA OF AVILA: INTERIOR CASTLE
St. John of the Cross who assisted St. Teresa,
serving as the first novice master of her reformed order, also wrote classics
illustrating the many stages of interior prayer: The Ascent of Mt. Carmel,
The Living Flanme of Love, Spiritual Canticle, and The Dark
Night of the Soul, among them. If you are advanced in prayer, you may find
some of his writings helpful. Find the text and explanation of his highly
mystical verses on this site:
LINK: ST. JOHN OF
THE CROSS: THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL
Both of these classics can also be found in their entirety in
the CATHOLIC TREASURY (the link can be found higher up on this same
page).
LINK: NUMEROUS PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS -- SELECT
I just discovered this great Catholic blog. You might want to
go there: THE SAINTHOOD PROJECT
http://livingchrist.webs.com/jesusprayer.htm