CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER

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