"All the saints became saints because of mental
prayer." - St. Alphonsus Liguori
Preparation
1. Act of faith in the presence of God ("My God, I
believe that I am in Your presence and from the depths of my nothingness, I
adore Your majesty."),
2. Act of humility ("Lord, because of my sins I should
be suffering the pains of hell right now, I am sorry for having offended thee,
in Your mercy please forgive me.")
3. Prayer for God's guidance ("Eternal Father, for the
love of Jesus and Mary, Father, please give me Your light in this prayer so
that it will be profitable to me.")
These prayers are just suggestions and can be used as a
rough guide. You may use them word for word or formulate your own, as long as
they include an act of faith, an act of humility, and a prayer for God's
guidance.
4. Now say a Hail Mary to ask for Our Lady's assistance and
a Glory be to ask St. Joseph, our Guardian Angel, and our patrons to help us.
Meditation
Use a book, a holy image, or a statue (i.e. the Gospels, the
Stations of the Cross, Spanish Crucifix, an Icon, an image of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus...etc).
The subject of meditation does not have to be reading
material. Illiterate people and children who cannot yet read are capable of
mental prayer.
If we are reading, we read slowly and stop when something
strikes us. Extract the thought and make an act of affection. An affection has
nothing to do with feelings. Acts of affection can be acts of thanksgiving,
praise, adoration...etc.
Examples of acts affection
"My God, I esteem You above all things."
"I love You above all things."
"I wish every man on earth loved You."
"Let me know what Your will is and give me the grace to
follow it."
"My God, I am happy because You are God, the highest
good, lacking nothing."
"God, I love You with all my heart."
Use the book or image as a means to make
affections.
Make lots of petitions
Humbly ask God for things such as:
Forgiveness of sins
Perseverance
Holiness
A holy death
The salvation of our friends
The grace to love Him more and more (once a person has the
love of God he has every other grace).
Ask Him for these things in the name of and by the merits of
Jesus Christ.
In dryness
If you are so dry that you cannot make any acts of affection
say this prayer:
"O God, come to my aid, O Lord, make haste to help
me."
Nothing is more profitable than making petitions over and
over in the name of Jesus Christ.
"Ask the Father anything in my name and He will give it
to you." - Jesus Christ
Make a resolution
At the end of mental prayer, make a particular resolution.
Never finish mental prayer without making a resolution.
"Today Lord, I am not going to get snippy with my
boss."
"Today Lord, I am going to be patient with my obnoxious
coworker."
"Today Lord, Instead of walking around all day looking
severe, I am going to smile."
Conclusion
1. Thank God for the lights you have received during mental
prayer.
2. Resolve to keep the resolution you just made.
3. Pray to God the Father, through Jesus and Mary, for the
grace to keep that resolution.
---
Mothers, you can teach your children very early to start
mental prayer. It's nothing fancy. They are talking to Jesus. Everyone except
babies can do this.
If we are not saints after our First Holy Communion, it is
not because of Our Lord, it is because of obstacles within us. Obstacles: sin,
lack of bodily mortification, lack of interior mortification, lack of spiritual
reading.
All of these can be solved if we get serious about mental
prayer.
Grace comes principally through the sacraments but the grace
we get from sacraments comes primarily through our prayer life.
Mental prayer and sin cannot stay together.
Take 15 minutes a day to start. It is an investment in your
eternity.
---
These truths have been transcribed for the benefit of your
soul from this sermon: http://www.audiosancto.org/sermon/20080203-Mental-Prayer-is-Essential-for-Salvation.html
