It is not enough to know God through the intellect; we desire to know Him in our hearts as well. This way of praying unites our heart with the Heart of God for us to become one in heart and in spirit.

The Catholic Catechism describes “Contemplative Prayer” as “the simple expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, and attentiveness to the Word of God, a silent love. It achieves real union with the prayer of Christ to the extent that it makes us share in His mystery”. (CCC2724)

Through this way of praying we come to a supernatural awareness of our total dependency upon God’s Word as our Father and as the Author of all life. We experience the love of the Trinity the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and realise there is no love without knowledge. How can one love a person whom one does not know? There is no love without a presence: one has difficulty loving a person who is forever at a distance. There is no love without the nurturing of a friendship. All forms of love desire a union that will completely enrich their lives.

The prayer of contemplation infuses us with all these forms of love that will bring us new life, healing and the enrichment of all the spiritual gifts for our life’s journey.

If we seek peace and inner stillness through God’s Word and attempt to quieten the voices within we prepare the way for God’s Spirit to speak to us. We are enlightened as we learn to Sit/Wait/Listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit guides us how to live, pray and follow God’s will.

God has the opportunity through the way of Contemplative Prayer to anchor our heart into the Heart of God. He unites our spirit with His Holy Spirit

God leads us to receive this gift when we seek Him in peace and inner silence. We become tranquil and serene when we surrender our minds, heart, will and feelings to God.

God waits to bestow upon us these blessings as we surrender our mind and heart to Him and seek Him in the silence of love.

Through the silence His healing love begins to restore our wounded spirit. He enlightens us about our unhealed hurts and our need to forgive. His healing light and love cannot flow to those suppressed memories and hurts.

Like any parent, God lovingly guides His children on this prayer journey of discovery. He asks us to be attentive to His Word spoken to us through Scripture and to the inspirations of His Holy Spirit spoken to us in our hearts.

When we engage in Contemplative Prayer Exercises our lives are filled with God’s light and healing. He enriches our lives with the freedom to love God and others.