February 5 - Posture during Mass and St. Peter of Alcantara's Preparation for Meditation

Posture during Mass and preparation for meditation. Why should we use the words of the saints when we are preparing for mental prayer? Dan and Melissa discuss these topics and more as they answer questions from listeners.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• Is posture in prayer important?
• How does Christian teaching on prayer posture differ from that of Eastern, non-Christian religions?
• Prayer posture in private prayer versus prayer posture in public, or corporate, prayer.
• What is the meaning of the Sign of the Cross?
• What are the Nine Ways of Prayer of St Dominic?
• What does St Peter of Alcántara say about preparation necessary to prayer?
• Suggestion: Write down your distractions during prayer.
• Why should we use the prayers of the Saints in vocal prayer in preparation for prayer? How should we use them?
• Why do we, men in particular, have difficulty with the romance language of prayer? How can we overcome this?
• Why Lectio Divina is a good way to begin with mental prayer.

Resources:

• Divine Intimacy Radio on SpiritualDirection.com website
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• Difficulties in Prayer and the Importance of Posture in Prayer - Previous post on SpiritualDirection.com dealing with posture in prayer
• The Nine Ways of Prayer of St Dominic - Post on DiscerningHearts.com. Taken from the book St. Dominic: Biographical Documents, edited by Fr. Francis C. Lehner, O.P. The chapter on “The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic” was translated by Fr. Andrew Kolzow, O.P.
• The Discipline - Catholic Culture Link
• Finding God Through Meditation - St Peter of Alcántara, edited by Dan Burke
  • Contains the prayer read by Melissa: "Come, Holy Ghost, send forth from heaven the glittering beams of true light; come, father of the poor; come, giver of rewards; come, light of our hearts, sweet comforter, sweet guest of the soul, sweet refreshing, rest in labor, temperature in heat, in mourning a grateful solace, O blessed light, replenish the hearts of the faithful."
• DivineOffice.org - Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church - online
• Pantocrator icon of Christ on Dan's altar - Wikimedia Commons link to oldest known 6th century icon from St Catherine's Monastery
• Byzantine Three Bar Crucifix - similar to Dan's (EWTN Religious Catalogue link)
• Theotokos of Vladimir Icon (Our Lady of Vladimir) - similar to Dan's - MonasteryIcons link
• Lectio Divina, A Guide: What It Is & How It Helps Prayer Life? - Post on SpiritualDirection.com
• The Better Part: A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer - Fr John Bartunek (based on the Ignatian method where one puts oneself in the Scriptural scene and then makes a commitment based on what one has experienced with Christ)
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23 - "May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." - USCCB Bible link
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729.