Hajja Salesjana July-September 2022

some suggested structures and formats for the practice of meditation and prayer. These meditations are for the most part variants of the Spiritual Exercises , which in an Ignatian- like method bring the five senses to bear on the foregoing contemplation.5 Some of these meditations in the Devout Life may appear rather antiquated to the modern reader, however, all the abilities of the person praying are engaged: the intellect, will, imagination and emotions. Through the use of the imagination the person meditating is engaged affectively and stimulated to respond accordingly. The good intentions that are engendered through mediation, nonetheless, must be put into action otherwise they will not bear fruit. This explains why St Francis, like Ignatius, encourages resolutions at the end of the meditative practice so as to translate prayer into life. Bearing in mind, that both St Jane Frances de Chantal and Francis de Sales advocate a ‘methodless method’ because prayer is not arrived at through a technique but requires ‘liberty of spirit’ where the person is led by the Holy Spirit, nevertheless, it is useful to offer the following guidelines for beginners in prayer. Six steps as a guide to moving through a time of prayer. 1. Place yourself in the presence of God. Remember that God is near, not far away. He is in the very depth of your heart, your spirit. ‘Begin all your prayers, whether mental or vocal, in the presence of God. Keep to this rule without any exception and you will quickly see how helpful it will be.’6 A helpful way of guiding people in placing themselves in God’s presence is to begin with the mantra: ‘I love you too’. These words immediately conjure up the sense of already being loved by God and that I am responding to this love. The heart is already warmed in the truth of God’s love for us. No matter how much anyone loves us, their love comes to us from outside, they speak to our heart. Yet, only God is able to speak to us from within our heart. He dwells within us. He speaks to our heart from within. At the same time, we dwell in God who carries us in his heart and opens up his chamber of love to us. 2. In accord with St Teresa of Avila, St Francis believes that most of our difficulties in prayer lie with the misconception that God is distant. As we place ourselves in God’s presence, he advises us to ask Him to help us pay attention to Him , to open ourselves up to His Word and his presence. “All our difficulties in prayer are heart problems. Our heart is not in it, we make excuses. We don’t come to it with longing, desire, enthusiasm, but begrudgingly… Two people who love each other deeply can hardly have problems thinking of how to spend their Photo by Fabio Comparelli - www.unsplash.com Top Photo by Ben White - www.unsplash.com 11 Lulju - Settembru 2022 hajja