571. What is contemplative prayer? (part 4 continuation)
(Comp 571 repetition) Contemplative
prayer is a simple gaze upon God in silence and love. It is a gift of God, a
moment of pure faith during which the one praying seeks Christ, surrenders
himself to the loving will of the Father, and places his being under the action
of the Holy Spirit. Saint Teresa of Avila defines contemplative prayer as the
intimate sharing of friendship, “in which time is frequently taken to be alone
with God who we know loves us.”
“In brief”
(CCC 2724) Contemplative prayer is the simple expression of
the mystery of prayer. It is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, an 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.
To deepen and explain
(CCC 2739) For St. Paul, this
trust is bold, founded on the prayer of the Spirit in us and on the faithful
love of the Father who has given us his only Son (Cf. Rom 10:12-13; 8:26-39).
Transformation of the praying heart is the first response to our petition. (CCC
2740) The prayer of Jesus makes Christian prayer an
efficacious petition. He is its model, he prays in us and with us. Since the
heart of the Son seeks only what pleases the Father, how could the prayer of
the children of adoption be centered on the gifts rather than the Giver?
Reflection
(CCC 2741) Jesus also prays for us
- in our place and on our behalf. All our petitions were gathered up, once for
all, in his cry on the Cross and, in his Resurrection, heard by the Father.
This is why he never ceases to intercede for us with the Father (Cf. Heb 5:7;
7:25; 9:24). If our prayer is resolutely united with that of Jesus, in trust
and boldness as children, we obtain all that we ask in his name, even more than
any particular thing: the Holy Spirit himself, who contains all gifts. [END]
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