You are an interior being. Your body is God's temple. Your mind was made for God's wisdom, not mankind's reason. You were made to seek God. #ContemplativePrayer #continualprayer #secretmeditation #MeditativePrayer #meditation #prayer

"The first step is that of purest prayer. From this there comes a warmth of heart, And then a strange, a holy energy, Then tears wrung from the heart, God-given. Then peace from thoughts of every kind. "From this arises purging of the intellect, And next the vision of heavenly mysteries. Unheard-of light is born from this ineffably, And thence, beyond all telling, the heart's illumination. Last comes – a step that has no limit Though compassed in a single line – Perfection that is endless. "The ladder's lowest step Prescribes pure prayer alone. But prayer has many forms: My discourse would be long Were I now to speak of them: And, friend, know that always Experience teaches one, not words. "A ladder rising wondrously to heaven's vault: Ten steps that strangely vivify the soul. Ten steps that herald the soul's life. A saint inspired by God has said: Do not deceive yourself with idle hopes That in the world to come you will find life If you have not tried to find it in this present world. "Ten steps: a wisdom born of God. Ten steps: fruit of all the books. Ten steps that point towards perfection. Ten steps that lead one up to heaven. Ten steps through which a man knows God. The ladder may seem short indeed, But if your heart can inwardly experience it You will find a wealth the world cannot contain, A god-like fountain flowing with unheard-of life. "This ten-graced ladder is the best of masters, Clearly teaching each to know its stages. If when you behold it You think you stand securely on it, Ask yourself on which step you stand, So that we, the indolent, may also profit. My friend, if you want to learn about all this, Detach yourself from everything, From what is senseless, from what seems intelligent. Without detachment nothing can be learnt. "Experience alone can teach these things, not talk. Even if these words once said By one of God's elect strike harshly, I repeat them to remind you: He who has no foothold on this ladder, Who does not ponder always on these things, When he comes to die will know Terrible fear, terrible dread, Will be full of boundless panic. "My lines end on a note of terror. Yet it is good that this is so: Those who are hard of heart – myself the first – Are led to repentance, led to a holy life, Less by the lure of blessings promised Than by fearful warnings that inspire dread. 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.' You who have written this, hear, then, and take note: Void of all these graces, How have you dared to write such things? How do you not shudder to expound them? Have you not heard what Uzzah suffered When he tried to stop God's ark from falling? (II Samuel 6:6-7) "Do not think that I speak as one who teaches: I speak as one whose words condemn himself, Knowing the rewards awaiting those who strive, Knowing my utter fruitlessness. "This is the ladder of divine graces, which experience has made known to those inspired by God." - Theophanis the Monk in G. E. H. Palmer, Philip Sherrard, and Bishop Kallistos Ware, The Philokalia, Vol. III, (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), pp. 67–69. #TheophanistheMonk #Samuel #Heaven #secretmeditation #MeditativePrayer #meditation #ContemplativePrayer #Sin #obedience #LadderofDivineGrace

St. Gregory of Nyssa, good shepherd of Cappadocia and teacher of mystical theology, pray that we give ourselves over to a true search for God, which is mystical prayer. Help us to enter the illuminated darkness: "For leaving behind everything that is observed, not only what sense comprehends but also what the intelligence thinks it sees, it keeps on penetrating deeper until by the intelligence's yearning for understanding it gains access to the invisible and incomprehensible, and there it sees God. This is the true knowledge of what is sought; this is the seeing that consists in not seeing, because that which is sought transcends all knowledge, being separated on all sides by incomprehensibility as by a kind of darkness" (St. Gregory of Nyssa in The Life of Moses, #163). #StGregoryofNyssa #Moses #Cappadocia #luminousdarkness #ContemplativePrayer #secretmeditation #MeditativePrayer #meditation

Far too often, people despise those who pray. They hate that you live your life wanting only what God wants. Occasionally, they will get so mad at you that they will even want to take revenge against you. You will, no doubt, get angry at these attacks. When this happens, find time to rest. It will help you to fight your own anger and renew your spirit. Remember: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me" (Matthew 5:11). #anger #StMatthew #Renewal #prayer

St. John the Baptist, Prophet and Forerunner of Christ, pray for us that we too may become burning and shining lights (John 5:35). You interceded for all humankind when you accepted the call to Baptize Jesus; allowing us to hear the voice of the Father and witness the work of the Holy Spirit. Help us to embrace the same asceticism that prepared you to be the "voice of one crying out in the wilderness," making "straight the way of the Lord" (John 1:23). #JesusChrist #HolySpirit #StJohntheBaptist #Asceticism #prayer #continualprayer #MeditativePrayer #ContemplativePrayer

When we lift up our hearts, minds, and souls to the Most Holy Spirit of God and ask to be saved from ourselves by His sanctification, He will pour into us gifts that cannot be imagined by intellect alone. St. Basil tells us that from the Holy Spirit "...comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of what is hidden, distribution of good gifts, the heavenly citizenship, a place in the chorus of angels, joy without end, abiding in God, the being made like to God, and, highest of all, the being made God" (St. Basil, On the Holy Spirit, chapter 9, paragraph 23). Meditate on this. The world offers nothing. God offers everything. Seek the Holy Spirit. He will quench the desert that burns within. #HolySpirit #Love #prayer #continualprayer #MeditativePrayer #ContemplativePrayer

St. Basil, good shepherd of Cappadocia and defender of the Holy Spirit; pray for us so that we too may find intimacy with the Advocate, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth. Help us to know that: "Through His [the Holy Spirit] aid, hearts are lifted up, the weak are held by the hand, and they who are advancing are brought to perfection. Shining upon those that are cleansed from every spot, He makes them spiritual by fellowship with Himself. Just as when a sunbeam falls on bright and transparent bodies, they themselves become brilliant too, and shed forth a fresh brightness from themselves, so souls wherein the Spirit dwells, illuminated by the Spirit, themselves become spiritual, and send forth their grace to others (St. Basil, On the Holy Spirit, chapter 9, paragraph 23). Teach us to reach out, in prayer, to the Most Holy Spirit who is present in all places and filling all things. #StBasil #HolySpirit #Cappadocia #prayer #continualprayer #ContemplativePrayer #MeditativePrayer #VocalPrayer #Love #Trinity

In theological terms, we speak of the Holy Spirit as the ruah Yahweh, the breath of God, who was spirated, is spirating, and will spirate for all eternity. As believers, we know the Holy Spirit is present in all places and filling all things. He gives life to the world; to the sacraments of Baptism, Chrismation, and Orders; and to the very core of our being. Thus, the most fundamentally contemplative thing we can do is breathe. Physically, we know breathing brings in more oxygen to our lungs and brains. Mentally, we know it calms us down. Spiritually, we know it draws us closer to the Spirit. So take time to breathe, deeply. It saves us from ourselves. It helps us to pray. It sanctifies us in the presence of the living God. #God #HolySpirit #ContemplativePrayer #Peace #Pentecost #Happiness

"Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Luke 5:16). Do as He did. Don't wait. Reality is found in the eternal darkness. #secretmeditation #MeditativePrayer #meditation #StLuketheEvangelist #prayer #continualprayer #ContemplativePrayer #luminousdarkness

In our modern age, it is quite fashionable to interpret Christ, the sacraments and every bit of prayer through our individual socio-political and linguistic filters. While our personal experiences are certainly known and understood by the ever-living God, far too often these cultural realities reinforce our self-absorption and therefore, our delusions about who and what we are before God, ourselves and others. Thus, what is needed is a deep, serious and completely honest examination of conscience that leads to much-needed catharsis, which allows us to place our lives squarely in the hands of God. By removing the barriers that are built by personal labeling, sin and degradation are revealed, preparing us for the way of humility and our total self-gift. This is how we grow as close as possible to God in this life and even closer to Him in the next. #theosis #God #Catharsis #luminousdarkness #JesusChrist #Sacraments #prayer #Heaven

Look deep down. You will see the gift God gave you. Recognize it. Use it. Live it. Follow it to heaven. #Discernment #God #continualprayer #Heaven #luminousdarkness

"Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so they can open to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them." - The Gospel According to St. Luke 12:35-40 #StLuketheEvangelist #JesusChrist #Discernment #meditation #MeditativePrayer #continualprayer