What Exactly Am I Supposed to Do In Prayer? | Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.
May 27, 2024
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Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., provides tools to pay better attention to our spiritual life in prayer. Topics include exploring intention and attention in prayer, engaging with words and senses, guiding framework for conversation with God, and deepening connection through meditation.
Engage in attentive reflection to deepen communion with God.
Deep dives
Cultivating Communion with God Through Prayer
The episode discusses the challenges in perceiving progress in mental prayer and offers a way forward to gauge the effectiveness of prayer in cultivating communion with God. It highlights the importance of developing sincere intention and attentive focus in prayer, drawing from St. Thomas Aquinas' teachings. By emphasizing intention as a basis for meritorious prayer and attention as a means to delve into sacred realities through words and senses, the episode guides listeners on how to deepen their prayer life.
Intention and Attention in Prayer Practice
The podcast delves into the significance of intention and attention in prayer practice, emphasizing the need for genuine sincerity and focused engagement. It underscores the merit attached to a sincere intention to be with God in prayer, encouraging listeners to align their intentions with dedicated time and space for prayer. By exploring the relationship between intention and attention, the episode underscores the importance of honesty and authenticity in nurturing a meaningful prayer life.
Engaging with Sacred Realities Through Prayer
The episode elaborates on engaging with sacred realities through prayer, guiding listeners on a journey from words to the hidden God within. It advocates for a contemplative approach that involves attentive reflection on sacred texts, meditative pondering on divine mysteries, and active conversation with God. By translating words and senses of prayer into a deeper communion with God, the episode encourages a transformative prayer experience grounded in sincere intention and focused attention.
How do I know if prayer is working? Often we don't realize or notice what is happening in our interior life. Fr. Pine gives us the tools to pay better attention to our spiritual life.