Objective:
The middle school youth will learn the basics of contemplative prayer and how to let go of everything so they can focus on only seeing and hearing Jesus.
Overview:
In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells us, “when you go to pray, go to your inner room and pray in secret” (6:6). The practice of contemplative, or centering prayer, helps us to pray in this way. Contemplative prayer requires that we let go and detach ourselves from all thoughts and allow there to be actual silence in our minds and hearts.
[…] we “gather up” the heart, recollect our whole being under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, abide in the dwelling place of the Lord which we are, awaken our faith in order to enter into the presence of him who awaits us. We let our masks fall and turn our hearts back to the Lord who loves us, so as to hand ourselves over to him as an offering to be purified and transformed (CCC 2711).
It allows us to open our whole being, our mind, heart, body and emotions, to the presence of God. Through this process our attention is solely given to the presence of Jesus and allows us to enter into a deeper relationship with him.
[…] St. Teresa answers: “Contemplative prayer in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us” (CCC 2709).