At Medugorje, Our Lady says ‘pray with
the heart’ or ‘pray from the heart’. How does one pray from the heart?
For me it is being in the present
moment, aware of Jesus and Our Lady and being, often, aware of the heart-region
in the chest. I usually stay there and draw upon power and force. It helps me
to be recollected. It is often, not always, connecting with one’s being and
praying from that level of being.
But to be recollected in being I have to
often stay for hours in silence before the Blessed Sacrament.In this interior
silence there is tremendous joy . There’s a feeling of well being. There is a connectedness.
It’s like the whole system ( body, mind and spirit) is connected. One is
anchored in God in the Eucharist, in the present moment, with simple awareness, past the
surface-intellect. I am aware of the surface-intellect and there is an understanding and and communication, with God, with
no words; no audible words, neither at the finer, subtle, thought-level, we humans
are familiar with.
When I am
alone I am usually praying the rosary recollected and slowly, in silence, with
the awareness of God-Jesus and Our Lady in the present moment.There is a sacred
space in the present moment. When I am with a
group, for example, before Holy Mass in the church, I start from the
surface-mind, and move towards gradual recollection, even while reciting the
words vocally, along with the others. At times I have to say the words slowly or
even not say them aloud, as I try to connect with being, in my space where they
are.
This is my experience with prayer. Others do not necessarily have to pray like this. God can give a simple old woman with a rosary, the highest levels of contemplation, experienced by my favorite saint, Teresa of Avila.- Lionel Andrades
The word 'anchor' refers to the word/words chosen to go to the deeper level of the mind and to one's being. My anchor originally was , AVE MARIA. I would 'center' with this phrase. Now I do not necessarily have to use the phrase AVE MARIA. So there can be a watchfullness, a simple awareness which is non religious. Or, there can be a watchfulness, a mindfulness, with the words AVE MARIA which is sacred, a prayer, a state of being, in which one can communicate with God with an understanding only and not the intellect. This is explained well by St. Albert Magnus, St. Albert the Great, in the video, Union with God.-L.A
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