Mental Prayer by Gerann Chan

St. Teresa says: “He who neglects mental prayer needs not a devil to carry him to hell, but he brings himself there with his own hands.” St. John of the Cross says: “Without the aid of mental prayer, the soul cannot triumph over the forces of the demon.”

In my experience, there are two things that the faithful (clients from the Spiritual Life Coaching and friends) complained about mental prayer, 1.) They do not know how to do mental prayer or 2.) They are doing mental prayer but because the mental prayer is not suitable for their level and state of life they give up.

There are various forms of mental prayer, it is finding the right mental prayer that suits your state of life, as Saint Francis of Sales says in the introduction to the devout life, Devotion must be compatible with Vocation and I rephrase "Prayer life must be compatible with the state of life" Holiness is not about the quantity of prayers but quality, when quality(prayer life) is met, quantity follows, there are who for 3-10 years in prayer, yet never advances in the spiritual life, never acquired the necessary virtues for sanctification and sadly, mediocre in the Catholic Faith (In my experience I met so many people,who we can see daily in prayer groups but lacks right judgement, material heretics or worst heretics), because they are contented only with Vocal Prayer, how unfortunately if we do not desire to advance, let us advance in the service of God.

In my experience if you do not do daily mental prayer sooner or later you will fall into a series of sins and in the end you will see yourself weekly in the confessional.

Prayer and Penance are the wings to advance in Spiritual Life.

"...God loves us far more than we think, especially in times of trial when He appears to desert us; for it is then He bestows upon us His most precious, most profound, most life-giving graces.

At such times as these, let us say with St. Theresa: “Lord, Thou knowest all things, canst do all things, and Thou dost love me.”

Such in essence is the love God has for us, a creative and life-giving love; supremely generous and supremely free."

- Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.

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Here's the daily reading for today. It's good to read these



TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2024 | ORDINARY TIME
TUESDAY OF THE TWENTY-NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
YEAR 2 | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY
On the same date: Saint John Paul II, Pope

First Reading Ephesians 2:12–22
Response Psalm 85:9
Psalm Psalm 85:9–14
Gospel Acclamation Luke 21:36
Gospel Luke 12:35–38


Index of Readings


FIRST READING
Ephesians 2:12–22
12  remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. 17  And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.


RESPONSE
Psalm 85:9

8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his saints, to those who turn to him in their hearts.



PSALM
Psalm 85:9–14

8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his saints, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that glory may dwell in our land.

10 Mercy and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from heaven.
12 Yes, the LORD will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him,
and make his footsteps a way.



GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Luke 21:36
36  But watch at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man.”


GOSPEL
Luke 12:35–38

35 “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37  Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will put on his apron and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants!



Catholic Daily Readings (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2009).

“God can’t forgive me”

St. Theophilus served as archdeacon for the Bishop of Adana with such faithfulness, that when the Bishop had passed away, he was unanimously elected to be the bishop’s successor. Out of humility he chose to turn the position down, and a new man was elected bishop instead. The new bishop, however, was fed malicious and unfounded rumors about Theophilus, and chose to deprive him of his role as archdeacon.

Theophilus fell into such despair that he sought the advice of a Jewish sorcerer in order to regain his honorable post. The sorcerer summoned the Devil, who came and asked Theophilus to renounce Christ and His Mother, repudiate the Catholic Faith, and write a statement of his renunciation and repudiation in his own blood. After signing and sealing the script, he then gave it to the Devil, thus pledging himself to his service. The next day, by the Devil’s manipulation, Theophilus was taken back into the Bishop’s good graces and reinstated in his dignities of office.

In time, however, he came to his senses and regretted what he had done. With all the devotion of his heart, he turned to the Blessed Virgin Mary. At a certain moment Mary appeared to him, upbraided him sternly for his impiety, ordered him to renounce the Devil, and made him confess his faith in her and in Christ, the Son of God, and in the whole Catholic doctrine.

She brought him back into her favor and her Son’s. In token of the forgiveness that was granted to him, she appeared to him again and returned the scroll he had given to the Devil, placing it on his chest as a sign that he didn’t need to fear that he might be in the demon’s service, and that, through her intervention, he was a free man.

Having received this gift, Theophilus was overcome with joy. He went before the Bishop and the whole city, and gave a full account of the mercy God had shown him through the Theotokos. All were filled with admiration and gave praise to the glorious Virgin, and Theophilus, three days later, fell asleep in the peace of the Lord.

God’s love is bigger than your sin.

She's responding to someone saying "Jesus is Lord"

Meanwhile, Vance shows the right way to responde to an acclimation of Christ