One of the most important of Jesus’ teachings during His earthly life was spoken beside Jacob’s well, in His dialogue with the Samaritan woman: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” (Jn 4:10). The deepest meaning of the Divine Master’s utterance reveals how deeply He desires to enter into contact with us, how He is awaiting our request so that He may give us the water of eternal life.
This intimate and joyous relationship, in which we receive the gift of the grace to successfully traverse our state of trial, comes to us through prayer, which is nothing other than to communicate with God.
Prayer, according to the classic definition of St. John Damascene, is the “raising of the mind to God or asking God for appropriate goods.” 1 The Saint of the Little Way, in the freshness of her innocence, defines it in terms that are simple yet ablaze with charity: “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward Heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” 2
The need for humble prayer
With baptismal waters we receive sanctifying grace and become children of God, yet, “after Baptism man needs to pray continually, in order to enter Heaven,” 3 counsels the Angelic Doctor. St. Alphonsus Marie Liguori affirms: “Whoever prays will certainly be saved and whoever does not, will certainly be condemned.” 4 Therefore, we must use this powerful treasure to draw close to God.
But what assurance do we have that He will heed our supplications favourably, given our many deficiencies as human creatures? What are the necessary conditions to make our prayer pleasing to God?
The most important is undoubtedly humility. It was the Redeemer Himself who revealed this in the parable of the prayer of the Pharisee and the prayer of tax collector in the Temple. While one revels in his supposed virtues, the other acknowledges his lowliness. “This man went down to his house justified rather than the other” (Lk 18:14), says Jesus. From this flows love, which “is the blessing that comes from prayer founded on humility,” 5 by which we place ourselves in God’s hands with true submission, returning to Him all benefits that we receive through prayer.
Nine steps that lead to the beatific vision
Of ourselves we “do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words” (Rom 8:26). It is He who inspires us and brings us, by the various steps of prayer, to the perfect splendour of union with God. The great St. Teresa of Jesus affirms, “These joys which come through prayer are something like what the joys of Heaven must be.” 6
Spiritual masters divide prayer into nine steps. They are: vocal prayer, meditation, affective prayer, prayer of simplicity, infused recollection, the prayer of quiet, simple union, ecstatic union and transforming union, the latter being a degree so sublime that it foretells beatific vision.
Each of these could be the subject of a lengthy explanation. But given the space limitations of the present article, let us focus on just a few aspects of this sublime ladder which allows us to experience, in this life, something of what it will be like to be with God for all eternity.
The first step is accessible to all
The steps of prayer represent a progressive journey toward the Kingdom of Heaven. The first step of this hierarchy, accessible to all, is vocal prayer. When His disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, the Lord Himself dictated the Our Father (cf. Lk 11:2-4). St. Gabriel the Archangel and St. Elizabeth also composed the first part of the Hail Mary (cf. Lk 1:28.42). And the Holy Church, in its infallible magisterium, compiling Christ’s teachings to the Apostles, established the Apostles’ Creed, 7 in which we profess our whole Faith. These are some prototypical examples of vocal prayer.
This type of prayer is expressed in words and, accordingly, is the only form of public or liturgical prayer. Two conditions give it efficacy: it should be prayed with attention and deep piety. “With attention, we apply our intelligence to God. With piety we put our will and heart in contact with Him.” 8
St. Thomas teaches 9 that in vocal prayer we should be attentive to the words in order to pronounce them accurately, with a view to their meaning and their ultimate goal, namely, God Himself, the object of prayer. On the importance of this attention, St. Teresa wrote: “if it is prayer at all, it must be accompanied by meditation. If a person does not think Whom he is addressing, and what he is asking for, and who it is that is asking and of Whom he is asking it, I do not consider that he is praying at all even though he be constantly moving his lips. […] The custom of speaking to God Almighty as freely as with a stranger – caring nothing whether the words are suitable or not, but simply saying the first thing that comes to mind from being learnt by rote by frequent repetition – cannot be called prayer.” 10
Vocal prayer is not an optional practice; fervent vocal prayer is indispensable to the spiritual life. Whether in health or in one’s last agony, in consolation or aridity, and even at the height of sanctity, man cannot lay aside this daily practice without compromising his eternal salvation.
Meditation and affective prayer
Meditation is the second degree of prayer, and in it souls “hear the Lord calling and inviting them.” 11 Theology teaches that meditation consists in the “rational application of the mind to a supernatural truth, in order to become convinced of it and moved to love and practise it, with the help of grace.” 12 The use of reason is essential to meditation; it cannot take place without it. Accordingly, the Apostle proclaims: “I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also” (1 Cor 14:15).
This way of praying is a very particular gift of God, in which souls are drawn into and inebriated with divine love. The absorbed and rapt soul has no time to think of itself, for it is only concerned with what relates to the Beloved. St. Francis de Sales 13 teaches that to meditate well we must put ourselves in the presence of God, invoking Him and considering His mysteries, surrendering our affections to Him and making firm resolutions.
Affective prayer occupies the third step of prayer. It is a type of simplified meditation coming from the heart, in which the affections of the will predominate over the discourse of the understanding. It implies deep repose for the soul, the arduous labour of discursive meditation having diminished. Because of this, the spiritual benefits reaped in this third step are incomparable: deeper and more intimate union with God, by which we increasingly draw closer to the object loved; special development of the infused virtues associated with charity, as well as consolations and sensible sweetness which encourage the practice of the Christian virtues.
The fruits of affective prayer are not measured by the quantity of sensible consolations, but by the evident increase in the virtues.
Simplicity and infused recollection
The fourth degree, known as prayer of simplicity consists in a simple glance or loving gaze toward God or divine things which enkindles the fire of love in the soul. The first three steps of prayer pertain to asceticism, characterized by effort. In this fourth step, the progressive and gradual transition to the mystical state is seen, which is the direct action of grace.
In this stage, the soul is stimulated by an ardent desire to glorify God and to seek Him amidst the smallest tasks, uniting oneself to Him with a look filled with love, as St. Teresa affirms: “to make rapid progress and to reach the mansions we wish to enter, it is not so essential to think much as to love much: therefore, you must practise whatever most excites you to this. Perhaps we do not know what love is, nor does this greatly surprise me. Love does not consist in great sweetness of devotion, but in a fervent determination to strive to please God in all things, in avoiding, as far as possible, all that would offend Him, and in praying for the increase of the glory and honour of His Son and for the growth of the Catholic Church.” 14
Infused recollection is the fifth step of prayer, being the first on the contemplative scale. It is characterized by the union of the understanding with God, in which exterior things are abandoned to enter the innermost regions of the soul. The person feels “a sweet recollection which beckons them inward,” 15 prompting the desire to be alone with God.
By breaking free from the trifles that keep it fettered to the earth, the soul surrenders itself to the interior life, mortifying the senses and focussing on ardent love of God. In this step it receives “delightful admiration that dilates the soul and fills it with joy and delight in discovering such wonders of love in God.” 16 Furthermore, it effortlessly plumbs the divine mysteries contained in the words of the Gospel, which could not be acquired with years of study.
Prayer of quiet
One of the most spoken-of degrees is the sixth, the prayer of quiet, in which the soul touches the supernatural. It consists in an intimate feeling of the presence of God which captivates the will and leaves the body in a state of peaceful wellbeing. “The soul is suspended in such a way that it seems to be completely outside itself.” 17
The fundamental difference between the prayer of quiet and infused recollection is that the latter is an invitation from God to refocus oneself within the innermost soul, where He wishes to communicate Himself. “Quietude goes further: it begins to give the soul possession, the fruitful enjoyment of the sovereign Good.” 18
In this phase, the soul finds perfect balance between action and contemplation, for even though tending to silence and repose, since it does not encounter obstacles in the understanding, it is perfectly able to perform active works. The prayer of quiet produces admirable sanctifying effects: great freedom of spirit which leaves the soul generous in the service of divine things, filial fear of God, full confidence in eternal salvation, love of mortification, profound humility, contempt for earthly delights and growth in all the virtues. 19
The three degrees of union
Souls who reach this level continue to ascend the sacred mountain of prayer, attaining the seventh degree: simple union. This is a heightened degree of contemplative prayer, in which all the human powers are held captive and absorbed in God. The soul enjoys the unshakeable certainty of being totally united with God, accompanied by the complete absence of distractions.
Strong and unexpected impulses assail the spirit, consuming it in the flames of divine love, to such a degree, that upon hearing the name of God, an insatiable and devouring impetus is enkindled. “The soul burns with a desire to cast off the bonds of the body so as to freely soar to God.” 20
The eighth degree is ecstatic union. In it, the magnitude of mystical union surpasses the limits of human frailty and, as a result, ecstasies occur, which consist in a bodily debility in which the internal and external senses are suspended. Resistance is rendered impossible in these raptures, proving that: “we are unable to resist His Majesty’s will, either in soul or in body, and are not our own masters, we realize that, however irksome this truth may be, there is One stronger than ourselves, and that these favours are bestowed by Him, and that we, of ourselves, can do absolutely nothing. This imprints in us great humility.” 21
Mystical ecstasies produce supernatural energy which leads the soul to the heroic practice of the virtues. “We need to be resolute and courageous in soul, much more so than for what has been described. For, happen what may, we must risk everything, and resign ourselves into the hands of God and go willingly wherever we are carried away.” 22
Transforming union, also known as consummated union is the final degree of prayer. It is a prelude to and immediate preparation for heavenly glory. St. John of the Cross defines this prayer as the full transformation into the Beloved: “the soul seems to be God rather than a soul, and is indeed God by participation; although it is true that its natural being, though thus transformed, is as distinct from the Being of God as it was before, even as the window has likewise a nature distinct from that of the ray, though the ray gives it brightness.” 23
This heavenly dew bestows magnificent gifts on the soul: the definitive death of egoism, making it solely concerned with God’s glory, giving it the ardent desire to be crucified with Christ, delight in being persecuted and calumniated, as well as imperturbable peace and tranquillity, which the devil cannot shake. The Mystical Doctor considers this to be “the highest state attainable in this life.” 24
A ladder for everyone
Contrary to what is sometimes thought, this journey of prayer, which sanctifies the soul, is not for a privileged few. Without denying that there are special vocations, it cannot be overlooked that attaining holiness in one’s state in life should be the goal of all the baptized.
Yet those who seek to attain perfection are few… “O souls, created for these grandeurs and called to them! What are you doing? How are you spending your time? Your aims are base and your possessions miseries! O wretched blindness of your eyes! You are blind to so brilliant a light and deaf to such loud voices because you fail to discern that insofar as you seek eminence and glory you remain miserable, base, ignorant, and unworthy of so many blessings!” 25 laments St. John of the Cross.
The truth is that without grace we are unable to detach ourselves from the things of this world, raise our sights and ascend this sublime ladder of prayer. Therefore, let us turn to the Mother of Divine Grace, who kept and pondered in her heart all that the Almighty revealed to her (cf. Lk 2:19,51). ◊
The teaching of St. Alphonsus Maria de Ligouri
Prayer is Stronger Than All The Devils
Our prayers are so dear to God
Our prayers are so dear to God, that He has appointed the Angels to present them to Him as soon as they come forth from our mouths. ‘The Angels,’ says St. Hilary, ‘preside over the prayers of the faithful, and offer them daily to God.’ This is that smoke of the incense, which are the prayers of Saints, which St. John saw ascending to God from the hands of the Angels (Rev 8:3); and which he saw in another place represented by golden phials full of sweet odors, very acceptable to God. But in order to understand better the value of prayers in God’s sight, it is sufficient to read both in the Old and New Testaments the innumerable promises which God makes to the man that prays. Cry to me, and l will hear you (Ps 49:15). Call upon Me, and I will deliver you (Jer 33:3). Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. He shall give good things to them that ask Him (Mt 7:7). Everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds (Lk 11:10). Whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father (Jn 15:7). All things whatsoever you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive them, and they shall come to you (Mt 18:19). If you ask me anything in My name, that will I do (Jn 14:14). You shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done to you. Amen, amen, l say to you, if you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you (Jn 16:23). There are a thousand similar texts; but it would take too long to quote them.
Without prayer there is no victory
God wills us to be saved; but for our greater good, He wills us to be saved as conquerors. While, therefore, we remain here, we have to live in a continual warfare; and if we should be saved, we have to fight and conquer. ‘No one can be crowned without victory,’ says St. Chrysostom. We are very feeble, and our enemies are many and mighty; how shall we be able to stand against them, or to defeat them? Let us take courage, and say with the Apostle, I can do all things in Him who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). By prayer we can do all things; for by this means God will give us that strength which we want. Theodoret says, that prayer is omnipotent; it is but one, yet it can do all things: ‘Though prayer is one, it can do all things.’ And St. Bonaventure asserts that by prayer we obtain every good, and escape every evil: ‘By it is obtained the gain of every good, and liberation from every evil.’ St. Laurence Justinian says, that by means of prayer we build for ourselves a strong tower, where we shall be secure from all the snares and assaults of our enemies: ‘By the exercise of prayer man is able to erect a citadel for himself:’ ‘The powers of hell are mighty,’ says St. Bernard; ‘but prayer is stronger than all the devils.’ Yes; for by prayer the soul obtains God’s help, which is stronger than any created power. Thus David encouraged himself in his alarms: Praising I will call upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from my enemies (Ps 17:3). For, as St. Chrysostom says, ‘Prayer is a strong weapon, a defense, a port, and a treasure.’ It is a weapon sufficient to overcome every assault of the devil; it is a defense to preserve us in every danger; it is a port where we may be safe in every tempest; and it is at the same time a treasure which provides us with every good.
ST. ALPHONSUS MARIA DE LIGOURI:
DE LIGÓRIO. Prayer: The Great Means of Salvation
and of Perfection New York: Aeterna Press, 2015, p.43-45.
Notes
1 ST. JOHN DAMASCENE. De fide orthodoxa. L.III, c.24: MG 94, 1090.
2 ST. THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX. Manuscrito C. Armas invencíveis – Oração. In: Obras Completas. São Paulo: Paulus, 2002, p.205.
3 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Summa Theologiæ. III, q.39, a.5.
4 ST. ALPHONSUS MARIE LIGUORI. A oração, o grande meio para alcançarmos de Deus a salvação e todas as graças que desejamos. Aparecida: Santuário, 1987, p.42.
5 ST. TERESA OF JESUS. Livro da vida. C.X, n.5. São Paulo: Paulinas, 1983, p.73.
6 Idem, n.3, p.72.
7 Cf. Dz 10-64.
8 ROYO MARÍN, OP, Antonio. Teología de la perfección cristiana. 6.ed. Madrid: BAC, 1988, p.655.
9 Cf. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, op. cit., II-II, q.83, a.13.
{NF}10 ST. TERESA OF JESUS. Castelo interior ou Moradas. Primeiras moradas, c.I, n.7. São Paulo: Paulus, 1981, p.23-24.
11 Idem, Segundas moradas, n.2, p.42.
12 ROYO MARÍN, op. cit., p.661.
13 Cf. ST. FRANCIS DE SALES. Filoteia ou Introdução à vida devota. P.II, c.2-6. 8.ed. Petrópolis: Vozes, 1958, p.85-92.
14 ST. TERESA OF JESUS, Castelo interior ou Moradas, op. cit., Quartas moradas, c.I, n.7, p.75.
15 Idem, c.III, n.3, p.88.
16 GONZÁLEZ ARINTERO, OP, Juan. Grados de oración y principales fenómenos que les acompañan. Salamanca: Manuel P. Criado, 1916, p.46.
17 ST. TERESA OF JESUS, Livro da vida, op. cit., n.1, p.71.
18 ROYO MARÍN, op. cit., p.718.
19 Cf. ST. TERESA OF JESUS, Castelo interior ou Moradas, op. cit., Quartas moradas, c.III, n.9, p.92.
20 ROYO MARÍIN, op. cit., p.729.
21 ST. TERESA OF JESUS, Livro da vida, op. cit., C.XX, n.7, p.153.
22 Idem, n.4, p.152.
23 ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS. Subida do Monte Carmelo. L.II, c.5, n.7. In: Obras Completas. 7.ed. Petrópolis: Vozes, 2002, p.198.
24ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS. Cântico Espiritual. C.XXII, n.3. In: Obras Completas, op. cit., p.713.
25 Idem, C.XXXIX, n.7, p.809.
