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                     September 21, 2025, Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

          Grades of Prayer – 3. Affective Prayer - Practicing Affective Prayer (2)

Discursive meditation, when properly engaged, should naturally lead into affective prayer—a deeper movement of the heart and will toward God. However, this transition is not always easy, and it can vary greatly depending on the temperament of the individual. Three important points can help guide the practice of affective prayer. First, individuals differ in their natural disposition. Some are naturally affectionate and loving, easily moving from intellectual meditation to heartfelt affection. Others, by contrast, are more reserved and inclined toward rational analysis. For these individuals, prayer often remains discursive, and the expression of affection may be rare or difficult. They may require more time, patience, and experience to cultivate affective prayer. Such individuals might find methods rooted in Carmelite or Franciscan spirituality—emphasizing the heart and simplicity—more fruitful than the more intellectually structured Ignatian approach. Second, affective prayer should neither be forced nor ignored. Those who are naturally meditative and analytical must learn to recognize and respond to the gentle stirrings of the heart during their meditation. At times, genuine affections will arise unbidden; these should be welcomed rather than suppressed. Conversely, those who are emotionally inclined must be cautious not to confuse genuine affections with false consolations. They should remain grounded through spiritual reading, structured meditation, and vocal prayer. Ultimately, affective prayer is a gift of grace, and we must remain open, not striving anxiously, but also not neglecting its gentle call. Third, affective prayer is best cultivated through careful and reflective discursive meditation. One should read point by point, pausing whenever the affections of the will are stirred. Rather than pressing forward too quickly, we should rest in those moments of affection until they naturally subside, then return to the meditation. The key is attentiveness to the natural movement between intellect and will, allowing the transition to be neither rushed nor overly delayed. To grow into this deeper form of prayer, three things are essential: Attentiveness in daily vocal prayer and meditation. As Proverbs exhorts: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:20–23). St. Peter also reminds us: “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil prowls like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8). Purity of mind and heart, as St. Thomas Aquinas teaches: the soul must be detached from inferior things to be united to the Supreme Good. Habitual awareness of living under God’s loving gaze. More than a technique, prayer is a relationship—an encounter with the Living God, even if at times hidden in darkness. — Fr. Jesu