What is Contemplative Prayer? (with Fr Mike Schmitz)

[@ctmcatholic]

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[@LindaChojnowski]

Yes, unity and consolation and continued strength; that is why I desire silent time with God.

[@MsTupton]

As a penance my confessor told me to slow down and do 20 minutes of contemplative prayer. I didn't know what that is. After hearing this video I think I understand. I think it's like this: I recently heard my dad was in the hospital. I live far away. After great lengths and a long car ride I just wanted to sit with him. Not say or do anything. Just be together. I think maybe that's contemplative prayer.

[@cq8822]

I do it and I feel like it’s too easy. I have to remind myself I do it with my family all the time. Just being together is nice - don’t always have to be speaking.

[@bernakinch9781]

Behold and be held….love that. Thanks Fr Mike❤️🙏

[@ctmcatholic]

Such a great line. Hopefully we’ll have Fr Mike back on the channel at some point.

[@GenXer82]

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

[@ctmcatholic]

Amen!

[@simonbelmont1986]

What a simple and beautiful verse.

[@karolinaharrington2369]

After a personal tragedy, I wanted to reinvent my life, to move to avoid the pain, but the loving God repeated the message to me, “Be still…” I listened, and He’s blessed me thousandfold since then.🙏❤️

[@catherinehewson3513]

Sometimes we just need a hug, no words necessary.

[@ctmcatholic]

Amen!

[@lmtt123]

I wouldn't be hugging him and wouldn't pick up the soap in the shower either!

[@ploki0123]

Fr. Mike looks like he is flustered when explaining but i can see the joy and excitement in his eyes as if he is in love. I guess thats the work of contemplative prayer. When you just love the presence of someone you love, no words needed. In this case, with God. Thank you for sharing this. It's nice to hear Fr. Mike again.

[@ctmcatholic]

We agree that you can totally see how much Fr Mike loves God, probably the main thing that makes him such an effective speaker!

[@brjimbo1]

Staying in the presence of the Holy Spirit

[@JavierGarcia-jg5xp]

Very nice! I loved the "Behold and be held." part. (I am an Episcopalian. I am open to all good, spiritual messages from members of different religions.)

[@margaretbingham468]

You explained brilliantly Father, may God continue to Bless, Guide and Protect you Father, Amen: Respect from Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪🇻🇦🕊️ PAX

[@ctmcatholic]

Thanks for watching, Margaret!

[@marittapereira1790]

"To behold and be held" - I'm touched... It's so beautiful!!!

[@dafnewalker3643]

Your mind goes a thousand fifteen hundred kilometers per hours because you truly have passion for God and people! Never be sorry when you chit-chat! Thank you!

[@focusedmeditation1933]

Let the contemplation of my heart be pleasant to you lord.

[@ctmcatholic]

Amen!

[@margaretbingham468]

Beautiful prayer, thank you from Dublin Ireland 🇮🇪🇻🇦🕊️ PAX

[@Spillers72]

Contemplative prayer is simular to mindfulness meditation. It's being totally present in this moment in communion with God.

[@simonjones5413]

Fr Mike, you always speak directly to my heart, and never fail to educate me in the practice of my Catholic Christian faith. You are the Fulton Sheen of our generation, and like him I hope you become at least a Venerable🙏

[@ctmcatholic]

🙏🏼

[@patriciaperry7606]

Contemplative Prayer Fr. Thomas Dubay,-The height of prayer is Contemplative Prayer. A prayer which you don’t do the talking. You listen, GOD Does the talking, you’re being Fed by the Eternal Father. You’re out of the Element of Time, you’re in ETERNITY with God. 😢Loving God Forever and ever.. ❤Sweeeet Time forever ❤ St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross were Contemplatives. Fr. Thomas Dubay, R.I.P. He did a grand beautiful job on Contemplative Prayer! Love and God bless. Fr. Mike, Don’t worry about what others think, God said be Holy. You’re good. Amen ❤

[@ctmcatholic]

Beautiful, thank you Patricia ❤️

[@cq8822]

I don’t think he worries about what others think. He simply cares about their understanding his message

[@helentesoriero4357]

Centering prayer= stop the give me, give me praying. Just be still & know God.

[@ctmcatholic]

💙

[@EricMichaelSHOW]

Amen! Finally true wisdom!

[@fidelisfaber4961]

Thank you Katie. I just saw you on the Catholic Voices webinar and am so impressed: your website is beautiful and this is one of the best and most helpful talks I have heard from Fr Mike for a while. God bless your ministry.

[@ctmcatholic]

Thank you so much!

[@mimizorz76]

Beautiful!

[@ctmcatholic]

Thank you!

[@KatiraAZ]

In Prayer we talk and ask, in Meditation ( Contemplative Prayer) we are quiet, we listen and we might receive... Meditation is mention in The Bible too. We just need to stay Centered in Jesus and God not into nothingness like some yogis state but always with Jesus in our center and Intention.

[@carriesaffell8116]

Thank you

[@EricMichaelSHOW]

I go into a meditative state to hold on and love on God. There is definitely an embrace and He loved me first for sure, but I would feel guilty asking to be loved on before made right. I feel the focus should be on HIM and not me and that is my constant concern and prayer.

[@ishouldbesleeping1354]

He went to the father for obedience. There are several prayers of Christ recorded in the Bible. They’re so revealing and beautiful

[@ctmcatholic]

Yes there are 🙏

[@MrsAChery]

“He was going to get the Father.” That! Nice.

[@ctmcatholic]

:)

[@orbeuniversity]

I would like to share that writing your menal prayer down in the first person: that is, you telling our Lord things and asking Him things, and then writing down what our Lord tells you, makes a world of difference. Writing down your mental prayer (conversation with God) helps us to be more attentive and to be more receptive to hearing God's will for us. God uses our minds and thoughts to tell us His will for us. The most important thing in mental prayer is to listen to what God is telling you. I would also like to add that a step towards *contemplative prayer* is to persevere and grow in our mental prayer. When we persevere in our mental prayer, we will discover that moments of contemplative prayer, even throughout the day, are more accessible than we think. We don't need to be specialist to reach contemplative prayer. We only need to persevere in our mental prayer.

[@ctmcatholic]

Thank you for your insight. God bless

[@helentesoriero4357]

(BE STILL & KNOW THAT I AM )

[@ctmcatholic]

💙

[@dafnewalker3643]

That was a very beautiful video, honestly!

[@ctmcatholic]

Thanks for watching!

[@KingdomIsNow]

CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER IS NOT ROCKET SCIENTIST. Contemplative prayer is when the Christian believer is able to completely shut down their carnal mind, and is so astounded and mesmerised by the loving, forgiving, kind and benevolent nature of God, thus the worshipper cannot express what they feel in words, all that is left is to gaze upon the character of God in amazement. It is another form of deep worship devoid of the mundane. This is what "Be still (arrest the carnal mind), and know that I am God" means.

[@jimmcdonough5497]

Just sit at His feet and listen

[@EricMichaelSHOW]

Please God for the LoVe of GOd hahaah

[@geraldine5600]

Touched deeply 🌹 Thanks so much!😇 Merry Christmas 🌲❄️⛄

[@ctmcatholic]

So glad to hear that. Merry Christmas to you too.

[@geraldine5600]

Just finished praying my first Rosary 😇🌹 and I got your message. You are all the Best 💚 The whole team! God bless you ⛄🦌🎅🌲🎁 Thanks for your reply 🌹🌹🙂

[@PTAP330]

“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25. The Bible says Jesus lives to make intercession for us. Interceding for everyone would take up a long time which is probably why he spent so much time alone in prayer.

[@naamhaisiddhu]

💖

[@juliettu7]

❤️❤️❤️

[@ctmcatholic]

🙏

[@louismariamoreno3039]

Is centering prayer (Fr. Keeting), the same as contemplative prayer?

[@martyrrt]

I listened to the entire video. There is some truth to what the father is saying. But, I think a better explanation of contemplative prayer is better explained by father, Richard Rohr.

[@hlapatsas]

He was going to show us he is always with the Father and the Holy Spirit because those 3 are 1.

[@ctmcatholic]

Amen!

[@jeromyabraham4866]

True 💯

[@ctmcatholic]

Agreed! :)

[@MrJoebrooklyn1969]

Still dont know what it is.

[@devoradamaris]

🕊🌐🕊

[@ctmcatholic]

❤️❤️❤️

[@mana7412]

Comforting to know priests can also have distracting thoughts during prayer 🙏🏻

[@ctmcatholic]

We all do!

[@moringaottawa]

It is maybe a calling but it's achievable by anyone. Maybe it's speaking in tongues in a fullness of faith

[@Micha-Hil]

why it quiet

[@ctmcatholic]

Hi Miles, have you turned the volume up both on your laptop/PC/phone and KZbin?

[@bobhawkins2997]

Your definition of contemplative prayer is different than that of Richard Rohr. I have much less disagreement with your definition of Rohr and Foster: I am a sola scriptura guy who is very skeptical of mystical practices.

[@joymoments]

Here is the link to the full conversation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipnYhnhoh8Zjf6c

[@ctmcatholic]

💙

[@romaion4024]

Fr. Mike is really cool, and I've learned a lot from him over the years. However with contemplative prayer I think we need to be very careful. "Slowing down" down our thoughts in order to "be with God" is not what contemplation is. It is my understanding that we do not "choose" the when and where of contemplation, and it does not happen through our own will -- it is a gift of God given to us in His own time and in His own Way. I think contemplation is an act of God that often accompanies more traditional forms of prayer (i.e., vocal and mental prayer), and isn't something we just "decide" to do.

[@DailySource]

The nuance is that it is fine to, and can be beneficial to, set aside some silent prayer time to be open to contemplation, though it is God who chooses to grant it or not.

[@DailySource]

Also, from what I’ve read and experienced, contemplation is basically a wordless connection with the love and peace of God, so when we are in the midst of actively saying a verbal prayer or mental prayer or doing a mental meditation, it is largely incongruent with (and we are mostly not open to) that wordless connection. The wordless connection could possibly occur at the end of the verbal praying or mental meditation, though likely only if we give silent time and space for it. For example, if sitting in a church, a few people do quiet verbal prayers in their heads on their own, then end and immediately start talking to each other or viewing their cell phones, it’s extremely improbable that they will experience contemplation at the end. Also, although it is possible, it is rare that in the midst of mental prayer and vocal prayer that the deep and profound wordless connection of contemplation occurs because our minds are actively intending to generate more strings of words. During contemplative prayer, a person is often deliberately putting aside or letting go of generating more strings of words in order to be open to the possibility of God granting the contemplative connection. If I remember correctly: along the lines of seeking the kingdom of God, seek and you shall find, and the passage in the Bible about god appreciating and helping the woman who persistently asked for some thing… I think it is fine to have some amount of want for and intention for that wordless connection with God as long as it is coupled with an intention for God‘s will and understanding it is God‘s choice. This is similar to intercessory prayer in which it is fine to ask God for something for ourselves or for others if it is coupled with the understanding that it should only be granted if it is in line with God‘s will. From what I have seen, about 99.99% of intercessory prayers that people make fail to even mention God‘s will, though that does not make their prayers bad or useless. God realizes that we humans are kind of dumb, shortsighted and self-centered. It seems that to some extent, God appreciates that we are even praying at all, and God can be forgiving of our lack of acknowledging the importance of his will. As we progress, it seems God wants us to move closer towards perfection including giving more emphasis to his will. Our relationship with God is a journey and process and it seems that most of us, myself included, start off far from perfect. Likewise, when a person starts with contemplative prayer it naturally usually will be way short of perfect, but then improves with practice and experience.

[@richardpaggi9988]

I was told contemplative prayer is not good along with trans and dental meditation and yoga!! Please stay away from such practices!! Please do your research!!’

[@EricMichaelSHOW]

What???

[@BibleSamurai]

this is so bad....how ppl fall for this stuf

[@sylviareeves3447]

Gave this video a dislike because he speaks too fast. I know in the past someone suggested that I can slow down the speed but I’m not computer savvy.

[@kwkw5711]

Pause the video by clicking on it. You should see a cog in top right hand corner. Click on that you should see an option to change playback speed

[@kellysweeney5429]

An easy , non technical solution, is to pause when you need to process what Father is saying. Even rewind of necessary. Father is passionate and has such a strong desire to lead his flock. He is a wonderful, loving shepherd.

[@romandaigle455]

Contemplative prayer is from the enemy and not from God. The Bible always tells us to pray with a sound mind and body. The Bible says never use repetitive prayers( words) and never empty yourself in prayer. The occult and witches and new age uses contemplative prayer, centering prayer. It can cause you to be demon possessed.

[@spiritwarriorstudios]

Bless your heart.

[@DailySource]

That’s false. The Bible clearly says that one good way to pray is by using a repetitive prayer, known as the our father. The Bible also has other ways of praying.

[@DailySource]

Also, Jesus basically said we have to lose ourselves in order to access God and heaven. People mean the same thing when they talk about emptying themselves in prayer. It sounds to my ears like you are likely misinterpreting them. Also, just because you heard a few semi-crazy people claim that a demon possessed them during contemplative prayer… Doesn’t make it true. Lots of inaccurate, untrue things have been said by a few crazy people. The Bible conveys to pray with sound mind and body, and contemplative prayer is sound. I am sure that you can find a small portion of people who misuse contemplative prayer just like a small portion of people misuse everything in the world … Including that people misuse Jesus and Christianity. But that doesn’t mean that we should avoid Jesus or Christianity as a result.

[@romandaigle455]

@@DailySource no the Bible says NOT to use repetitive prayer! Let’s see the verse!

[@romandaigle455]

@@DailySource you’re clearly the enemy

[@marv6013]

Jesus was the son of man while on earth But why you ask questions from the person who let others call him "father" when bible clearly says don't call anybody on earth father....

[@elmtree33]

Exactly which scripture are you quoting?

[@DailySource]

@@elmtree33 It seems likely this person is anti-Catholic and doing an anti-catholic rant. His or her point has been rebutted by numerous Catholics including the folks at Catholic answers. If anyone needs information or clarity on this, go to the Catholic answers website and search for something like: is it OK to call priests father. You could also Google it, though you will probably come across many anti-catholic rants and will likely need to scroll to find a good Catholic rebuttal.

[@frankreynolds2590]

How did you address your earthly father?

[@marv6013]

Matthew 23:9 . Do not call priests “father”

[@Islandalex1]

A waste of time..

[@bluezy710]

Dangerous teaching. He said a bunch of things that meant absolutely nothing. If you know what happens to your brain when you just repeat words, you'd dump this teaching really quick. It numbs your mind and takes you intro a trance, that's all it does. “When ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matthew 6:7). The word vain means “empty” or “useless”; so Jesus is warning us that repeating worthless phrases in our prayers will not help them be heard by God. Our Heavenly Father is not concerned with word count, flowery expressions, or mantras; He desires “truth in the inward being” (Psalm 51:6).

[@purplepinetrees5106]

Yeah, that is what the King james version of the Bible says.

[@maryfitz7174]

I didn’t really hear him speak about repeating a bunch of words… not sure what you heard. Maybe listen again with opening your heart to learn how to behold and let God hold you. This is being open to God’s grace. Be still and know that God is God…. It’s all by grace, no argument here.

[@zackoliveira3945]

Repetitve prayer is a way to mediate on the word and mysteries of God. This biblical even Jesus give us a prayer that we are to pray “The Our Father”. We especially see this expressed in the Psalms if you look at Psalm Ch 136 and others there is a repetitive aspect to it. Jesus warns us about long lengthy prayers because “They think they’ll be heard for their many words.” Contemplative and meditative prayer we are entering into a relationship with God in by reading the words of God and mediation on the mysteries of Jesus Christ.