Friendly interaction

Translated from the original by Ana Giménez.

Meditation is a natural way of reflection on every aspect of life, with a difference: we have allowed Jesus Christ to get in our interior world of mind and peace. In this eternal conversation with our brain we accept a visit, a Human and Divine guest who is going to change our life if we persevere. It obliges us to step out of ourselves to interact with others, the very same way of behaviour towards our neighbours. We stop living in a bubble to open ourselves to others and to Jesus Christ.

He has called us first and loves us to the very end. Without any fear may we go to know and love Him. It is an affective dialogue, defined by Teresa in a well-known sentence: “Mental prayer, in my view, is nothing but friendly intercourse, and frequent solitary converse, with Him Who we know loves us” (Life 8.5)” 

There are many ways to practise mental prayer, they will be explained, and everyone will decide which one is more convenient for him/her. As the boundary with the first mansion vocal prayer is very short, most people are practising it without realizing; the recital of the Lord´s prayer or the Hail Mary prayed with mind and heart, are already mental prayer.

Teresa de Jesús and Ignacio de Loyola learnt it from Landulfo de Sajonia:”In no place will you learn better to hold firm your own grounds against vain flattery, against adversity and temptations from enemies. In no place but in the life of our Lord Jesus, which was faultless and the most perfect. Frequent meditation on His life, leads the soul to the trust and familiarity with our Lord (…) In all your deeds and words, turn your eyes towards Jesus, as your guide; while walking, while being still, while lying, or while eating, drinking, talking, silent, alone or with others. You will love Him better”.