PROGRESS IN PRAYER 

“To some extent
prayer comes naturally to man.
Like anything innate
it often tends to follow
a natural rhythm identifiable with growth.

During childhood
recited prayer predominates
words learned by heart or read from a book ...

From adolescence to adulthood
meditative prayer develops.
We also find spoken prayer during this period.
This species, while focusing upon
a subject of one’s own choosing,
breaks forth spontaneously ...

It may be the outburst of an emotion of joy,
praise, gratefulness, sorrow ...

Finally,, silent prayer
is the prayer of the mature man, whose soul
remains speechless in the presence of God
aware of the inadequacy of whatever the soul may say to him.
But is simply content
to rest in God’s entrancing company.”

by Michael Lapierre, S.J.