Usquequodomine1958: St. Alphonsus Liguori’s Method of Mental Prayer

Friday, 14 March 2025

St. Alphonsus Liguori’s Method of Mental Prayer

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Mental prayer consists of three parts: Preparation, Meditation, and Conclusion.

The preparation consists of three acts: of faith in the presence of God, of humility with a short act of contrition, and of supplication for divine light. Saying thus:

For the first — 'O my God, I believe that thou art present with me, and I adore thee with all the devotion of my soul.'

For the second — 'O Lord, I have deserved, on account of my sins, to have been long since in hell; O infinite goodness, I am grieved with my whole heart for having ever offended thee.'

For the third — 'O my God, for the love of Jesus and of Mary, enlighten me in this my prayer, that I may derive advantage from it.'

Then say a Hail Mary to the Blessed Virgin, to obtain light, and for the same purpose, a Glory be to the Father, to St. Joseph, to your angel guardian, and to the Saints, your advocates.

Make these acts with attention, but briefly, and then proceed to the meditation.

In meditating, make use of some pious book, at least in the beginning, and lay it aside when you come to any part which particularly strikes you. St. Francis of Sales says, that, in this, you must imitate bees, which settle upon flowers so long as they find honey in them, and then pass on to others. The fruits to be derived from meditation are three: affections, prayers, and resolutions; in the exercise of these consist of the great advantage of mental prayer. After you have meditated upon some eternal truth, and God has spoken to your heart, you must then speak to God:

First, by raising your affections to him, in acts either of faith, of gratitude, of humility, or of hope; but above all, in repeated acts of love and contrition.

St. Thomas says: 'Every act of love merits for us life eternal.' And every act of contrition obtains for us the same.

Acts of love are: 'O my God, I love thee above all things. I Hope thee with my whole heart. I desire to do thy holy will in all things. I rejoice that thou art infinitely happy,' and the like.

For an act of contrition, it will suffice to say: 'O infinite goodness, I am sorry for having offended thee.'

Secondly — Pray to God for light, humility, or any other virtue, for a happy death, for eternal salvation, but above all, for his love and holy perseverance. And when your soul is in great dryness, repeat: 'Help me, O my God: O Lord, have pity on me: My Jesus, mercy.' And if you do nothing more than this, your prayer will still be very advantageous.

Thirdly — Before you finish your prayer, make some particular resolution, such as to avoid some sinful occasion, to bear with what may be disagreeable to you in another person, to overcome some defect, and the like.

In concluding make three acts. First — Thank God for the lights he has bestowed upon you. Secondly — Be determined to keep the resolutions you have made. Thirdly — Ask God's help for the love of Jesus and of Mary to adhere to your good purposes. And end your prayer by recommending to God the souls in purgatory, the prelates of the Church, sinners and all relations and friends with an Our Father, and Hail Mary. St. Francis of Soles advises that whatever sentiment may have particularly prevailed in this kind of prayer should be treasured up, so that it may be recalled to the mind frequently in the course of the day.

Download St. Alphonsus Liguori’s Method of Mental Prayer PDF

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Check out My Lenten Devotional—twenty-three selected meditations, including sermons by St Leo the Great, along with reflections on sin, salvation, and the Passion of Christ. Perfect for daily prayer and reflection.