Meditation & Mental Prayer: Catholics Talking To God.

Noreen Pankhurst

A podcast about the value of mental prayer and its necessity for salvation.

  1. Apr 22

    When Prayer is Penance

    For Meditation & Mental Prayer Journal go to Amason: Catholic Journal Meditation & Mental Prayer: Acquiring the Sanctity Necessary for Salvation  https://www.amazon.com/dp/0956009697 Also: https://www.amazon.com/Meditation-Mental-Prayer-Following-Calvary/dp/0956009670/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&s=books&sr=1-1 Our Website address: Meditation journals.com https://meditationjournals.com/ Description: Prayer can feel like sunlight when life is bright, but what happens when the lights go out and nothing in you wants to speak? From a rainy West Coast February to the first daffodil leaves pushing up through cold ground, we use the seasons to name something many Catholics feel but rarely say out loud: mental prayer can turn dry, heavy, and silent, even when your faith is real.   We wrestle with spiritual dryness and the dark night of the soul through St. John of the Cross, who insists this is not God’s punishment or abandonment. He calls it purification, a transition away from chasing feelings and images toward a quieter, sturdier relationship with God. When consolation disappears, the temptation is to assume something has gone wrong. We explore another possibility: God may be doing His most intimate work precisely when He seems absent, and the silence may be invitation rather than indifference.   The conversation turns personal as we share grief after the death of a spouse, the fear of praying without emotion, and the shock of realizing how easily we avoid prayer when it feels like penance. We end with one simple practice for Catholic prayer life and contemplative prayer: stay. Keep showing up, even if all you can offer is will. If this spoke to you, subscribe, share it with a friend who feels stuck, and leave a review so more people can find it. What does “staying” look like in your prayer right now? Send us Fan Mail

    12 min
  2. 04/02/2025

    Take up your cross and follow Me.

    Deliberately this episode is only a few minutes long as you listen you will understand why as you witness the profound vulnerability of an aging Peter when he recalls one of the most painful moments of his walk with Jesus—when he rebuked his Master for predicting His death, only to be sharply corrected in return. This deeply moving narrative brings us behind the scenes of Gospel writing, as Matthew captures Peter's tearful recollections of his well-intentioned but misguided attempt to protect Jesus from suffering. The poignancy of this moment lies in Peter's hard-earned wisdom. Now an old man, he understands what he couldn't grasp in his younger years: that his resistance to Jesus' crucifixion journey wasn't faithfulness but failure. "If only he had listened that day," we read as Peter weeps, recognizing that his denial of Christ began long before the courtyard and rooster's crow—it started with his unwillingness to accept the necessity of the cross. What makes this account particularly moving is Peter's determination to share his failure despite how poorly it reflects on him. His tearstained realization becomes our instruction: following Christ means embracing self-denial and taking up our own crosses. The words of Jesus that once seemed harsh—"Go behind me, Satan"—now read as a profound invitation to align ourselves with divine purposes rather than human comfort. Through Peter's hindsight, we gain foresight for our own discipleship journey, learning that sometimes the most loving thing we can do is accept the necessary suffering that comes with following God's path. Send us Fan Mail

    3 min
  3. 03/04/2024

    Journey to Perfection: Magnanimity, Fortitude, Patience and Perserverance

    This episode delves into the essence of virtues like Magnanimity and Fortitude, and how they can reshape not only our spiritual endeavors but also our mundane challenges. To answer the call of Christ, "Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect",  We seek the Virtues that will transform us.    Alongside inspiring figures like Father Willie Doyle and guided by the reflective practices of saints such as Anthony Mary Claret and Ignatius Loyola, we examine our own lives through the lens of virtue and learn how even small sacrifices, like giving up fizzy drinks for Lent, can yield profound growth. In this episode our meditation and prayer reaches out to Our Blessed Lady begging Her to help us in our quest for virtue  and the answer to Her Son's command.  teachings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, we confront the challenge of transcending mediocrity in our faith. This episode invites listeners to engage with the spiritual discipline of asking, seeking, and knocking, thereby unlocking the doors to a more devout and virtuous life. Through this heartfelt discussion, emerge equipped and inspired to don the full armor of Christian virtues, cultivating a patience that weathers trials and a dedication to the path of righteousness. Join us for this soul-stirring conversation, as we reflect on scripture and welcome the transformative power of living a life graced by virtue. Send us Fan Mail

    11 min

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A podcast about the value of mental prayer and its necessity for salvation.

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