St Ignatius Loyola wants to show us how to become perfect through Meditation and Mental Prayer.  So he begins at the beginning, that is with God and our relationship to Him.  St Ignatius wants us to understand the reality of the grievousness of our sins which are a huge insult to God.
In helping us to understand the magnitude of our offenses, Ignatius shows us the Majesty of the Most High God who as Our Lady described at Fatima, is “…already too much offended.”
To enter into the depth of God in prayer it is necessary to remove the barriers that block our way.  Those barriers are our sins and our faults.  There is no way around them.  They must be removed first.  

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Bible references in this Episode 10
Ps xviii 5
Gen Chapters 1, 2 & 3
Ecclus 18: 6
Ecclus 18: 3,4
Ecclus  17: 10,11
Ps 8: 67 
Ps 17: 21
Sirach 17: 3,4,10,11,
Matt 12:36
Hebrew 10:31
In this episode we follow the meditation and mental prayer from St Ignatius Loyola's Spiritual Exercises.  Our Paradise Squandered encourages us to ponder on the greatest mistake of all time and to consider our own position before God.   

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This is an Ignatian Meditation.  It lays the foundation of our understanding of our relationship with God.  God's just judgement on the rebel angels who sinned only once and His treatment of man who constantly sins against Him is the food for this meditation and mental prayer.

The Douay-Rheims Bible verses used in this episode:
Psalm.  103:4
Psalm.     8:6
Job.        4:18
Isiah.     14:13
Jude.        1:6
Psalm.    37:5
Dut.       10:17

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meditationjournals.com   

In this episode we acquire tools to help us change our world view to experience the reality that this world and every minuscule component and element only exist by God's provenance. We cannot take them away from God by claiming that we own them.  God created all things and therefore owns all things. This is Truth and does not depend on finite man to approve it.  Even the atheist belongs to God and lives by God's good pleasure.

Also I give some examples of how to gain holy indifference from the things we own.  The gate is narrow because only we can squeeze through we cannot take anyone or anything else with us. 

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All the saints suffered batterings from Satan because of their journey into holiness through mental prayer.
In this episode I take a look at how active Satan is when he sees us do meditation and mental prayer. Because he knows we are escaping his clutches, he comes after us all the more.


0.00 attracting the attention of Satan

1.04 the temptations of Christ

2.07 keeping ourselves safe in mental prayer

2.30 it takes more than just being near to Jesus to avoid Satan.

3.50  exorcists 

5.00 particular possession

6.37 Can Satan attack during mental prayer?

7.08  Flattery in mental prayer

8.27  St Teresa and visions in mental prayer

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The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola are a foundation for Mental Prayer.  In this episode we look at the exercises or steps laid out by St Ignatius that lead the aspirant to holiness.
 

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Want to grow in Holiness? Love Journaling?  Then you will appreciate using our book:

“Catholic Journal: Meditation & Mental Prayer”

Or you may prefer a more dedicated Journal:

“Meditation & Mental Prayer: Following Christ to Calvary.  A Catholic Journal”.

For sale on Amazon or on our own site:
meditationjournals.com

Both journals are offered FREE as ebooks.

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Saint Teresa tells us that to expedite our faults is our first objective in Mental Prayer.

In this episode I show you how to identify your Predominant Fault which is keeping you from being as pleasing to God as you would like to be.  

Having said that, His Majesty may during your Mental Prayer, point out to you a different fault that you were not aware of and that He wishes you to attend to. 

This is the huge beauty and benefit of Mental Prayer: it is totally yours and your soul to God who loves you but knows you better than you do yourself.  

In this episode on the Predominant Fault I briefly share my own personal struggles and successes in this journey on the road leading through the Narrow Gate.
 

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Want to grow in Holiness? Love Journaling?  Then you will appreciate using our book:

“Catholic Journal: Meditation & Mental Prayer”

Or you may prefer a more dedicated Journal:

“Meditation & Mental Prayer: Following Christ to Calvary.  A Catholic Journal”.

For sale on Amazon or on our own site:
meditationjournals.com

Both journals are offered FREE as ebooks.


Mentioned in this episode:

• Recap on the 7 step structure of Mental Prayer
• Reasons for distractions
• Preparing for Mental Prayer
• Recognising our own distractions
• Aridity in prayer
• Tips to overcome distractions
• Quieting our minds
• St Teresa talking to her sisters about distractions

Bible verses in this episode

1. Matthew 6 v6
2. es  ex  34 v 14

Coming soon to the Meditation & Mental Prayer Podcast

• Living in The Presence of God
• Understanding our predominant fault

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