At the General Audience the Pope speaks about the spiritual style of St Dominic Guzmán
The nine ways of prayer
Bowing as a sign of humility; lying prostrate on the ground to ask
forgiveness for his sins; on his knees in penance, participating in the
suffering of Jesus; with open arms gazing at the Crucifix in contemplation; with
his gaze to the sky
feeling
the draw of God; in the intimacy of personal meditation; seated, quietly
listening. These are the nine ways of pray of St Dominic Guzmán which Benedict
XVI spoke about to faithful this morning, Wednesday, 8 August, at Castel
Gandolfo during their usual appointment at the General Audience. Of the founder
of the order of preachers, the Dominicans, the Pontiff has already spoken about
in previous catechises, underlining his fundamental contribution to the renewal
of the Church in his time. This morning he want to present him as “a man of
prayer” and “an example of the harmonious integration between contemplation of
the divine mysteries and apostolic activity”, such that “in every moment
prayer”, he said, “was the power that renewed his apostolic work and made it
ever more fruitful”.
Looking at him, the man of today can rediscover “that at the origin of witness of faith that every Christian must give in the family, at work, in social commitments and even in moments of rest, stands prayer” because “only a steady relationship with God gives us the strength to live with intensity every event, especially that of suffering”. And integral to prayer, Benedict XVI recalled, “are our outward manners that accompany “dialogue with God”. The Pope then wanted to recall again the “necessity for our spiritual life of finding time everyday to pray quietly; we must take this time for ourselves especially during the holidays – a little time to talk with God”. It will be a also be a way “to help those who are close to us,” the Pope added, “ to enter into the ray of light of God's presence, which brings peace and love of which we all have need”. Ending the meditation on St Dominic, the Pope, as usual, greeted the various groups of faithful gathered from different countries.
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