The 9 Ways of Prayer

During his Wednesday audience last week, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the feast of St. Dominic by sharing the saint’s "Nine Ways of Prayer": 

   -bowing as a sign of humility

   -lying prostrate on the ground to ask forgiveness for sins

   -kneeling in penance, participating in the suffering of Jesus

   -gazing at the Crucifix in contemplation

   -standing and genuflecting before the altar with open arms

   -gazing to the sky, feeling the draw of God

   -praying in the intimacy of personal meditation

   -seated, quietly listening

   -praying while traveling, contemplating the beauty of creation.

St. Dominic was a “man of prayer,” Pope Benedict said, and “an example of the harmonious integration between contemplation of the divine mysteries and apostolic activity.” Let us follow his example, then, as we make our efforts each day to enter into God’s presence.

For more on the "Nine Ways of Prayer," check out the Nashville Dominicans’ website.