What is the difference between meditation and contemplative prayer?
Meditation is a prayer of the mind, whereas contemplation is a prayer of the heart. When we meditate we consider certain eternal truths and apply them to our daily lives. For example, a very popular meditation is the Passion of Our Lord. In the discursive/affective Ignatian method of meditation, the meditation can lead us to profound sentiments of love for God. Thus meditation can launch us into a prayer of the heart and even be a launching pad into contemplation. Excellent books for daily meditation are My Daily Bread and The Imitation of Christ. An excellent Internet source for daily meditation is Sacred Space. I do not recommend that you meditate in front of your computer. The website allows you to print out the meditation. What is the difference between lectio divina and contemplative prayer? Lectio divina is a very old form of mental prayer. It is similar to the Ignatian discursive/affective method. However, with lectio divina, the person always takes up a text such as a passage f
