Archbishop Fulton Sheen said there are three levels of prayer.
- Spoken prayer, out loud or in your head. This is like walking to God.
- Meditation, where you mediate on a mystery of God and really reflect on it's effects. This is like running to God. (Lectio Divina helps with this aspect). Mediating on the mystery of Jesus's sacrifice and how wonderful it is, how it helps us, and how much love God showed us.
- Finally, there's contemplation, where you contemplate the meaning and purpose of the mysteries of God, not just it's effects. The hows and whys. This is like taking a jet to God. Reflecting how the sacrifice works and why God did it. If you want to get to know sensei, ask him why he has you practice the same sword stroke over and over. Don't just say "I'll do this over and over so I'll get stronger because I know it'll help".
