To pray as a Passionist is to focus on the Passion of Jesus Christ as the "greatest work of God’s love" and to find him in the suffering of the world. It involves silent contemplation, emotional identification with Christ's suffering and Mary's sorrows, and bringing one's own trials to the cross with humility.
Key Elements of Passionist Prayer:
- Contemplative Focus: Meditating on the wounds and passion of Christ with love and faith.
- Memory of the Passion: Keeping the suffering of Jesus and the sorrows of Mary in one's heart, often using the mantra: "May the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ And the sorrows of Mary our Mother Be always in our hearts. Amen".
- Silence and Stillness: Creating interior and exterior silence to listen to God, often found in nature or solitude.
- Integrating Suffering: Offering personal pain and life's difficulties as a sacrifice, connecting them to Christ's own suffering.
- Community and Charity: Praying with a sense of communion with the Trinity and for the needs of others (Petition).
Practical Approaches:
- "Holy Conversation": St. Paul of the Cross recommended treating prayer as a loving conversation with Jesus, rather than just reciting formulas.
- The Way of the Cross: A central, traditional devotion for Passionists.
- Contemplating Wounds: Imagining oneself in the "Holy of Hollies"—the heart of Jesus—and contemplating his Passion gently without strain.
- Finding God in the Present Moment: Discovering God in everyday occurrences and in the sufferings of the poor and forgotten.
Passionist prayer seeks to turn "trials and pains" into a "balm" for the soul by merging them with the love of Christ.
