Youcat commented through CCC – Question n. 503 – Part V.

YOUCAT Question n. 503 - Part V. What is interior or “contemplative” prayer?

(Youcat answer repeated) Contemplative prayer is love, silence, listening, and being in the presence of God.

A deepening through CCC

(CCC 2717) Contemplative prayer is silence, the "symbol of the world to come" (Cf. St. Isaac of Nineveh, Tract. myst. 66) or "silent love" [St. John of the Cross, Maxims and Counsels, 53 in The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, tr. K. Kavanaugh, OCD, and O. Rodriguez, OCD (Washington DC: Institute of Carmelite Studies, 1979), 678)]. Words in this kind of prayer are not speeches; they are like kindling that feeds the fire of love. In this silence, unbearable to the "outer" man, the Father speaks to us his incarnate Word, who suffered, died, and rose; in this silence the Spirit of adoption enables us to share in the prayer of Jesus.  

Reflecting and meditating 

(Youcat comment) For interior prayer one needs time, resolve, and above all a pure heart. It is the humble, poor devotion of a creature that drops all masks, believes in love, and seeks God from the heart. Interior prayer is often called the prayer of the heart and contemplation.

(CCC Comment)

(CCC 2718) Contemplative prayer is a union with the prayer of Christ insofar as it makes us participate in his mystery. The mystery of Christ is celebrated by the Church in the Eucharist, and the Holy Spirit makes it come alive in contemplative prayer so that our charity will manifest it in our acts. 

(This question:  What is interior or “contemplative” prayer? is continued)