This week has reminded me of Ecclesiastes 3:8. There has been a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. Many of us are still processing the resignation of our Holy Father Pope Benedict the XVI… and with Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s day and the first Friday of Lent happening in rapid succession…well, our minds and hearts have been on a bit of a roller coaster.
Even though I’m still a bit dizzy, I’m relieved to be entering Lent this year, as a desperately welcomed chance to go into the desert to find Jesus and be still and listen. To prepare for that, I recently embarked on my first official appointment for spiritual direction. My spiritual director suggested that I should begin by identifying my prayer temperament (I had not heard of this before). She loaned me her well-loved copy of a book aptly titled “Prayer and Temperament” and I have been feasting on it ever since. I thought I’d share a little about it for those who might benefit, too.
The science behind “Prayer and Temperament” began with the Myers-Briggs Test Indicator in about 1974, which I’ve only ever understood in the context of Psychology alone. About 30 years ago, the author of the book Msgr. Chester Michael, worked on a study called the “Prayer Project” where he sought to find the connection between psychology and spirituality. Since then he has established an Institute for Spiritual Direction and his findings have been applied in thousands of retreats and workshops. If you would like to try this out, here is the MBTI online to help identify your personality type.
Of course, each of us are uniquely made, and no one person will fit into a box of human design. This is obviously not an exact science, but it can provide a good idea of where your strengths lie in your approach to prayer.
Msgr. Michael groups the main prayer temperaments within Benedictine prayer, Ignatian prayer, Augustinian prayer, Franciscan prayer, Thomistic Prayer, but others are mentioned in the book such as Trinitarian prayer, Marian devotion and Teresian spirituality. Once you take the MBTI, you can look here to determine which style you may fall under, and learn more about which forms your temperament may prefer. For cradle Catholics like myself who have not absorbed the beautiful knowledge and wisdom that so many others have strived to attain 🙂 my advice would be to do a little reading and stretch your spirituality this Lent. Allow yourself to experience a style of prayer that you have not tried before, just get your feet wet and see where God leads you. Reach out to your parish priest if you would like some guidance in getting started, and visit your parish library for great resources for your journey. Don’t be intimidated!
Some prefer scripted prayers, some prefer contemplation and meditation. Some enjoy spontaneous prayer or the holiness of daily work. Some marvel at nature. Some delight in music as prayer. Some enjoy reading, some enjoy writing, some are called to be speakers and leaders in ministry. Our Creator has made us all to be different, but all of us come together in Mass as one family, one body in Christ, as servants to further His kingdom on earth. Relish in how God made you, and the gifts which He gives you. Offer your best to Him in prayer, almsgiving and service this Lent. May we all be blessed with a memorable and meaningful Lenten season!
How do you love to pray?
Really love this article, great idea Julia! I’m a big fan of the MBTI for relating to people and understanding them better. As an ISFJ I was pleasantly surprised to see Ignatian prayer as the recommended focus, since once upon a time I had read the Spiritual Exercises and found some profound thoughts there. Time to revisit. Now I just need to find prayer habit recommendations for someone with ADD, a multitude of distractions, and very little free time!
It would be really interesting, to me, to study this further to see how it can apply more specifically! Thanks for reading, Matt!
I have serious ADD too but have developed a lively prayer life over the years. Just remember that you are made for prayer and union with God and also that the Holy Spirit prays within us because we don’t know what we’re doing. Also it is God’s grace that comes and helps us to pray. Prayer itself teaches us. God seems to respond very much to the effort and guide us. He knows we have ADD. I was a single parent with two little kids for a really long time. Just grab those moments wherever you can and begin to create the solitude with God within yourself. (I remember loading the dishwasher and writing in my journal in between dishes as it lay open on the counter…. and having an imaginary chapel in my mind that I could go to when I needed to). God knows your situation and he will lead you with such perfect grace and love! If I can learn to pray consistently and learn to live in God’s presence with attentive awareness at least sometimes then that means anybody on this planet can sure do it! 🙂 And you must know there are some things an ADD mind does easily that other people’s minds won’t do. Our minds are flexible and open and creative in a unique way. God can work with that with no trouble at all. Maybe he likes our kind of mind and it is fun for him to work with us. He’s a creative genius remember? 😉
Yours is a really inspiring example. Perhaps with a little more effort and a lot of divine intervention I can quiet my mind and more fully experience His presence, just as you have demonstrated. Truly appreciate the kind words of encouragement!
INFJ, and Augustinian. Interesting Stuff, Julia!
I thought so too, Kelley!
ENFJ and Augustinian. Learned a lot, thanks!
Awesome!
INFJ – Augustinian! I LOVE this book. We recommend it to our engaged couples to use to help them find ways to pray together!
Maybe *NFJ’s are most likely to comment on blog posts? 🙂
I’m glad to be coming out of the rubble finally and learning about it myself! 🙂 I am INFJ too!!! 🙂
one more *NFJ comment.
This is a really interesting topic but I’m a little skeptical of Myers-Brigs because I don’t seem to get a consistent result. … ENFJ this time … I was more sold when in (correctly) predicted my favorite book is Luke…
Very cool. I get mixed up sometimes trying to remember that the test attempts to define what the external world observes rather than what may be true all the time for an individual.
I was told by a licensed MBTI practitioner that it’s supposed to change over time. You change, so why shouldn’t your MBTI change, too?
Wait Julia so which one are you?
I am also INFJ. But when I took it in college, I was an ENFP.