One of the great problems in the spiritual life is that many Catholics have never been taught what prayer actually is, much less how it develops. Prayer is often reduced to saying prayers, asking God for things, or perhaps reflecting quietly for a few moments. Those seen as very serious avail themselves of extended times in eucharistic adoration or praying the rosary countless times per day (like St. Padre Pio). But the spiritual tradition speaks of prayer as something far deeper than repetition of individual prayers or devotional acts: it is a gradual transformation of the soul and an increasing union with God.
The great spiritual writers understood this well—these include St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and some wonderful theologians who have synthesized the progression of the spiritual life like Tanqueray; Lagrange; and one who wrote closer to today, Jordan Aumann, O.P.
When I originally set out to write this article, I intended to rely heavily on the primary texts from Teresa of Avila. I quickly found out that such a treatment was impossible to accomplish in a standard article, as her thought developed over numerous texts. Instead, I thought it best to take a step back, and further simplify what Fr. Aumann had already summarized about Teresa’s grades of prayer, to make it even more accessible to everyday Catholics like me.
Aumann explains that Teresa’s classification of prayer is rooted in a profoundly theological insight: “The intensity of one’s life of prayer coincides with the intensity of one’s charity.” Prayer deepens as love deepens.
He lists the grades of prayer (synthesized from Teresa) as follows:
- Vocal prayer
- Meditation
- Affective prayer
- Prayer of simplicity
- Infused contemplation
- Prayer of quiet
- Prayer of union
- Prayer of conforming union
- Prayer of transforming union
Of these, he says, “The first four grades of prayer belong to the predominantly ascetical stage of the spiritual life; the remaining five grades are infused prayer and belong to the mystical phase of the spiritual life.” (For a brief explanation of the difference between the ascetical stage and the mystical phase of the spiritual life, see here.)
The first four grades belong primarily to the ascetical life, where the soul still prays predominantly through its own efforts aided by grace. The remaining grades belong to mystical prayer, where God acts more directly in the soul through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Vocal Prayer
The first and most basic form is vocal prayer. This includes prayers spoken aloud or recited interiorly: the Our Father, the rosary (the words, not the meditation), the Psalms, liturgical prayer, and countless other forms. Yet vocal prayer should never be merely mechanical. Teresa warns: “That prayer which does not attend to the one it is addressing and what it asks and who it is that asks and of whom it asks, such I do not call prayer at all.”
This is an important teaching for many of us. Prayer is not simply the repetition of formulas. The mind and heart must be engaged. Aumann notes that “it would be better to recite one Our Father devoutly than to say many prayers in a routine and mechanical fashion.”
But vocal prayer is meant to lead somewhere deeper.
Meditation
The next grade is meditation. Aumann defines meditation as “a reasoned application of the mind to some supernatural truth in order to penetrate its meaning, love it, and carry it into practice.” Meditation involves reflection upon divine truths: the life of Christ, the virtues, death, judgment, the cross, Scripture, the sacraments, or the mysteries of the Faith.
An important note is that meditation is not study. Although the intellect is involved intentionally, it is engaged at the service of prayer.
For this reason, Aumann emphasizes that the goal of meditation is not simply thinking, but love. Quoting Teresa, he writes that meditation consists “not so much in thinking a great deal but in loving a great dea1.” (Save this quote! It’s a powerhouse.)
Affective Prayer
This naturally leads into affective prayer—simplified meditation in which “the operations of the will predominate over discursus of the intellect.” The intellect grows quieter while the soul spends more time loving. It is like meditation simplified, done more with the will—because love is an act of the will.
Prayer of Simplicity
From there the soul may gradually enter the prayer of simplicity, which Aumann describes using Bossuet’s phrase: “a simple loving gaze upon some divine object.” You have probably heard this paraphrased (or cited from other sources such as attributed to St. John Vianney): “I look at him, and he looks at me.”
Discursive reasoning fades, and the soul rests more quietly and simply in God’s presence. Aumann calls this prayer “the bridge between ascetical and mystical prayer.”
Beyond this point, after the dark night of the sense, begin the properly mystical grades of prayer.
Infused Contemplation
The first is infused contemplation, which Aumann defines as “an experimental knowledge of God.” Here prayer becomes increasingly passive. The soul realizes clearly that this prayer is not primarily produced by its own efforts, but by God acting directly through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. One of its principal characteristics is that “God gives to the soul an experimental, intellectual knowledge of his presence.”
Prayer of Quiet
From infused contemplation, the soul may pass into the prayer of quiet. In this grade, the will becomes deeply captivated by God and rests in him with profound sweetness and peace—tasting of his presence. Teresa describes it beautifully: “The soul is in such a state that it does not seem to lack anything.” Even while other faculties may still remain somewhat active, the will rests quietly in God.
Prayer of Union
The next stage is the prayer of union (before this stage, the soul experiences the dark night of the sense), in which all the interior faculties become increasingly absorbed in God. Aumann explains that in this grade, “all the internal faculties are gradually captivated and occupied with God.” Distractions become psychologically impossible because the soul is so profoundly united to God during the experience.
Prayer of Conforming Union
Beyond this lies the prayer of conforming union, often associated with ecstasy and what Teresa calls spiritual betrothal. Here the soul becomes so seized by God that even the external senses may be suspended. The soul experiences profound longing for complete union with God and increasing detachment from earthly things. Teresa writes that the soul “has never before been so fully awake to the things of God
Prayer of Transforming Union
Finally comes transforming union, sometimes called spiritual marriage. Here the soul reaches the highest ordinary degree of union with God attainable in this life. The soul lives in deep habitual union with God, transformed by charity and increasingly conformed to his will. This is the fullness toward which the entire spiritual life tends.
Yet throughout every grade, the tradition repeatedly insists on the same principle: holiness is measured not by experiences, but by charity and virtue. Aumann also repeatedly emphasizes that authentic prayer produces concrete fruits: “an increasing purity of intention, a spirit of self-denial and detachment, an increase in charity, and the faithful and exact fulfillment of the duties of one’s state in life
This is perhaps the most important point of all. As St. Maximilian Kolbe would say, “do what you’re doing.” Be intentional, but live according to your state in life—for it is in that state that God blesses you.
The purpose of prayer is to become united to God. Thankfully, he gives us a little roadmap there. But let’s not lose the forest for the trees.
The grades of prayer are not spiritual medals for accomplishments. They are the gradual purification of the soul and its increasing union with God. The soul moves from speaking many words to reflecting deeply to loving simply, and finally to resting more fully in him, which is our destiny.