Day 346: Meditation and Vocal Prayer

Through His Word, God speaks to man. By words, mental or vocal, our prayer takes flesh. Yet it is most important that the heart should be present to him to whom we are speaking in prayer: "Whether or not our prayer is heard depends not on the number of words, but on the fervor of our souls." CCC 2700

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses expressions of prayer, meditation and vocal. For vocal prayer, we have the example of Jesus Himself, from the liturgical prayers He gave in the synagogue, to His giving us the Our Father prayer, to even His prayers of anguish in Gethsemane (CCC 2701). Because we are body and soul, this form of prayer is thoroughly human, our need to express vocally what is in our hearts and the depths of our souls. From praising God to begging Him for understanding and relief. Meditation is where our "mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life" through Scripture, writings of the Fathers or spiritual leaders, holy icons, the splendor of God's creation, etc. (CCC 2705). Through such meditative prayer, our thoughts, imagination, emotions, and desires are all engaged to "deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ" (CCC 2708).

The Catechism Companion Vol III has some good commentary on this:

Vocal prayer involves expressing thoughts through words, emphasizing the connection between body and soul. Using words in prayer is not mere repetition. Words are an expression of what is in our hearts. Vocal prayer is indispensable for us... Prayer comes from the depths of our souls but often involves an outward manifestation... The ultimate goal of meditation is to focus on Jesus, but it also involves making the teachings of the Scriptures personal. Meditating on what we read helps us internalize and assimilate the teachings, allowing us to make the wisdom our own. (p. 208)