▁med itation , ▁more ▁active ▁in ▁ref lections , ▁and ▁cont empl ation , ▁more ▁quiet ▁and ▁gaz e ful . ▁ ▁John ▁Cass ian ▁( 5 th ▁century ) ▁and ▁John ▁Cl im ac us ▁( 6 th ▁century ) ▁discussed ▁the ▁ways ▁of ▁mental ▁prayer , ▁and ▁many ▁F athers ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁gave ▁their ▁own ▁recommend ations ▁for ▁it : ▁August ine ▁of ▁Hi ppo , ▁John ▁Ch rys ost om , ▁Jer ome , ▁Bas il , ▁Bo eth ius , ▁and ▁Bernard ▁of ▁Cla ir v aux . ▁ ▁From ▁before ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁century , ▁the ▁Car th us ians ▁had ▁times ▁set ▁apart ▁for ▁mental ▁prayer . ▁Early ▁in ▁the ▁six teenth ▁century , ▁the ▁Domin ican ▁chapter ▁of ▁Milan ▁pres cribed ▁mental ▁prayer ▁for ▁half ▁an ▁hour ▁during ▁the ▁morning ▁and ▁the ▁evening . ▁Among ▁the ▁Francis c ans , ▁there ▁is ▁mention ▁of ▁method ical ▁mental ▁prayer ▁about ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁that ▁century . ▁Among ▁the ▁Car mel ites , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁reg ulation ▁for ▁mental ▁prayer ▁until ▁Ter esa ▁of ▁Av ila ▁introduced ▁it , ▁pract icing ▁it ▁for ▁two ▁hours ▁daily . ▁In ▁the ▁mid - six teenth ▁century ▁Ign ati us ▁of ▁Lo y ola ▁in ▁his ▁Spirit ual ▁Ex er cis es , ▁which ▁he ▁used ▁with ▁lay pers ons , ▁taught ▁methods ▁of ▁both ▁med it ating ▁on ▁one ' s ▁life ▁and ▁of ▁cont empl ating ▁the ▁G ospel ▁accounts ▁of ▁Jesus '