Q. 1. What is the Gift of Tears?

A. 1. St Ignatius of Loyola said we should pray for the gift of tears. It is a wonderful gift described as the "washing of the soul". When praying, we should be moved beyond our usual emotions of experiencing God in our life so it totally overwhelms us. In prayer, we should consider our sinfulness and be overcomed not by guilt, but by God’s overwhelming love in forgiving us. We cry because we know that we are “loved-sinners.”

The overwhelming Gift of Tears is usually experienced during Eucharistic Adoration, private meditation, the praying of the Rosary, and sometimes at Mass.