RCIA: Understanding Catholicism - Prayer

Understanding Catholicism:

Understanding Catholicism Prayer

Catholicism: Comprehensive & Holistic :

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…” (Mt 22:37) ~Communion with the divine~ Catholicism: Comprehensive & Holistic

Prayer :

From the Latin, precari: to beg; to plead Primary action of prayer is petition ACT: Adoration, Contrition and Thanksgiving also appropriate Always initiated by God, natural innate human desire to respond: gratitude, forgiveness, plead, blame, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you” Prayer “We little know the things for which we pray…” - Chaucer

What is prayer?:

Prayer isn’t intended to manipulate God, but to appeal to his goodness and give definite form to our desires. Prayer is the primary means to build a relationship with God. What is prayer? Prayer is “elevation of the mind to God…” - St. John Damascene Prayer is “talking with God…” - St. John Chrysostom

Who are we? :

Human Person - free, rational, spiritual being created to know, love and serve God Free - we can choose Rational - we can obtain knowledge Spiritual - we can commune with God Prayer is personal (never to an idea or abstraction) Saints, angels, suffering souls, the just and sinners - all can all pray through the merits of Christ Who are we?

Blessing to a blessing :

Jesus asks for a drink, at the same time He knows that he is the living water (Luke 4:10) Prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours; the basic movement of the blessing (Ps 42; 63, Is 55, Mt 5:6, Jn 7:37) Blessing to a blessing “Bless the Lord, O my soul” ( Psalm 104:35; 103:22) “Christ took bread and blessed, and broke” (Matt 26:26) Dedicated to God “It is Christ that prays in every soul in whom He lives.” – Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson

One thing necessary :

One thing necessary Jesus instructs the busy Martha that her contemplative sister, Mary, has chosen “the better part” ( Lk 10:38-42) Prayer is the “one thing necessary” The most satisfying invitation to happiness “He prays best who does not know that he is praying.” - St. Anthony

Effects of Prayer :

Effects of Prayer God does not change, but simply puts into effect what he has eternally decreed in light of our prayer (directly, indirectly, actual grace, natural gift or miraculous intervention) Obtain gifts, elevate our minds and hearts, merit grace, satisfy temporal punishment due to sin “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find: knock and it shall be opened to you” (Mt 7:7; Lk 11:11) “The world that looks so dull all day Glows bright on me at prayer.” - Fr. Faber

Conditions of Prayer :

Conditions of Prayer Not like having wishes granted Object must be worthy of God and good for the one who prays Implicit trust (faith) is needed in His promises Must be humble and sincere; (Ps 1:19) Earnest and fervent desire; perseverance (Lk 11:5-8) “If we knew all that God knows, we would will to happen exactly what does happen.” - St. Francis de Sales (Rm 8:28)

Moral Life & Mystical Life :

Moral Life & Mystical Life Moral Life Purgative-Illuminative-Unitive Mystical Life Vocal Prayer-Meditation-Contemplation As growth in moral life occurs, mystical life will grow Cardinal virtues dispose us to readiness for theological virtues Prayer is the breathing of charity “He that flees from prayer flees from all that is good.” - St. John of the Cross

Objects of Prayer :

Objects of Prayer Lord’s Prayer Summary of the entire gospel Seven Petitions or Blessings Triune God: The Name: Faith-embodies all other petitions Thy Kingdom: Hope- primarily at the end of time Thy Will: Love- unite our wills to His Us: Daily bread: Temperance- daily good; Eucharist Forgive us: Justice- astonishing; strict requirement Lead us not into temptation: Prudence- discernment Deliver us from evil: Fortitude- not an abstraction, reality Amen: So be it- satisfying what is contained in prayer “…prayer revives the soul, by prayer it lives.” – Bl. Robert Southwell

Methods of Prayer :

Methods of Prayer Rosary: vocal prayer that leads to meditation Posture: express inward sentiment by outward sign; hands raised to heaven; head bowed; eyes raised, lowered; prostration; kneeling; genuflection; striking breast Remember who you are talking to, remain in reverence Music, Writing, Liturgy of the Hours Repetition of divine vocabulary, Jesus Prayer : “Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner” “…spiritual life is obedience to a Lawgiver, not a mere feeling or taste.” – Cardinal Newman

Mental Prayer :

Mental Prayer St. Ignatius: Set the Scene subject (truth, fact, attributes, existence) call to mind and recollect -act of adoration construct a scene appropriate; imagination conversation petition for grace resolution St. Teresa: Fill Your Mind Call to mind God Converse on subject Reflect on subject Resolution on Subject “Pray as you can and do not try to pray as you can’t.” – Dom Chapman

Sources for Subjects :

Sources for Subjects Scripture (particularly gospels) “The Imitation of Christ” Kempis “Introduction to Devout Life” de Sales “In Conversation with God” “Divine Intimacy” “Magnificat” (monthly publication) “We pray in order to please God, not to please ourselves. ” – Card. Jean Danielou

Blessing to a Blessing :

Blessing to a Blessing Catechism: Creed - Plan of blessing Sacraments - Blessing fully revealed Moral Life - Fulfillment of blessing Prayer – Blessing’s basic movement “The only way to pray is to pray; and the way to pray well is to pray much…” – Dom Chapman