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"Prayer: The Faith Prayed."
Have you made any New Year’s resolutions?
Why not follow the insights of this Catechetical year and make a resolution to strengthen your prayer life?
Our focus this year is “Prayer: The faith Prayed”.
If you are not already doing so – try something that can benefit you and those you love on a spiritual level.
Have you ever practiced “lectio divina”? This Latin word translates simply into “divine reading”. This form of meditative prayer dates back to early monastic communities. It is a form of meditation that monks would practice in their daily encounter with Sacred Scripture, in preparation for Holy Communion, and as they prayed the Liturgy of the Hours. We too can benefit from this type of prayer whenever we want to. Either individually or within a group this can be a special time with the Lord.
To begin, find a comfortable space and identify a time when you will not be disturbed. If you are a beginner, try picking out 5-10 verses from one of the Gospels or epistles. Sit, relax, close your eyes and focus on calling to mind that this is your time to spend in the presence of the Lord.
Next say a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide you in your understanding of God’s Word. You will
use your senses; seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling to make the Gospel scene real and alive. Visualize yourself as being part of what you are reading. Read the scripture passage (s) aloud: hear your voice reading the words. When you are finished – pause and recall if any word or phrase stands out, if so, pause and take in the phrase. Then go back and read the passage again – silently now, listening with your heart in place of your ears. The passage will take on a fuller meaning as you place yourself in reflective listening, allowing yourself to be led by the Holy Spirit into a conversation with our Lord. As you finish your time in prayer, take a moment to speak person to person with Christ saying what comes from your
heart. You may conclude with the prayer Jesus us, “Our Father who art in heaven hallowed...
This form of reflection is also known as contemplative prayer. It is not any type of mystical prayer, but a prayer form that calls upon us to use our senses in an imaginative way to reflect on Sacred Scripture. Although it was practiced by early monastic communities, St. Ignatius of Loyola (founded the Society of Jesus (SJ) – also known as the Jesuits) also developed a prayerful way to experience “Lectio Divina” that can be found in his book The Spiritual Exercises, a simple set of meditations/contemplative prayer first published in 1548. Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer, both closely derived from ancient contemplative Christian practices, are attempts to present these ancient practices in updated forms that can appeal to all of us in the lay community.
Why not follow the insights of this Catechetical year and make a resolution to strengthen your prayer life?
Our focus this year is “Prayer: The faith Prayed”.
If you are not already doing so – try something that can benefit you and those you love on a spiritual level.
Have you ever practiced “lectio divina”? This Latin word translates simply into “divine reading”. This form of meditative prayer dates back to early monastic communities. It is a form of meditation that monks would practice in their daily encounter with Sacred Scripture, in preparation for Holy Communion, and as they prayed the Liturgy of the Hours. We too can benefit from this type of prayer whenever we want to. Either individually or within a group this can be a special time with the Lord.
To begin, find a comfortable space and identify a time when you will not be disturbed. If you are a beginner, try picking out 5-10 verses from one of the Gospels or epistles. Sit, relax, close your eyes and focus on calling to mind that this is your time to spend in the presence of the Lord.
Next say a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide you in your understanding of God’s Word. You will
use your senses; seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling to make the Gospel scene real and alive. Visualize yourself as being part of what you are reading. Read the scripture passage (s) aloud: hear your voice reading the words. When you are finished – pause and recall if any word or phrase stands out, if so, pause and take in the phrase. Then go back and read the passage again – silently now, listening with your heart in place of your ears. The passage will take on a fuller meaning as you place yourself in reflective listening, allowing yourself to be led by the Holy Spirit into a conversation with our Lord. As you finish your time in prayer, take a moment to speak person to person with Christ saying what comes from your
heart. You may conclude with the prayer Jesus us, “Our Father who art in heaven hallowed...
This form of reflection is also known as contemplative prayer. It is not any type of mystical prayer, but a prayer form that calls upon us to use our senses in an imaginative way to reflect on Sacred Scripture. Although it was practiced by early monastic communities, St. Ignatius of Loyola (founded the Society of Jesus (SJ) – also known as the Jesuits) also developed a prayerful way to experience “Lectio Divina” that can be found in his book The Spiritual Exercises, a simple set of meditations/contemplative prayer first published in 1548. Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer, both closely derived from ancient contemplative Christian practices, are attempts to present these ancient practices in updated forms that can appeal to all of us in the lay community.
Tips for praying:
Find a quiet place and time. Prayer can be done anywhere but it is good to have a place that is conducive to relaxing and focusing your attention on God. Calm yourself and put away distractions. It is important to be relaxed when we pray by finding a comfortable posture.
You can use formal prayers or speak what you feel to God, or a combination of both. It is important to note that there is no “right” way to pray. Experiment with styles and forms of prayer. Prayer is an ongoing, conversation meant to develop our relationship with God.
Prayer is not meant to be a one-way conversation - take time to listen. God does speak to us in prayer and we need to listen with our hearts.
Be open to what God is telling you – it may be different from what you want to or expect to hear.
Use the Bible in your prayer and if you like keep a prayer journal.
Quality of our prayer life depends on our openness to God, our desire to get to know God better and our reverence toward God. – we need to have and develop a proper attitude
You can use formal prayers or speak what you feel to God, or a combination of both. It is important to note that there is no “right” way to pray. Experiment with styles and forms of prayer. Prayer is an ongoing, conversation meant to develop our relationship with God.
Prayer is not meant to be a one-way conversation - take time to listen. God does speak to us in prayer and we need to listen with our hearts.
Be open to what God is telling you – it may be different from what you want to or expect to hear.
Use the Bible in your prayer and if you like keep a prayer journal.
Quality of our prayer life depends on our openness to God, our desire to get to know God better and our reverence toward God. – we need to have and develop a proper attitude
Are you already taking at least a few minutes to spend in prayer each morning?
No matter how busy or rushed we may become - this time is never wasted.
Time spent in prayer strengthens our relationship with God, helps us to focus, and prioritize events in our life. Prayer time is our opportunity to share our inner most thoughts, gratitude, and needs with our Lord. At its best, prayer Is an ongoing conversation with Someone who loves us beyond our imagination.
Many of us have favorite prayers we pray every day. If we fall into reciting these prayers instead of
contemplating the meaning and what we are saying to our Lord – it may be time to express our thoughts in a different way and perhaps with a different prayer.
No matter how busy or rushed we may become - this time is never wasted.
Time spent in prayer strengthens our relationship with God, helps us to focus, and prioritize events in our life. Prayer time is our opportunity to share our inner most thoughts, gratitude, and needs with our Lord. At its best, prayer Is an ongoing conversation with Someone who loves us beyond our imagination.
Many of us have favorite prayers we pray every day. If we fall into reciting these prayers instead of
contemplating the meaning and what we are saying to our Lord – it may be time to express our thoughts in a different way and perhaps with a different prayer.