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Welcome!
Christian Prayer
Session 1: Prayer in the Christian Life
Our Journey Through the Catechism…
God’s Self Revelation
& Our Faith Response
I. Profession of Faith
II. Celebration of the
Christian Mystery
IV. Christian Prayer
III. Moral Life in Christ
How can I renew a spirit of prayer in my daily life,
in my home, and in my community?
Session Schedule
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Opening Prayer
Paired Activity
Talk #1: God’s Universal call to Prayer
Standing Activity
Talk #2: Source and Nature of Prayer
Small Group Activity
Closing Prayer
Opening Prayer: “Hail Mary”
“Hail Mary, full of grace.”
“The Lord is with thee.”
“Blessed art thou among women.”
“Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
“Holy Mary, Mother of God.”
“Pray for us sinners.”
“Now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.”
Mary’s Song
Paired Activity: Pair, Share, Compare
• What are some of your
favorite ways to pray?
• What are some challenges
you face in your prayer life?
• In what ways are you
striving to deepen your
prayer life?
Personalizing the Hail Mary (10x)
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed are thou among women,
and blessed in the fruit of
thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for ______________,
Now and at the hour of death.
Amen.
Talk # 1:
God’s Universal Call to Prayer
•
“Prayer is the raising of
one’s mind and heart to
God or the requesting of
good things from God.”
(CCC, n. 2559, citing St.
John Damascene)
• “In prayer the faithful God‘s
initiative of love always comes
first; our own first step is
always a response. As God
gradually reveals himself and
reveals man to himself, prayer
appears as a reciprocal call, a
covenant drama. Through
words and actions, this drama
engages the heart. It unfolds
throughout the whole history
of salvation." (CCC, n. 2567)
Prayer and Scripture
• “The Church has always venerated
the Scriptures as she venerates the
Lord’s Body.” (CCC, n. 103)
• In the Old Testament, prayer is a
trusting response to God’s call:
-Abraham, Moses, David
-The example of Hannah
-Psalms
• In the New Testament, Jesus reveals
his “filial” prayer (the prayer of a son)
by referring to his Father as “Abba”
New Testament: Examples of Prayer
- Christ himself prays:
“I must be in my Father’s
house” (Lk 2:49)
- Jesus’ parables on prayer
teach the importance of
knocking, persisting, and
having humility
- Pentecost: The Church was
born in prayer,
lived in prayer,
and thrived in prayer
Basic Forms of Prayer:
Taught by the Holy Spirit for the Church
- Adoration: acknowledges we are
creatures in the presence of our
Creator
- Petition: recognizes our dependence
on God for
all of our needs
- Intercession: addresses the needs of
others
- Thanksgiving: expresses gratitude to
God for all the gifts we have received
- Praise : recognizes that
God is God
USCCB: Prayer:
faith life/adoration
Prayer Gestures
Standing: expressing
reverence, as well as vigilance
and readiness; the original
gesture of praise for God
involved standing with one’s
hands outstretched.
Orans position: “praying”
with hands extended and
raised, as a sign of pleading
or supplication.
Sitting: listening interiorly to
what is happening; pondering
the Word in one’s heart, and
meditating on it.
Prayer Gestures
Kneeling: making oneself small in the
presence of God’s greatness; recognizing
one’s dependence on God’s grace.
Prostrating: adoring God.
Folding the hands: overcoming distraction,
“recollecting oneself” and uniting oneself;
this is the original gesture of petition.
Standing Activity:
Guidelines
Composing a Prayer Invocation: Call upon God
Adoration: Acknowledge the greatness of God
Petition: Ask God for something
Intercession: Pray for others
Thanksgiving: Thank God for his gifts and
for his many blessings
If time allows, include
appropriate prayer
gestures: folding hands,
raising arms, sitting,
standing, etc.
Praise: Praise God for his greatness and holiness
Closing: Conclude the prayer in the name of
Jesus Christ, and end with “Amen”
Gloria
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people
of good will.
We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,
we give you thanks
for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father,
Gloria
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand
of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father,
Amen.
Talk #2: The Source and Nature of Prayer
- “Pray without ceasing.”
(1 Thes 5:17)
- What’s your daily prayer plan?
- Christian Prayer is Trinitarian:
To the Father, through the Son,
in the Holy Spirit
- Prayer is fundamentally Marian:
A wholehearted response to
God’s initiative (“Thy will be
done”)
The Daily Offering
O Jesus, through the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, I offer you my
prayers, works, joys and sufferings
of this day in union with the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass throughout
the world. I offer them for all the
intentions of your Sacred Heart:
the salvation of souls, reparation
for sin, and the reunion of all
Christians. I offer them for the
intentions of our bishops and of all
Apostles of Prayer, and in
particular for those recommended
by our Holy Father this month.
Amen.
- Scripture is God’s Word in
human words: meditate on the
Sunday Gospel or daily
readings
- Saints have left a heritage of
prayer by the example of their
lives and the transmission of
their writings.
- Parents are the first teachers
of prayer.
- The faith community should
provide lifelong training in the
art of prayer.
Guides for Prayer
Modes or Forms of Prayer
Making the sign of the cross over
our minds, lips, and hearts—
symbolizes the three types of
prayer:
-Vocal Prayer: raising one’s voice
to express personal prayers
-Meditative Prayer: Pondering the
will of God and his plan for our
lives
-Contemplative Prayer: Listening
silently and resting in God’s love
(“heart to heart”)
The “Work” of Prayer & “Spiritual Warfare”
• 'The Battle of Prayer'
(CCC, nos. 2725-45)
• Acedia (sloth or laziness)
• Distractions and dryness
• Beyond individualism and an
“independent spirit”
•“Prayer is the soul of
discipleship and can strengthen
us for a life of mission…”
St. Teresa of Avila’s
Interior Castle
Prayer Activity:
From Meditation into Contemplation
“1 Minute Meditation” or “Breathing Prayer”:
• While slowly breathing in, say in your mind:
“Jesus”…
• While exhaling, say in your mind one of the
following prayers:
"I trust in you";
“Remember me";
“Have mercy on me"; or
“Fill me with your presence”
From Meditation to Contemplation:
• Embracing 4-5 minutes of silence
What is a new way I
might try to pray?
How might I face one of
the challenges in my
prayer life?
In what ways can I
deepen my prayer life?
How can I renew a spirit of prayer in my daily life,
in my home, and in my community?
Follow-up Reflection and Resources
1) Session Evaluation & Feedback
2) Recommended follow-up:
US/CCA, Chapters 35:
“God Calls us to Pray”
Catholicism, Episode IX:
“The Fire of His Love: Prayer and
the Life of the Spirit”
3) For Catechists & Catholic School Teachers:
“Record of Formation,” including:
required reflection & documentation
Closing Prayer: The Angelus
L: The Angel of the Lord declared
unto Mary.
R: And she conceived of the Holy
Spirit.
All: Hail Mary…
L: Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R: Be it done unto me according to
thy word.
All: Hail Mary…
L: And the Word was made Flesh.
R: And dwelt among us.
All: Hail Mary…
The Angelus
L: Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R: That we may be made worthy of
the promises of Christ.
L: Let us pray.
All: Pour forth, we beseech thee, O
Lord, thy grace into our hearts;
that we--to whom the Incarnation
of Christ, your Son, was made
known by the message of an
Angel--may be brought by his
Passion and Cross to the glory of
his Resurrection. Through the
same Christ our Lord. Amen.