Christian Prayer

Christian Prayer

What is "prayer"?

"Prayer is a wholehearted faith response to God, who loves us without conditions and is with us in every moment of our life.  Because God is in every aspect of our life, we could offer our very living as a prayer, as a response to God." Although our relationship with God can be expressed in the living our life as prayer, there is still a need to have intentional moments of prayer, to nurture and "give substance to prayer as a wholehearted faith response."

Requirements for Prayer: Finding Sacred Time and Space

·       Prayer allows us to be reminded of God's presence in our world and that we are living in God's time (all of time) and space (all of creation).

·       It allows us to grow spiritually, as it gives us time to look within ourselves and evaluate our actions and how to live a more Christ-centered life.

·       Prayer allows us not only to develop individually, but as a faith community, as prayer can be shared and done with the community.

·       In addition to actual time and physical space, there is a need for "inner space" that is cultivated by "allowing silence" into one's life so that we can better listen to God's presence in our life, even when it may be uncomfortable at times.

Three Paths to Intimacy with God (the focus of prayer)

·       Vocal Prayer (talking to God)

·       Meditation (focusing the mind to be better attuned to God's presence)

·       Contemplation (the prayer of "being with" or present to God)

The Three Main Categories of Prayer:

Personal, Communal, Liturgical

Personal Prayer

Personal prayer is important in the promotion of our living relationship as children of God with our Father who is goodness itself, with Jesus Christ his Son and our Redeemer, and with the Holy Spirit our Sanctifier.  A life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the Trinity and in communion with him (cf. CCC, n.2565).

Community Prayer

Community prayers are such prayers as the Way of the Cross, the Holy Rosary, various devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary or the Saints, particular prayers of Religious Orders or Congregations, or of Catholic Sodalities, Associations or Movements.  Such prayers are generally prayed by a group of persons, although individuals also use them. They differ from liturgical prayers because they are not public, official prayers of the whole Church

Liturgical Prayer

Liturgical prayer is the official prayer of the Church in which Jesus Christ is the chief person praying and in which he associates his Church with him.  The Eucharistic celebration is its fount and apex.  Liturgical prayer embraces the seven Sacraments, the Liturgy of the Hours and the Sacramentals or the Praers and Blessings instituted by the Church for various occasions.  The exalted and supreme character of liturgical prayer follows from the fact that Christ himself leads his Church in every liturgical act.  Because of its public and official nature, the texts o liturgical prayers, and even the gestures and postures, are prescribed and fixed by the Authority of the Church (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, nm. 7, 10, 13, 22).