Catholicism 101– Class #10
Introduction to Prayer
Marcel LeJeune
“Christian prayer is a covenant relationship between God and man in Christ. It is the action of God and of man, springing forth from the Holy Spirit and ourselves, wholly directed to the Father, in union with the human will of the Son of God made man” -Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2564
-We will not focus on methodology during our examination of prayer.
HOLINESS
-The Universal vocation is holiness.
-Holiness is the attribute of God. God is what He is by reason of His holiness.
-Holiness tells us that God is God. God is great, majestic, perfect, etc.
-Creatures are holy by reason of their relationship with God.
-Things are holy if the come from God (Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, etc.)
-Men are holy because they are like God and returning to Him by using His holy gifts.
-God’s Glory and holiness.
-God’s glory is the manifestation of His holiness. This is expressed in the relation of creation to God.
-God shows his power of creation and reveals His glory.
-We give God glory when we participate in His sovereignty by allowing His will to be done in our
hearts, thus furthering His Kingdom.
-“The Glory of God is man fully alive” – St. Irenaeus
-All are called to be holy.
-It is a gift – God acts first and we can’t act without His grace.
-We must cooperate with his gift – must say “yes”.
-Being holy is to be fully human. What we were created to be.
-Holiness and relationships.
-With God – God calls us to holiness, gives us a model in JC, moves us through the HS, gives us
grace, and is then glorified when we become holy.
-With Self – holiness is found in living our call to perfection. It fulfills our call to human-ness.
-With Others – Makes us servants. Christian maturity is found in service of others.
-With the Church – Grace comes through Sacraments and is shown in the communion of Saints.
-Our response to God – conversion
Every time we are in God’s presence is a call to convert.
-Conversion from non-belief to belief
-Living a state of constant conversion
-Being in God’s presence. God is present in:
-Jesus Christ – Luke 1:35, Heb 1:1-4
-The Church – Matt 28:20, Acts 9:1-5, 1 Cor 5:4, 1 John 2:27
-The Sacraments – 1 Cor 1:13, John 20:20-23
-The Eucharist – Luke 22:19-20, 1 Cor 10:16
-Ordained ministers – 1 Cor 9:18, 2 Cor 2:17
-Sacred Scripture – 2 Tim 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:21
-Creation – Rom 1:19-20
-Gifts of the Holy Spirit – 1 Cor 12:4-11
-Poor, Suffering, and Dying – Matt 25:31-46, 1 Pet 12:4-19
-Our Souls – John 14:23
-Day-to-day lives – Col 1:9-12, Heb 10:5-10
-All Prayer and spirituality has a foundation in humility
-This is the virtue without which it is impossible to receive God’s gifts.
-Humility is the virtue of knowing who God is and who we are in relation to Him.
-Humility is the foundational virtue we need to grow in holiness.
-Awareness of our nothingness before God makes us rely on Him.
Problems in Prayer
-Where do our spiritual problems come from?
-From a problem or failure in our prayer life
Eph 6:18 – “With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit”
-We are commanded to pray “in the Spirit”
-this means that we have to pray out of love for God not just out of an obligation
-Love is not dependent on feelings, but above them.
Romans 8:26-27 – “The Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.”
-The Spirit does what we can’t do in prayer
- Prayer is essential for success. By success, I mean success in accomplishing God’s purposes.
Luke 18:1 - “And he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary”
-It isn’t a choice for a Christian
Acts 6:4 – “we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
- devote ourselves to the “habit of prayer”
- Catechism, 2565 - “the life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of God and in communion with him.”
Matt 21:21-22 - “Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
-Have you ever seen a mountain be thrown into the sea?
-Prayer is a matter of perseverance and faith
Mark 9:28-29 – “His disciples asked him in private, ‘Why could we not drive it out?’ He said to them, ‘This kind can only come out through prayer.”
-Without Prayer we have no spiritual power
-Prayer is a battle – against our own sinful nature and against the tempter
-So why would anyone let their prayer life slip?
We quit praying because:
-discouragement -doubt
-impatience -we convince ourselves that the prayer isn’t God’s will
-we give in to temptations that lead us away from prayer
How to overcome the ups and downs and keep going up?
-Frequent the Sacraments (confession and Eucharist)
-Establish a routine and good habits
-Seek out accountability
-pray for faith
Techniques to prayer
4 ways to work toward detachment:
1. Self-observation—we ought to step outside of self and realize what we are doing and who we are.
2. Self-disclosure to the Divine—Bring what we discover from self-observation to the Light of Christ. Here I am (a mess!). The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance, Confession) is a great means for this.
3. Self-abandonment to the Divine Providence— God is in control. We are fully exposed. Everything that goes on we trust is in God’s hands, especially suffering. Abandon ego.
4. Self-mastery— Knowledge of a higher identity: We know we are the Father’s kids. Peace and joy underlie this state.
-Conditions for prayer: 3 external, 3 internal
External:
1. Silence— “Be still and know that I am God.” How hard it is in this day and age to find silence.
2. Recollection— not being disturbed, knowing I am where I have to be at this moment and not being distracted by other things. Know where your mind is all the time, and tell your mind where it ought to be. One thing at a time. Live in the moment.
3. Mortification— capacity to say no to my natural inclinations, likes, preferences, desires (sinful or not sinful). To prefer things of the spirit over the flesh. Aren’t many distractions due to these things. I can’t hear my spirit because my stomach and my next meal preoccupy me. I am desiring a nap too much. I’d prefer not to talk to this person when perhaps God could have used me.
Internal:
1. Knowledge that I am a creator - No life without creator giving it to me.
2. Knowledge that I need a Savior - I am a fallen creature; Christ brings me to the Father.
3. Knowledge that I am a child. - I have a loving Father. I have divine life by virtue of my baptism.
Tips for meditation: (Seeking Spiritual Direction: How to grow the Divine Life Within, 182 Thomas Dubay, S.M.)
-Meditative prayer should be calm and unhurried. There is no set amount of material to be covered.
-Beginners may overemphasize thinking at prayer. Imagination and reasoning have their places, especially in
the early stages, but at any stage of development, love is central.
-Dialoguing with God includes other types of prayer which are naturally sparked by diverse reflections:
-praising, sorrowing, yearning, thanking, petitioning.
-Simplicity is in order. Don’t worry too much about techniques, steps, and procedures.
-One should pay comparatively little attention to the method itself.
-When one finds oneself united to God in a simple loving attention or yearning, methods should be left aside.
“There are no experts in prayer— only those who have been faithful to the ache in their hearts.”
-Sr. Macrina Weiderker
“Man achieves the fullness of prayer not when he expresses himself, but when he lets God be most fully present in prayer” (Crossing the Threshold of Hope, 18). Pope John Paul II
“Prayer is the most exciting experience in human life when it is done correctly, for prayer means touching God” (Prayer: The Great Conversation, 10). Peter Kreeft
“Prayer is a rehearsal for death, a little death. It’s a death of self-will and egotism and playing God. When we pray, we die to out time and our will and our mind and let God’s time and God’s will and God’s mind take their place. Prayer is dying to self, sinking into God” Kreeft, 166.
Prayer and Emotions
-Feelings and emotions are unreliable when it comes to prayer.
-“I don’t get anything out of it,” we say, but those are feelings.
-Praying is like flying through fog: you can’t go by sight; you must go by your instruments, and your instrument is faith (the intellectual assent to the Truth of JC and the relationship that goes along with it).
-Don’t rely on your spiritual sweet tooth.
Suggestions for Prayer
-Meditate on Scripture
-Pray out loud – helps keep us focused.
-Be quiet and still.
-Seek a spiritual guide for help.
-Schedule prayer if necessary
-WAKE UP EARLY!
-Don’t try to DO too much.
-Leave your expectations behind.
-Frequent the Sacraments.
-Try different and new forms of prayer.