Our Christian Catholic faith is summed up in the one word - LOVE. This is expressed in our service and care of others, some aspects of which are seen in our parish activities, and in our relationship with God in prayer
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What is prayer?
It is, first and foremost, our interior response, through faith, to God's love for us.
We need to give time exclusively to God in prayer, and we can do this in many different ways, a few of which are as follows. We can turn to God in trust and love and prayer at anytime and anywhere. However it is good also to have a particular place and time for prayer, and choose to sit with your back upright, or lie flat, or kneel or stand. Being aware of sounds, aware of the sensations of your body, aware, best of all, of your breathing - just aware - can be an excellent lead into prayer.
A word or phrase, gently and rhythmically repeated - like Jesus; Father; Spirit fill me with your love; 'Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner' (the Jesus prayer), can all lead one into silence and stillness, to the still point at the centre of our being where God is. |
Another way of praying is to read a passage from the Scriptures, to ruminate on it, to see what God is telling us through it, and then to end with an articulated prayer or resolution.
Praise and thanks are always important elements in any prayer. St Paul says, "Always be thankful." This should always precede our 'asking'. We ask principally to have that inner peace and joy and love that help us deal with the problems and difficulties of our lives. This is illustrated by the following story:
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The Lord Vishnu was so tired of his devotee's constant petitions that he appeared to him one day and said: 'I have decided to grant you any three things you ask for. After that, I shall give you nothing more.'
The devotee delightedly made his first petition at once. He asked that his wife should die so that he could marry a better woman. His petition was immediately granted. But when friends and relatives gathered for the funeral and began to recall all the good qualities of his wife, the devotee realised he had been hasty. He now realised he had been quite blind to all her virtues. Was he likely to find another woman quite as good as her? So he asked the Lord to bring her back to life!
That left him with just one petition. And he was determined not to make a mistake this time, for he would have no chance to correct it.
He consulted widely. Some of his friends advised him to ask for immortality. But what good was immortality said others, if he did not have good health? And of what use was health if he had no money? And of what use was money if he had no friends?
Years passed and he could not make up his mind what to ask for: life or health or wealth or power or love. Finally he said to the Lord, 'Please advise me on what to ask for'.
The Lord laughed when he saw the man's predicament, and said, 'Ask to be contented no matter what life brings you.' In other words, have that inner peace - the gift of the Holy Spirit.
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The adage, "pray as you can, and not as you can't" must always apply. Many find the Rosary a valuable means of prayer. It is really a sort of kaleidoscope of prayer, a little like a song with a rhythmic accompaniment.
The latter comprises a regular number, "beat", of "Our Fathers", "Hail Marys" and "Glory be's". These are offered and counted out on a string of beads whilst our thoughts centre on an event in the life of Our Lord or, in the case of two, specifically on Our Lady, Mary. There are, in all, fifteen of these events and they are divided up into joyful, sorrowful and glorious happenings.
Because we believe that Jesus is alive today and continues, in and through us, to live, suffer, die and rise again, we can fruitfully link these historic events of his life to happenings in our own lives. For example, in thinking of the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem we can pray for the child who has just been born to our next-door neighbour, or the baby to be baptised next week, etc. In contemplating Jesus being scourged at the pillar, we can think of those being tortured or abused today, or when we think of the Resurrection, we can pray that our own relatives who have died may be with the Lord in heaven ..... and so on.
The Prayer of the Church or the Divine Office, combines much of what has been said, in its various parts of praise, thanksgiving, scripture reading, intercession, etc. and underlines the importance of prayer in the morning and evening, giving a useful structure to this.
Finally, remember that prayer is important both alone but also with others - within the family, or in a small group, or in church at the great act of worship in the Mass. Always, whether in a set form, or spontaneous, prayer, the expression of love, must come from the heart. May the Holy Spirit guide us all in the ways of prayer.
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