An Invitation to Prayer
• Prayer is essential
to the life of a
disciple.
• Jesus instructs us to
pray constantly.
• Sometimes God
grants us what we
wish and at others
he provides for
much deeper needs
that we ourselves do
not recognize.
Defining Prayer
• There are several
definitions of prayer.
• Most essentially,
prayer is a
relationship, our to
God who seeks
usresponse.
• Benefits of Prayer:
– Contributes to our sense of self-worth
– Leads to happiness
– Changes us
– Nourishes us in virtues
– Energizes, calms, and renews
– Heals
– Helps relieve anxiety
– Deepens our
relationship with the
Triune God
How to Pray
Prayer is an act of love that can be enhanced by following “6 Ps”:
– place: find a place where you can be in God’s presence
– period of time: set aside a designated time for prayer
– posture: assume a posture that helps you be alert and
relaxed
– presence: remember that you are in God’s presence so that
you can be present to God
– passage: one common way to enter into prayer is to be begin
with Scripture
– persistence: strive to focus on prayer in spite of distractions
* Jesus is pleased that we want to pray, even if we are distracted. Any effort at prayer is
prayer itself.
Expressions of Prayer
Meditation: Mental Prayer:
Vocal Prayer: conversing with
prayerful
prayer reflection, or reflecting on
God, sometimes
expressed in especially on the
Word of God in leading into
words, we do contemplation
Scripture, using
as Jesus our thoughts, (a form of silent,
taught in the emotions, wordless prayer
imaginations, and where we rest in
Our Father God’s presence)
desires to “tune
into God.”
Forms of Prayer
Scripture and Tradition have revealed several
normative forms of prayer, including:
• Blessing: we
bless God
because he
first blesses
us.
• Adoration:
giving glory to
God and
humbly
acknowledging
that he is the
loving Creator
of everything
• 1. Adoration
- Praising God
In adoration we adore God as we rightfully
should.
- God is our Creator and Lord and by His
divinity,
- He is worthy of praise and honor.
The angels who are before God’s throne
unceasingly praise Him for His perfection
and majesty.
Based on the Catechism of the
Catholic Church (i.e. CCC)
says:
PRAYER OF BLESSING AND ADORATION
'The prayer of blessing is man's response
to God's gifts...'
'Adoration is the first attitude of
man acknowledging that he is a creature
before his Creator.'
(See CCC 2626 - 2628
•2. Contrition
- Asking for God’s
forgiveness
• Contrition:
- as sinful creatures,
we offend our Lord
when we break His
divine Law.
in what way, we restore our
relationship with God?
- Observe His Law – the
Commandments. Our Lord has said, “If
you love me, keep My Commandments.”
- Receiving the Sacrament of Confession
- Doing charity works, indulgences, and prayers
can make restitution to Divine Justice and pay the
debt of our sins
Forms of Prayer
Petition: asking God
to provide what we
need materially or
spiritually.
–contrition is a
special type of
petition(sorry) in
which we ask God
for forgiveness
•3. Petition
- Asking God’s
favor.
•we bring our
requests before God
for ourselves, our
family, or our
friends.
• God is truly present in the
Eucharist - the most real
presence of Our Lord on this
earth. While we can pray
anywhere the greatest prayers
are those before the
Eucharist, where the veil
between Heaven and earth is at
its thinnest.
PRAYER OF INTERCESSION
'In intercession, he who prays
looks "not only to his own
interests, but also to the
interests of others", even to the
point of praying for those who do
him harm.'
(See CCC 2634 - 2636
Forms of Prayer
• Intercession: a
special form of
intercession
that we make
on behalf of
others
• Thanksgiving: prayer of gratitude to God for all
that he has given us
– The Eucharist (which means “to give thanks”) is a
special prayer of thanksgiving that we offer with
Christ.
• Praise: acknowledges that God is God and gives
him glory
•4.Thanksgiving
- Showing God of
gratitude
• Thanksgiving:
- Giving God the thanks He
deserves.
We were created and redeemed by
Him yet He continues to bless us
and love us
• PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
'As in the prayer of petition,
every event and need can
become an offering of
thanksgiving.'
'Give thanks in all circumstances; for this
is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you'.
(See CCC 2637 - 2638
Act. # 1 Analyze the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be
Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this
day our daily bread; and forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass
against us; and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil, Amen
Act. # 1 Analyze the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be
Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us
this day our daily bread; and forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass
against us; and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Activity # 2
Compose a prayer
using the pattern of
ACTS
Traditional Catholic Prayer
Practices
• Icons: when we pray
before icons (religious
images intended to
direct our attention to
Heaven), we put
ourselves into the
presence of the holy
person or mystery
portrayed.
Traditional Catholic Prayer Practices
• Prayer Before the
Blessed
Sacrament: visiting
the Lord in the
Eucharist or keeping
a holy hour
Traditional Catholic Prayer Practices
• Litanies: a series
of prayers, both
invocations and
responses, which
can be done
either
communally or
privately.
Traditional Catholic Prayer Practices
•Novenas: prayers
offered over nine
days in order to
obtain special
graces or for
particular
intentions.
Traditional Catholic Prayer Practices
• The Jesus
prayer: “Lord
Jesus Christ,
Son of God,
have mercy on
me, a sinner.”
Traditional Catholic Prayer Practices
• Litanies: a series of
prayers, both invocations
and responses, which can
be done either communally
or privately
• Novenas: prayers offered
over nine days in order to
obtain special graces or for
particular intentions.
• The Jesus prayer: “Lord
Jesus Christ, Son of God,
have mercy on me, a
sinner.”
Praying with Sacred Scripture
• Many Catholic prayers come from Sacred
Scripture:
– prayers said at Mass
– psalms
– canticles
– popular prayers like the:
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Angelus
The constant theme in Scripture is that
God’s relationship with his people is one
of prayer.
Models of Prayer in the Old
Testament
• Abraham responded in obedience to God’s
call.
• Moses interceded with God for his people.
• The Chosen People prayed in the Temple
before the Ark of the Covenant.
• King David composed psalms, which
capture human emotion and glorify God.
• The prophets talked to God, interceded for
his people, and proclaimed God’s Word.
Prayer in the New Testament
• Jesus learned to pray
from his mother and
from the Jewish
tradition, but…
• as the Son of God, his
prayer also came
from who he was.
The Gospels give many examples of Jesus at prayer:
– Jesus prayed for 40 days in the desert to prepare for his
ministry
– Jesus prayed before making important decisions like
selecting the Apostles
– Jesus prayed after performing miracles
– Jesus prayed before Peter confessed him to be the Messiah
– at the time of the Transfiguration
– Jesus prayed at the Last
Supper
– Jesus prayed in the Garden
of Gethsemane
– Jesus prayed on the cross
• Jesus also taught his
disciples how to pray
– in the Sermon on the
Mount,
– with the Lord’s Prayer,
and
– at all times.
• The New Testament
tells of other models
for prayer:
– the Blessed Mother
– the Apostles
– St. Paul
The Church Prays with Sacred Scripture
• The Church prays with
Scripture in numerous
ways:
– Mass and other
liturgies of the Church
– Psalms
– the Our Father
Two Special Prayers for
Jesus’ Disciples
The Lord’s Prayer
• the preeminent Christian
prayer, used in all the
sacraments
• has been called “a
summary of the whole
Gospel”
• Our Father: Jesus invites us to address God with the
intimate term Abba (Daddy)
• Who Art in Heaven: reminds us of God’s
transcendence
• Hallowed Be Thy Name: recognizes God’s holiness
• Thy Kingdom Come: we pray for Christ’s return and
live, experience, and work for the Kingdom
• Thy Will Be Done on Earth as
It Is in Heaven:
to do the Father’s will is to
join our will to his Son’s and
to participate in his ongoing
work of Salvation
• Give Us This Day Our Daily
Bread: requesting both
material and spiritual goods
and blessing that are
necessary for life
• And Forgive Us Our Trespasses as We Forgive Those
Who Trespass Against Us: to receive forgiveness we
must acknowledge our sinfulness and forgive others
• And Lead Us Not Into Temptation: we pray for the
strength to overcome difficulties that might steer us
away from Christ
• But Deliver Us From Evil: we pray that God will protect
us from Satan and evil in the world
The Hail Mary
• Next to the Our Father, the
Hail Mary is a favorite
Catholic prayer that calls on
Mary for her intercession on
our behalf.
• The Hail Mary helps the
Church remain in
communion with the Virgin
Mary, “to magnify the great
things the Lord has done for
her.”
• Hail Mary, Full of Grace: indicates that Mary was full of
grace, without sin, and blessed by God within her
• The Lord Is With Thee: God chose Mary, preserved her
from sin, and filled her with grace
• Blessed Are Thou Among Women: As the Mother of
God, Mary occupies a unique role in Salvation History
• Blessed Is the Fruit of Thy Womb,
Jesus: blesses Mary for her faith
in accepting God’s Word that she
was to be the Mother of God
• Holy Mary, Mother of God:
acknowledges that Mary is
the Mother of God because
she gave birth to Jesus, who
is both true God and true
man
• Pray for Us Sinners: We
acknowledge ourselves as
sinners and ask Mary to
intercede for us.
• Now and at the Hour of Our
Death: We ask Mary, who
remained with her Son to the
end, to do the same for us.
Q: What are the types of honor to God,
Mary and the Saints?
by Pope Pius XIII
The highest honor that is possible is given to God alone,
and that is called in Latin “LATRIA.”
The seconds highest honor that is given is
“hyperdulia,”
and that is given to the Blessed Virgin alone.
The third type of honor is “dulia,”
and that is given to all the angels and saints in heaven.
After that there are various grades of honor. We are told to
honor our parents. We are to honor the King (and rulers in
general). We must honor our superiors. The wife must
honor her husband.
Q: What are the types of honor to God,
Mary and the Saints?
After that there are various
grades/Level of honor. We are
told to honor our parents. We are
to honor the King (and rulers in
general). We must honor our
superiors. The wife must honor
her husband.
