Section 5 Prayer and the Paschal Mystery

Section 5, Part 1 The Fundamentals of Prayer

Introduction  Natural unity in Christian faith between theoretical and practical  Sections 1-3 were an overview of God’s plan of salvation (Paschal Mystery) from Creation to the Parousia (broad) with an emphasis on the Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ (narrow)  Section 4 was about how we can unite our lives to the Paschal Mystery (discipleship) thus fulfilling our priestly, prophetic, and kingly calling from Baptism  Section 5 is about another aspect of discipleship—prayer  Salvation History is best thought of as an unfolding of a relationship of prayer  Five Articles  (A. 41) – Why We Pray  (A. 42) – The Forms of Prayer  (A. 43) – The Expressions of Prayer  (A. 44) – Overcoming Obstacles to Prayer  (A. 45) – Ignatian Gospel Meditation

Article 41: Why We Pray  How do natural friendships develop?  Prayer is the same way to build divine friendships  Prayer, like speaking, is first learned through imitation—family  Memorized and other’s words; eventually our own  It is more than speaking—listening  It is more than saying prayers—being prayerful = constant possibility  Definition of prayer from St. John Damascene  The raising up one one’s mind & heart to God in a loving communication  Intellect & affections can be shaped quickly but usually gradually  Prayer requires patience over time and selflessness  Fruit is healing and strengthening of relationships—human & divine  More we are ourselves in prayer the more successful we will be—open fully  All are called because created by God with a religious spirit—desire  Central to self- & divine revelation  Church offers guarantee (Mt. 18) & many opportunities—need private too  Mass, Sacraments, Liturgy of the Hours, feasts, devotions, prayer & study groups

Article 42: The Forms of Prayer  Unlike human relationships where we only share parts of ourselves with different people at different times, we are called to share all of ourselves at all times with God  Thus, the Holy Spirit in the Tradition of the Church has given rise to various prayer forms to assist and enable us in that journey; song always elevates  Blessing and Adoration—given a gift by God; respond with joy and gratitude; leads to acknowledging God’s greatness/our littleness  Petition or Supplication—asking God for something for ourselves; most natural and spontaneous but lowest; forgiveness must be 1 st; perseverance and confidence are keys  Intercession—like petition but for another; higher form; channel is blessed too; friends/close easy but enemies/forgotten also  Thanksgiving—gratitude for the gifts of God; Eucharist is central; easy when good but what about when bad things happen  Praise—culmination of other 4 forms; loving God for who HE is not does  Doxology—praise directed to the Trinity

Homework  Read AA in the Paschal Mystery e- Book for discussion tomorrow  H.W. 5.1; #’s 1-2 (at the end of A. 45)

Article 43: The Expressions of Prayer  Prayer is/should always be Trinitarian—to Father, through Son, in Holy Spirit  Tradition also reveals sources of prayer: SS, liturgy, faith, hope, charity, …  Finally Tradition gives the major expressions of prayer—analogy of a growing relationship between a man and a woman towards marriage  St. John Chrysostom ( )—prayer of heart (not observance) is light of the soul that we desperately need (then desire) like a baby its mothers milk  Vocal Prayer—spoken or silent; memorized or spontaneous; first and basic  Meditation—Gk. care, study, exercise; actively using thoughts, imagination, emotions, and desires to ponder God’s presence in our life and the world through the use of a source; experiences, SS, readings, writings, devotions, icons, creation, …; lectio divina; not Eastern; method; practice; higher/later  Contemplation—confusing like meditation; passively drawn into the presence of God through love; deeply aware of oneness with God; regular meditation is best path; mysticism—regular contemplative prayer  Everyone is called to each level; not just ordained and religious

Article 44: Overcoming Obstacles to Prayer  Simple but not easy but essential to holiness; hardest part is starting  You are not alone—great saints struggled to start and persevere too  Most people pray; goal is to be more consistent to grow deeper  Opportunity to be distinct and set apart for God; more than just goodness  Yes spontaneous and constant but more successful people have set times  Misconceptions  Merely psychological  Requires expertise  Paul’s admonition to “pray without ceasing”—can’t so won’t (prayer and action)  Difficulties  Distractions (attachments and preferences)  Dryness (perseverance perfects faith and conversion perfects apathy)  Discouragement—most effective seed but faith more effective

Article 45: Ignatian Gospel Meditation  Tradition also gifts us with many spiritualities (schools of XTN prayer & action)  Ignatian spirituality—St. Ignatius of Loyola—Jesuits (as 1 example of many)  Discovered the power of imagination while reading & recovering  Developed the Spiritual Exercises to assist with prayer and discernment  Not just psychological activity because the Scriptures are the living word of God  Method  Comfortable position and quiet place  Select Gospel passage (other biblical or non-biblical writings will work too)  Begin with some vocal prayer  Read through once (or more) focusing on characters and details  When you have absorbed the passage close it and imagine yourself in it  Be attentive to how God speaks to you while you are in the passage  Be open to God drawing you into contemplation  If he doesn’t, stay in the meditation as long as you want or you feel God wants  When you are ready, end the meditation with some vocal prayer  TRY IT! (chart in A. 45)

Homework  H.W. 5.1; #’s 3-7 (at the end of A. 45)  Study for the Section 5, Part 1 Quiz tomorrow (AA )  Make sure the 5.1 H.W. is ready to turn in tomorrow (#’s 1-7 at the end of A. 45)