1. Prayer

2. "Feel often during the day the need for prayer and pray. Prayer opens the heart, till it is capable of containing God himself. Ask and seek and your heart will be big enough to receive Him and keep Him as Your Own." - Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

3. What are we talking about tonight? Part I – Beginning a prayer life –What is prayer and why should I pray? –Getting ready for prayer Part II – Ways of Praying –Overview of the Spiritual Life –Meditation – Lectio Divina –Aids to the Spiritual Life –Prayer resources –Q&A –Catholic Cool Stuff

4. What is Prayer? “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” - St. Therese of Lisieux "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." – St. John Damascene Prayer is spending time with God

5. Why do we pray? God is infinite, perfect love, all-good, all- knowing, and all-powerful – we should want to spend time with Him Our souls are made to need God –Our happiness and salvation depend on Him We need His grace and help in our lives The world needs God’s help

6. Why do we pray? If God knows everything, then why pray? –Prayer is more than just asking God for stuff –Prayer is spending time with the one who made us for Himself…the one for whom our soul longs to be with. –God does sometimes wait to give us something until we ask Why does God wait to give blessings? –He wants a relationship with us –He wants us to participate in His plan of salvation as members of one family –If God just did everything for us, we would probably be extremely ungrateful and spoiled brats

7. Three Main Levels of Prayer Vocal Prayer – speaking to God –Formal prayers or spontaneous prayers –Goal: a conversation with God Mental Prayer or Meditation –Using your imagination to enter into the mystery of Christ –Scripture, spiritual reading, lives of the Saints Contemplation – simply being in the presence of God –“I look at Him and He looks at me”

8. Overview of the Spiritual Life Ascetical LifeMystical Life Dark Night of the Senses Dark Night of the Soul Heaven Purgative Way Christ’s 30 years of fulfilling all righteousness Illuminative Way Preaching of the Gospel Unitive Way Passion, Death, and Resurrection Conversion Human effort & ordinary graces Supernatural prayer not possible without supernatural grace Levels of Prayer 1.Vocal Prayer 2.Meditation 3.Affective Prayer 4.Prayer of Simplicity Levels of Prayer 1.Infused Contemplation 2.Prayer of Quiet Levels of Prayer 1.Prayer of Union 2.Prayer of Conforming Union 3.Prayer of Transforming Union Purifying Water Getting out of Sin Growing in Faith Starting a prayer life Charity to others Sacraments Purity Illuminating Light Infused Knowledge - intense Responding to the voice of God More heroic charity Living your vocation fully Penance – carrying the cross Inebriations of Divine Love Consuming Fire Soul is captivated by God Spiritual Ecstasies Mystical touches from God Wounds of love Heroic charity Heroic suffering in love

9. Vocal Prayer Prayer is lifting our minds and hearts to God –Revealing ourselves to Him who wishes to reveal Himself to us RAPT –Repentance – sorrow for sin –Adoration – praising God for His goodness –Petition – asking God for help –Thanksgiving – gratitude for all His blessings Review of Day with God

10. Meditation – Lectio Divina Lectio – reading the text Meditatio – praying over the text –Using your imagination to picture the scene –Studying the text, connecting it to other passages, etc. –Reading a good commentary Oratio – talking to God about the meditation –Resolutions – how will you be different Contemplatio – resting in the presence of God

11. Quotes on Prayer “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Heb. 4:12 Seek in reading and you will find in meditating; knock in mental prayer and it will be opened to you by contemplation. Guido the Carthusian (Mt 7:7) CCC 2708 – “Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him.”

12. The Goal of Meditation To encounter Jesus Christ –Not just moral exhortation, but Him personally –To understand His personality & hear His voice Questions for meditation –What is going on in Christ’s heart? In others? –What jumps out at me? Why? –How does this relate to my life?

13. Matthew 14:22-33 Then he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves; for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying, "Take heart, it is I; have no fear." And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

14. Advancing in Prayer Holiness of Life – We pray as we live –Confession –Get out of sin & occasions of sin –Purity & Chastity –Charity & Radical Generosity Spiritual Reading & Holy Friendships –Filling our minds with holy things –Recollection / Silence Responding to God’s call

15. Other Prayer Ideas The Liturgy of the Hours –Christian Prayer or Shorter Christian Prayer Prayer Intention Box or Bowl Family Rosary Lead a family meditation or vocal prayers Husband & Wife Adoration time

16. Prayer Resources Scripture Commentaries –Ignatius Catholic Study Bible – www.ignatius.com –A Father Who Keeps His Promises by Scott Hahn –The Navarre Bible –www.getfed.com –In Conversation with God –Divine Intimacy Prayer websites –www.catholicexchange.com - daily Mass Readings –www.catholic.org/prayers

17. Questions

18. Catholic Cool Stuff - Devotions The central form of worship for Catholic is? –The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Devotions are other forms of prayer that help our relationship with God –Adoration & Benediction –The Stations of the Cross –Novenas –Litanies –Retreats, pilgrimages, and religious processions –Scapulars –Divine Mercy Chaplet –Fasting & Meatless Fridays in Lent –First Fridays

19. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Spending time in worship of Jesus in the Eucharist Monstrance Benediction –Cope –Humeral Veil

20. The Stations of the Cross Started by St. Francis of Assisi in the 1200s 14 depictions of Christ’s suffering and death –Walking with Christ, carrying His Cross Prayed every Friday during Lent

21. Novenas Nine consecutive days of prayer –The 9 days of prayer from the Ascension to Pentecost Novenas are short prayers to God Himself or a particular saint asking them to pray to God for some particular purpose or person –During the novena, our hearts should be changing We must avoid Catholic superstition –God can say no –St. Jude novena – Catholic spam

22. Divine Mercy Chaplet Created by St. Faustinus in the 1930s from visions she had of Jesus –Devotion to the Mercy of God 1. Our Father, Hail Mary, and Apostles Creed 2. Eternal Father… 3. For the sake of His sorrowful passion… Have mercy on us and on the whole world