Prayer has been a topic that has always had deep meaning for me. In explaining Catholicism to non-Catholics and to non-Christians I don't find it as helpful to get bogged down in questions of religious doctrine or apologetic -- that can come with time -- I think it is generally more fruitful to focus on the Catholic prayer experience. I believe that focusing on prayer life is a way to have constructive interactions across denominations and communions within Christianity, as well as inter and extra-faith dialogue.
Brother James Watson, OFM Cap., conducted the session and led the group in the practice of contemplative prayer. He also provided the group with an introductory course in Lectio Divina. My notes for this blog post focus on a quiz he gave the group about Catholic prayer. These notes provide a general outline of things one should know about Catholic prayer life:
What is a Catholic understanding of what prayer is? Prayer is a response in faith to the promises of God, it is raising one's heart to God, allowing God to know the depths of our hearts, and it is a covenant relationship between a person and God.
The virtue that is the foundation of prayer is not faith, hope or love, although each of those virtues is important; the virtue that is the foundation of prayer is humility -- it is submission to the will of God and the realization that nothing that we do of our own power will endure.
Is there an official prayer of the Catholic Church? Yes; the official prayer of the Church is the Liturgy of the Hours, which contains nine prayer sessions for different hours of the day, each day of the year. This is a way of liturgically experiencing the different phases of each day. The Liturgy of the Hours consists mostly of Psalms, but also readings from the Old and New Testament and passages from writing from Christian tradition.
Is there a prayer that is the source and summit of the Faith? Yes; the Mass is the prayer that is the source and summit of the Faith.
What book of the Old Testament is the "masterwork of prayer"? The book of Psalms is the masterwork of prayer, which is why we pray it during the Liturgy of the Hours. The early church prayed the Psalms, as did Jesus and his disciples and observant Jews 2,000 years ago.
What, for Christians, is the perfect model of prayer? There are a lot of impressive models of prayer for Christians, including Mary's Magnificant at the Annunciation and the Gloria in Excelsis Deo by the angels at the birth of Jesus, but the perfect model of prayer is the Our Father, which Jesus taught the disciples.
What is the right method for personal prayer, is it spontaneous prayer, formulaic prayer, or a combination of the two? Actually, the right method of personal prayer for Catholics is to pray as your heart dictates, in whatever form it takes.
How can we make sure God hears our prayers? Catholics believe that we can be sure that God hears our prayers by praying in the name of Jesus. We believe in the power of the Name.
Why do Catholics pray to Mary and the saints? Catholics pray to Mary and the saints because we want them to pray with us and for us. We do not pray to them in conjunction with God, nor do we pray to them because we believe they can answer our prayers.
When do Catholics believe it is appropriate to offer a prayer of thanksgiving? Catholics do not believe that the only time to offer a prayer of thanksgiving is when we receive something we want, or something that was unexpected, from God. We believe we should offer prayers of thanksgiving under all circumstances and that we should live in a state of thankfulness and praising God -- again, this is something that the Liturgy of the Hours helps us with.
Prayers of praise most immediately recognize that God is God.
No comments:
Post a Comment