Christian Prayer

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Welcome!

• Christian Prayer
• Session 1 Prayer in the Christian Life

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Our Journey Through the Catechism
IV. Christian Prayer
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How can I renew a spirit of prayer in my daily
life, in my home, and in my community?
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Session Schedule

• Opening Prayer
• Paired Activity
• Talk 1 Gods Universal call to Prayer
• Standing Activity
• Talk 2 Source and Nature of Prayer
• Small Group Activity
• Closing Prayer

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Opening Prayer Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with
thee. Blessed art thou among women.
Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God. Pray for us
sinners. Now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Marys Song
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(No Transcript)
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Paired Activity Pair, Share, Compare

• What are some of your favorite ways to pray?
• What are some challenges you face in your prayer
  life?
• In what ways are you striving to deepen your
  prayer life?

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Personalizing the Hail Mary (10x)
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with
thee. Blessed are thou among women, and blessed
in the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary,
Mother of God, pray for ______________, Now and
at the hour of death. Amen.
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Talk 1 Gods Universal Call to Prayer

• Prayer is the raising of ones mind and heart
  to God or the requesting of good things from
  God. (CCC, n. 2559, citing St. John Damascene)

• In prayer the faithful Gods initiative of love
  always comes first our own first step is always
  a response. As God gradually reveals himself and
  reveals man to himself, prayer appears as a
  reciprocal call, a covenant drama. Through words
  and actions, this drama engages the heart. It
  unfolds throughout the whole history of
  salvation." (CCC, n. 2567)

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Prayer and Scripture

• The Church has always venerated the Scriptures
  as she venerates the Lords Body. (CCC, n. 103)
• In the Old Testament, prayer is a trusting
  response to Gods call -Abraham, Moses,
  David -The example of Hannah -Psalms
• In the New Testament, Jesus reveals his filial
  prayer (the prayer of a son) by referring to his
  Father as Abba

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New Testament Examples of Prayer

• Christ himself praysI must be in my Fathers
  house (Lk 249)
• Jesus parables on prayer teach the importance of
  knocking, persisting, and having humility
• Pentecost The Church was born in prayer, lived
  in prayer, and thrived in prayer

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Basic Forms of Prayer Taught by the Holy Spirit
for the Church

• Adoration acknowledges we are creatures in the
  presence of our Creator
• Petition recognizes our dependence on God for
  all of our needs
• Intercession addresses the needs of others
• Thanksgiving expresses gratitude to God for all
  the gifts we have received
• Praise recognizes that God is God

USCCB Prayer faith life/adoration
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(No Transcript)
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Prayer Gestures

• Standing expressing reverence, as well as
  vigilance and readiness the original gesture of
  praise for God involved standing with ones hands
  outstretched.

• Orans position praying with hands extended
  and raised, as a sign of pleading
• or supplication. Sitting listening
  interiorly to what is happening pondering the
  Word in ones heart, and meditating on it.

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Prayer Gestures

• Kneeling making oneself small in the
  presence of Gods greatness recognizing
  ones dependence on Gods grace.
• Prostrating adoring God.
• Folding the hands overcoming distraction,
  recollecting oneself and uniting oneself this
  is the original gesture of petition.

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Standing Activity Composing a Prayer

• Guidelines
• Invocation Call upon God
• Adoration Acknowledge the greatness of God
• Petition Ask God for something
• Intercession Pray for others
• Thanksgiving Thank God for his gifts and for
  his many blessings
• Praise Praise God for his greatness and holiness
• Closing Conclude the prayer in the name of
  Jesus Christ, and end with Amen

If time allows, include appropriate prayer
gestures folding hands, raising arms, sitting,
standing, etc.
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Gloria

• Glory to God in the highest,
• and on earth peace to people
• of good will.
• We praise you,
• we bless you,
• we adore you,
• we glorify you,
• we give you thanks
• for your great glory,
• Lord God, heavenly King,
• O God, almighty Father.
• Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
• Lord God, Lamb of God,
• Son of the Father,

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Gloria
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy
on us you take away the sins of the
world, receive our prayer you are seated at the
right hand of the Father, have mercy on
us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone
are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus
Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God
the Father, Amen.
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Talk 2 The Source and Nature of Prayer

• Pray without ceasing. (1 Thes 517)
• Whats your daily prayer plan?
• Christian Prayer is Trinitarian To the Father,
  through the Son, in the Holy Spirit
• Prayer is fundamentally Marian A wholehearted
  response to Gods initiative (Thy will be done)
  

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The Daily Offering

• O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I
  offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings
  of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of
  the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for
  all the intentions of your Sacred Heart the
  salvation of souls, reparation for sin, and the
  reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the
  intentions of our bishops and of all Apostles of
  Prayer, and in particular for those recommended
  by our Holy Father this month. Amen.

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Guides for Prayer

• Scripture is Gods Word in human words meditate
  on the Sunday Gospel or daily readings
• Saints have left a heritage of prayer by the
  example of their lives and the transmission of
  their writings.
• Parents are the first teachers of prayer.
• The faith community should provide lifelong
  training in the art of prayer.

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Modes or Forms of Prayer

• Making the sign of the cross over our minds,
  lips, and heartssymbolizes the three types of
  prayer
• Vocal Prayer raising ones voice to express
  personal prayers
• Meditative Prayer Pondering the will of God and
  his plan for our lives
• Contemplative Prayer Listening silently and
  resting in Gods love (heart to heart)

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The Work of Prayer Spiritual Warfare

• 'The Battle of Prayer' (CCC, nos. 2725-45)
• Acadia (sloth or laziness)
• Distractions and dryness
• Beyond individualism and an independent
  spirit
• Prayer is the soul of discipleship and can
  strengthen us for a life of mission

St. Teresa of Avilas Interior Castle
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(No Transcript)
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Prayer Activity From Meditation into
Contemplation

• 1 Minute Meditation or Breathing Prayer
• While slowly breathing in, say in your mind
  Jesus
• While exhaling, say in your mind one of the
  following prayers
• "I trust in you" Remember me" Have mercy
  on me" or Fill me with your presence
• From Meditation to Contemplation
• Embracing 4-5 minutes of silence

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How can I renew a spirit of prayer in my daily
life, in my home, and in my community?
What is a new way I might try to pray? How might
I face one of the challenges in my prayer
life? In what ways can I deepen my prayer life?
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Follow-up Reflection and Resources
1) Session Evaluation Feedback
2) Recommended follow-up US/CCA, Chapters 35
God Calls us to Pray Catholicism, Episode
IX The Fire of His Love Prayer and the Life
of the Spirit
3) For Catechists Catholic School
TeachersRecord of Formation,
including required reflection documentation
4) Additional links and resources

• www.dioceseofjoliet.org/evangelization/instituteRe
  sources

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Closing Prayer The Angelus

• L The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
• R And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
• All Hail Mary
• L Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
• R Be it done unto me according to thy word.
• All Hail Mary
• L And the Word was made Flesh.
• R And dwelt among us.
• All Hail Mary

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The Angelus

• L Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
• R That we may be made worthy of the promises of
  Christ.
• L Let us pray.
• All Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy
  grace into our hearts that we--to whom the
  Incarnation of Christ, your Son, was made known
  by the message of an Angel--may be brought by his
  Passion and Cross to the glory of his
  Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord.
  Amen.