Should Prayer Follow a Pattern?

Prayer needs silence - not so much an absence of sounds, but an inner silence in which all worries and mental distraction are quelled and the soul finds a sense of peace. Also, if we are to do justice to prayer, it is better to follow a pattern or a discipline for praying, however we must guard against the pattern becoming routine, rigid , monotonous and meaningless.

Normally we should begin our prayer with an Act of Humility, for it is fitting that when about to converse with God,we should recall what we are.

After this Act of Humility, we should read a few lines from the Bible and meditate on them, then make a profound and prolonged act of faith in some fundamental truth or other: God: his perfections, his goodness, or Christ: the mysteries of his life, his passion, his glory, or again our Christian duties, our vocation - the duties of our state to be accomplished with ever greater holiness, our last end; and sin.

This gaze of faith on the truth and the goodness of God gives spontaneous rise to an Act of Hope. The soul desires beatitude,eternal life, the peace promised by the heavenly Father to those who follow Jesus Christ.

The Act of Hope, in its turn, disposes us to an Act of Charity. Our prayer for others is very often efficacious.

The souls in purgatory are waiting for our prayers.
We should also pray for hardened sinners and intercede for all who need our prayers. In this culminating point of prayer  the knowledge of faith, the love of  hope, and that of charity tend, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, to fuse in a gaze of faithful and generous love,which is the beginning of contemplation.

 Gradually it introduces us into the intimacy of Christ, the intimacy of love. Nothing can better correct our defects of character, give us a lively desire to resemble him who said to us: "Learn from Me, because I am meek and humble of heart, and you shall find rest for your souls." Prayer thus made renders our hearts more and more like the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for one imitates, even without being aware of it, those whom one loves truly and deeply.

Why is Family Prayer Impotant?

The importance of family prayer cannot be underestimated. Only by praying with their children can a father and a mother implant a firm faith that will not die.The family is the "domestic church" where God's children learn to pray "as the Church" and to persevere in prayer. The Lord said, " For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Mt 18:20). The family that prays together invites Jesus in their midst.The presence of Jesus guarantees the efficacy of the prayer. By offering their joys and sorrows in prayer, the Lord grants them the grace to live with each other in charity and peace.They can bear with one another's weakness in patience and kindness by putting the well-bing of the others first. A family that prays together, stays together, especially in these challenging times. If you have not already developed the tradition of praying together, begin today.

What is "prayer in action?

 LOVE is prayer in action. Prayer is never an escape from direct involvement with the many needs and pains of our world. Prayer challenges us to be fully aware of the world in which we live and to present it with all its needs and pains to God.It is this compassionate action. Prayer and action go together. If prayer leads us into a deeper unity with the compassionate Christ, it will always blossom into concrete of service. And if concrete acts of service do, indeed, lead us into a deeper solidarity with the poor, the hungry, the sick, the dying,and the oppressed, these acts will always thrive with prayer. in prayer we meet Christ, and in him all human suffering. In service we meet people, and in them the suffering Christ. Mother Teresa was a woman of prayer and her prayer was expressed by the action of which we all are aware.

What is a "Holy Hour"?

The holy Hour is an hour (roughly sixty minutes) spent in front of the Blessed Sacrament - as we firmly believe in the real presence of the Lord there. The Holy Hour is the literal answer and positive response to the question of the suffering Jesus at the "Garden of Olives" (Gethsemane), a question addressed to St. Peter. "Aren't you capable of watching (staying awake) with Me for One Hour?" So the Church, fostered this devotion to Christ Present in the Blessed Sacrament, especially on Thursday evenings (to remember the Holy Thursday) and on the Holy Week Thursday. The Franciscan Fathers at Gethsemane celebrate the "Holy Hour" every Thursday evening with prayers, hymns, remaining awake with the suffering Jesus. (see also Hebrews 5:7)

Advent Week 1: The Candle of Hope “May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) Christmas is coming! There are loved ones to see, gifts to give, baking to share. We prepare our homes for the celebration. Yet even more important than this outward preparation is the preparation of our heart. The Advent season is a beautiful reminder to prepare our hearts, as we prepare our homes, to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus! Today we light the first of the four candles in the Advent wreath, the candle of Hope. Is your heart filled with hope? Do you have a confident expectation of your tomorrow? What happens when the road ahead is filled with loss and stress weighs your shoulders down? When confident expectation in life’s tomorrow dwindles, what can you do? How can you walk in hope when you feel hopeless inside? In one word the answer to confident expectation is “JESUS”…the Jesus of Christmas. Hope in Jesus comes from more than just a belief that He was once a baby in a manger. This hope in Him has been called “an anchor for the soul”. It is something deep within that secures you through the storms of life. Putting your hope in Jesus will give you these four things. Hope for Help We are invited to come to Him and confidently ask for help. Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “to come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) Hope to Overcome Things that leave one feeling powerless and hopeless come in many forms. With Christ’s strength you can overcome great obstacles, and faith in Jesus gives hope and help to overcome. 1 John 5:4 says, “and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4) Hope for Power Sometimes in life we find ourselves with a task that simply looks too big for us. We do not just need a cup of God’s strength added to our own; rather we need His strength in us to do what we need to do. He will give it! 2 Corithians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Seeing our weakness as the entry point of God’s strength gives access to His power! Hope for Eternity When we put our faith and hope in Jesus, it not only gives us help, strength and power where we walk today but it also gives us hope for life after death. It is a confident expectation of the ultimate “tomorrow”. The God of Hope sent His son to be our Savior. He is only one prayer away. If you want the confident expectation of His strength and wisdom in your today and His help and hope for your tomorrow, you need only ask. Just tell Him… Prayer & reflection Dear God, I have gone my own way and have put my hope in so many things that have disappointed me. Thank you that you sent Jesus, that first Christmas long ago, to be my Savior. I believe He came for me. Forgive me and come into my life today. Show me how to live in the confident expectation of how You can impact my life, my character and my circumstances. I place my hope in You right now and ask You to make Yourself known to me in my life right where I walk. I thank you. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen Questions: How do you feel going into this Christmas season? Excited? Scared? Joyful? Lonely? Worried or delighted? How will you invite God’s hope into your situation?>

Whar are the common objections to prayer?

Sometimes we have erroneous notions of prayer. Some people view prayer as a mental activity, others as an effort of concentration. Still others reduce prayer to ritual words and postures. Many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that "takes up time". Thus they are quickly discouraged. sometimes the mentality of this present world can penetrate our lives if we are not vigilant. For example, some think that only what can be verified by reason and science is true; yet prayer is a mystery that overflows both our conscious and unconscious lives.Others overly prize gains and profit; thus prayer, being unproductive, is useless. Still others exalt sensuality and comfort as the criteria of the true, the good, and the beautiful;whereas prayer,the "love of beauty" (philokalia), is caught up in the glory of the living and true God. Finally, some see prayer as an escape from reality; but in fact,Christian prayer is not a divorce from life. Finally, sometimes one confronts what we experience as "failure" in prayer: discouragement during periods of dryness and sadness if we have not been heard according to our own will; wounded pride, stiffened by the indignity that is ours as sinners; our resistance to the idea that prayer is a free and unmerited gift; and so forth. The conclusion is always the same: what good does it to pray? To overcome these obstacles, we must battle to gain humility, trust, and perseverance. [See:CCC2726-2728]

What are the common hindrances to prayer?

Distraction is the habitual difficulty in Prayer. It takes our attention away from God and can also reveal what we are attached to. Prayer presupposes an effort, a fight against ourselves and the wiles of the Tempter. A simple way of overcoming distractions is to turn our hearts back humbly to the Lord. Sometimes prayer is affected by dryness. Dryness belongs to contemplative prayer when the heart is separated from God, with no taste for thoughts, memories, and feelings, even spiritual ones. Overcoming this difficulty allows us to cling to the Lord in faith. even without any feeling of consolation. If dryness is due to the lack of "roots", because the word has fallen on rocky soil, the battle requires conversion. Other frequent temptations that threaten prayer are lack of faith and acedia. Prayer is the moment of truth for the heart: what is it real love? Sometimes we turn to the Lord as a last resort, but do we really believe he is? Acedia is a form of spiritual laziness due to decreasing vigilance and a carelessness of heart.[See CCC 2732-2733] WHENEVER I START PRAYING, BAD THOUGHTS ENTER MY MIND WHICH FORCE ME TO SIN AGAINST THe ALMIGHTY. I FEEL THAT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO STOP ME FROM PRAYING, ESPECIALLY SINCE I LED A BAD PAST. WHAT SHOULD I DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN PRAYER? If you feel you had led a bad past,reconcile yourself with God with a good Confession. Don't worry about the "bad thoughts" that come to you during your prayer. These are seeds of distraction sown by Satan who doesn't want you to pray. What is important is not that pray well, but that you give to God your special time of prayer. Even after 15 minutes of prayer if you feel that you didn't pray successfully, don't worry, what is important is that you have decided to dedicate at least 15 minutes to God daily.