📖Overview

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God, or the requesting of good things from God. It is a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. The Christian tradition comprises three major expressions of the life of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer. Vocal prayer, associating the body with interior prayer, is the form of prayer most readily accessible to all. Meditation is a prayerful quest engaging thought, imagination, emotion, and desire, seeking to understand the why and how of the Christian life in order to respond to what the Lord is asking. Contemplative prayer is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, a hearing of the Word of God, and a silent love; it is a union with the prayer of Christ. The sources of prayer include the Word of God, the liturgy of the Church, and the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Prayer is always possible because the time of the Christian is the time of the risen Christ who is with us always. The Holy Spirit is the living water that wells up to eternal life in the heart that prays. The Church invites the faithful to regular prayer: the Liturgy of the Hours, the Sunday Eucharist, the feasts of the liturgical year, and daily personal prayer. Prayer requires effort, humility, trust, and perseverance, and must contend with the temptations of distraction, dryness, and discouragement.

💡Key Points