TODAY'S CATECHISM
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WE BEGIN OUR CATECHISM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,
AMEN
TOPIC: PRAYER
=> INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS
=> PRAYER
=> METHODS OF PRAYER
=> TYPES OF PRAYERS
=> FACTS ABOUT PRAYER
=> CONCLUSION
=> REFERENCE
INTRODUCTION/DEFINITIONS
According to catholic catechism Prayer is the raising up of the mind and heart to God.
love
Prayer is also the response of faith to the free
promise of salvation and also a response of to
the thirst of the only Son of God.
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.
when we pray, do we speak from the height of
our pride and will, or out of the depths of a humble
and contrite heart?
He who humbles himself will
be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer,
Only when we humbly acknowledge that we do not
know how to pray as we ought, then we are ready to
receive freely the gift of prayer.
PRAYER
Since prayer is the raising up of our mind and heart to God so we raise up our mind and heart to God by thinking of God; by adoring, praising, and thanking him; and by begging of him all blessings for soul and body.
Whether we
realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God's
thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for
him.
CCC 143 Do those pray well who, at their prayers, think neither of God nor of what they say?
Those who, at their prayers, think neither of God nor of what they say, do not pray well; but they offend God, if their distractions are willful.
CCC 144 Which is the best of all prayers?
The best of all prayers is the 'Our Father', or the Lord's Prayer.
Jesus Christ himself made the Lord’s prayer.
This is how to say the Lord’s prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
METHODS OF PRAYER
Prayer can be say or done through meditative, vocal and contemplative.
Meditative prayer, is meditation in which we spend the time thinking of God or of one or more of the truths He has revealed, that by these thoughts we may be persuaded to lead holier lives.
Vocal prayer, in which we express these pious thoughts in words.
Contemplative prayer is a type of prayer made in silence in which we are in one with Christ. It is a communion of love and gaze of faith.
Meditative prayer is most useful to us because it compels us, while we are engaged in it, to keep our attention fixed on God and His holy laws and to keep our hearts and minds lifted up to Him.
We can make a meditation by remembering that we are in the presence of God;
By asking the Holy Ghost to give us grace to benefit by the meditation;
By reflecting seriously on some sacred truth regarding our salvation;
By drawing some good resolution from the thoughts we have had; and
By thanking God for the knowledge and grace bestowed on us through the meditation.
TYPES OF PRAYERS
I. Adoration
II. Petition
III. Contrition
IV. Intercession
V. Thanksgiving
I. BLESSING/ADORATION
The prayer of blessing is man's response to
God's gifts: because God blesses, the human heart
can in return bless the One who is the source of
every blessing.
Adoration is homage of
the spirit to the "King of Glory," 100 respectful
silence in the presence of the "ever greater"
God.
II. PRAYER OF PETITION
by
prayer of petition we express awareness of our
relationship with God. We are creatures who are not
our own beginning, not the masters of adversity, not
our own last end.
III. PRAYER OF INTERCESSION
Intercession is a prayer is the prayer we make for others which
leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one
intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men,
especially sinners.
he who prays looks "not only to his
own interests, but also to the interests of others,"
even to the point of praying for those who do him
harm.
IV. PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
This is the prayer of giving thanks to God for what he has done, doing and yet to do for us. It characterizes the prayer of the
Church which, in celebrating the Eucharist.
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is
the will of God in Christ Jesus for you"; "Continue
steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with
thanksgiving."
V. PRAYER OF PRAISE
Praise is the form of prayer which recognizes
most immediately that God is God. It lauds God for
his own sake and gives him glory, quite beyond
what he does, but simply because HE IS
FACTS ABOUT PRAYER
1. A prayer life is essential to the Christian life.
Prayer is “a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God.” (Catechism, 2558)
Prayer the lifeblood of your faith. Without prayer, your faith will die. (Catechism, 2744)
2. Prayer is compatible with everyday life.
You do need a small amount of quiet time each day to learn how to pray. But it’s not difficult — just 5 or 10 minutes to start is fine.
“It is possible to offer fervent prayer even while walking in public or strolling alone, or seated in your shop, … while buying or selling, … or even while cooking.”
— St. John Chrysostom
3. Even the smallest faith will blossom through prayer
St. Paul tells us, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” (Rom 8:26)
4. Learning how to pray is simple.
Throughout the ages, all kinds of people have learned how to pray.
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 Lisieuxus.
CONCLUSION
The Holy Spirit who teaches the Church and
recalls to her all that Jesus said also instructs her
in the life of prayer, inspiring new expressions of
the same basic forms of prayer: blessing, petition,
intercession, thanksgiving, and praise.
So therefore; let us learn how to pray, praying for ourselves and others.
REFERENCE
=> The Holy Bible
=> Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
We have come to a conclusion on the topic PRAYER.
Thanks for your participation, support and contributions. May the God in his infinite mercy continue to be bless and grant you more understanding of his words; in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
PLEASE WE ARE ENCOURAGE TO CONTRIBUTE AND ASK QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO THIS GREAT TOPIC.
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