ATTRIBUTES OF PRAYER

The Nature of Prayer

1. What is prayer?

Prayer is the lifting up of the mind and heart to God. [glossary, 2559, 2590*].

2. How is humility related to prayer?

Humility is the foundation of prayer. Only when we acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought" (Rom 8:26) are we ready to receive the gift of prayer. [2559].

3. How often should we pray?

"Pray constantly" (1 Thess 5:17). It is always possible, and often a vital necessity, to pray. Prayer and Christianity are inseparable. [2757*, 2742-44].

4. What does Jesus teach us about praying?

Jesus teaches us to pray to the Father in secret, to pray with purity of heart seeking the kingdom before all else, to be watchful, to pray with a lively and persevering faith, disposing the heart to do the will of the Father and cooperate with the divine plan. Jesus emphasizes that we should reconcile with our neighbor first, love our enemies, and pray for our persecutors. [2621*, 2607-12].

Jesus Prays

5. How does St. Augustine summarize the three dimensions of Jesus' prayer?

St. Augustine writes: "Jesus prays for us as our priest, He prays in us as our Head, and He is prayed for by us as our God. Therefore let us acknowledge our voice in Him, and his in us." [2616].

6. What is a filial prayer of Jesus?

Some prayers of Jesus are called filial prayers because they are prayers from the Son of God to God the Father. For example, before raising Lazarus from the dead Jesus prays "Father, I thank you for having heard me" (Jn 11:41-42). The filial prayer of Jesus is often done in solitude and in secret, and it involves a loving adherence to the will of the Father even on the Cross, and an absolute confidence in being heard. [2620*, 2756*, 2599, 2602-04, 2610, 2734].

7. What are some occasions when Jesus prayed?

Jesus prayed before the decisive moments in his own mission, and the missions of his disciples. He often drew apart to pray in solitude. [2600, 2602].

8. What are some explicit prayers offered by Christ during his public ministry?

Some explicit prayers offered by Christ are 1) his teaching us the Our

Father (Mt 6:9-13) in response to the request "Lord, teach us to pray" (Lk 11:1), 2) His praise of the Father for hiding things from the learned and revealing them to the childlike (Mt 11:25-27; Lk 10:21-23), 3) His thanksgiving before the raising of Lazarus: "Father I thank you for having heard me" (Jn 11:41-42), and 4) His long priestly prayer. (Jn 17) [2601-04].

9. What is the priestly prayer?

The prayer of the hour of Jesus, also called the priestly prayer, which comprises the 17th chapter of John's gospel, was recited by Jesus just before his betrayal and arrest. It sums up the whole economy of creation and salvation. [2758*, 2604, 2746-51].

10. What were Jesus' last words on the cross?

Jesus seven last words on the cross, where prayer and the gift of self are one, were: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do" (Lk 23:43), "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise" (Lk 23:43), "Woman, behold your son" - "behold your mother" (Jn 19:28), "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mk 15:34; Ps 22:2), "It is finished" (Jn 19:30), "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Lk 23:46), and the loud cry as Jesus expired, giving up his spirit (Mk 15:37; Jn 19:30). [2605].

Forms and Types of Prayer

11. What are the forms of prayer?

There are prayers of 1) Adoration, acknowledging that we are creatures and God is our creator and savior, the master of everything that exists, 2) Petition for forgiveness, for help in adversity, for our needs, in our quest for the Kingdom, 3) Intercession, or asking on behalf of another or others, 4) Thanksgiving, full of joy for what the Lord has done for us, and 5) Praise, recognizing that God is God, exalting Him for His own sake. [2646-49*, 2626-39].

12. What are the three principal parables of Jesus on prayer as recounted to us by St. Luke?

The three principal lucan parables on prayer are: 1) The exasperating friend "Knock, and it will be opened to you" (Lk 11:5-13), 2) the persistent widow who importuned the judge (Lk 18:1-8), and 3) the Pharisee and the tax collector "God, be merciful to me a sinner" (Lk 18:9-14). [2613].

13. What are three stages of the spiritual life?

Three stages of the spiritual life are the purgative way (overcoming vices), the illuminative way (acquiring virtues), and the unitive way (directly experiencing God). The form of our prayer should be appropriate to the present stage that we are in.

14. What are some sources of prayer?

The Word of God, the liturgy of the Church, and the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity (love) are sources of prayer. [2662*, 2653-58].

Characteristics of Prayer

15. What are some of the rhythms of praying?

The Church proposes the daily rhythms of morning and evening prayer, grace before and after meals, and the Liturgy of the Hours. Sundays, centered on the Eucharist, are kept holy primarily by prayer. The cycle of the liturgical year and its great feasts are basic rhythms of the Christian life of prayer. [2720*, 2698].

16. What are some guides to prayer?

Some guides to prayer are the introduction of children to it in the "domestic church" called the family, the practices of the saints whose intercessions we invoke, the various schools Christian of spirituality, ordained ministers, the consecrated life, catechesis, prayer groups, and "spiritual direction". [2692-96*, 2683-2691].

17. What are the most appropriate places for prayer?

The most appropriate places for prayer are personal or family oratories, monasteries, places of pilgrimage, and above all the church, which is the proper place for liturgical prayer for the parish community, as well as the privileged place for Eucharistic adoration. [2696*, 2691].

18. Does Jesus hear our prayer?

The gospels are full of examples of people in need who asked Jesus for help, and he answered them. Some were prayers of faith expressed in words by the leper, Jairus, the Canaanite woman and the good thief (Mk 1:40-41; 5:36; 7:29; Lk 23:39-43); or in silence by the bearers of the paralytic, the woman with a hemorrhage who touches his clothes, the tears and ointment of the sinful woman (Mk 2:5; 5:28; Lk 7:37-38). The urgent requests of the blind men, "Have mercy on us, son of David", or "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!" have been renewed in the traditional prayer to Jesus known as the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner"! (Mt 9:27; Mk 10:48). Healing infirmities or forgiving sins, Jesus always responds to a prayer offered in faith: "Your faith has made you well; go in peace." [2615-16].

To Whom Should We Pray

19. What is the role of the Trinity in prayer?

Prayer is often addressed to the Father; it can also be directed toward Jesus, particularly by the invocation of his holy name: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us, sinners." . Furthermore "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord', except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor 12:3). The Church invites us to invoke the Holy Spirit as the interior Teacher of Christian prayer. [2680-81*, 2664-72].

20 What is veneration of the saints?

Veneration consists in showing devotion and respect to Mary, the apostles and the martyrs, those who led a life of prayer and self denial in giving witness to Christ, whose virtues were recognized and publicly proclaimed in their canonization as saints. Such veneration is often extended to the relics of those recognized as saints. Veneration must be clearly distinguished from adoration and worship, which are due to God alone. [glossary; 828; 1674; 2132].

21 What is the intercession of the saints?

The intercession of the saints is asking Mary and the saints now in heaven to continue to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired during their life here on earth. [glossary; 956].

22 What mutual benefits accrue from our prayers to Mary and the Saints?

Our prayers to Mary and the saints are capable of helping those in need on earth, as well as in helping those in purgatory to become freed from their sins. The merciful love of God and his saints is always attentive to our prayers. [962*; 958].

23. What is the role of the Virgin Mary in prayer?

From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title 'Mother of God' to whose protection the faithful fly in their dangers and needs. The prayers of the Virgin Mary herself, both in her Fiat: "Be it done to me according to your word", (Lk 1:38) and in her Magnificat: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord......" , (Lk 1:46-55), are characterized by the generous offering of her whole being in faith. In the Magnificat we read of Mary "All generations shall call me blessed" (Lk 1:48). [2682*, 2673-79].

Difficulties Experienced in Prayer

24. What is the battle of prayer?

Prayer presupposes an effort, a fight against ourselves and the wiles of the Tempter. This battle accompanies our "spiritual battle" to act habitually according to the spirit of Christ: we pray as we live, because we live as we pray. We must confront false ideas of prayer, distractions from the world, and our own experience of failure. We must respond with humility, trust, and perseverance to these temptations which cast doubt on the usefulness or even the possibility of prayer. [2752-53*, 2725-28].

25. What are the principal difficulties in the practice of prayer?

The principal difficulties in the practice of prayer are distraction and dryness. The remedies lie in faith, conversion, and vigilance of heart. [2754*, 2729-31].

26. What are two common temptations which threaten prayer?

The two common temptations are lack of faith, and laziness or sloth which leads to discouragement. [2755*, 2732-33]

27. Is prayer a covenant relationship?

Prayer is a covenant relationship between God and man in Christ. It is the action of God and of Man, springing forth from both the Holy Spirit and ourselves, wholly directed to the Father, in union with the human will of the Son of God made man. [2562-64].