Letter from the Pastor
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March 20, 2022Prayer. Prayer for a Christian is like breathing, it is vital. We won’t last too long without breathing, and we won’t last too long without praying either.
The classic definition of prayer was given to us by St. John Damascene: "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." The Catechism defines prayer as a "vital and personal relationship with the living and true God."
The word pray is first found in Middle English, meaning to "ask earnestly." It comes from the Old French preier, which is derived from the Latin word precari, which simply means, “to entreat or ask”.
Prayer is giving our attention to God in a two-way spiritual relationship where we talk and also listen to God. Prayer is a child’s conversation with their father. It is natural for a child to ask their father for the things they need, to ask for advice or guidance.
As we communicate in a variety of ways with our fellow human beings, our communication with God can be expressed in a variety of ways too. We communicate with God using words and songs, in imagination and silence, and rituals or spontaneously. We can pray in church, in our houses, in our cars, or while in the shower, we can even pray lying in bed.
There are three major expressions of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer.
Vocal prayer is giving voice to what is stirring in our hearts and in our souls. Meditation is to reflect on or think about God. When we meditate, we keep our attention and focus on God. When we meditate, a variety of things can help us to concentrate and to spark our imaginations. We may use Scripture, particularly the Gospels; traditional prayers; spiritual writings; religious art; even Church history. Meditation or reflective prayer leads us to conversation with God. Christian meditation must lead one to prayer with God. If our meditation does not lead us to prayer, it is not prayerful meditation.
The third way, and most difficult is contemplation. In contemplation we spend time with God in wordless silence, aware that He is with us. To understand how contemplation occurs, we can compare it to just sitting with the one we love the most, no words are necessary. Just to be in their presence is enough. When we experience God personally, we feel His love.
As there are 3 expressions of prayer, there are 4 types of prayer—ACTS:
- Adoration: In prayers of adoration or worship, we exalt the greatness of God. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the highest, and most important prayer. No higher or nobler prayer than the Mass.
- Contrition: In prayers of contrition, there is an acknowledgement of our sinfulness, a sorrow for offending God, and prayers of repentance.
- Thanksgiving: Perhaps the most neglected type of prayer is a prayer of thanksgiving. We have no problem in asking, and when we receive, do we pray as earnestly in thanksgiving as we did in petition? We should get into the habit of thanking God throughout the day for the good things that happened.
- Supplication: For many, this is the most common, prayers of request or petition. It shows our humility before God, it shows our dependence on Him, and through the help of our saints we petition God for what we think we need. However, every prayer of supplication needs to end with the prayer of our Lord:
Not My will, but Your will be done.
Of course, in volumes of books, all the saints wrote and talked about prayer. There are so many good resources on the Internet and apps, leading us to prayer. Prayer is just talking to a friend; talk often, talk lightly, talk intimately, and use words at first and then after awhile, words will get in the way.
