Prayer

Prayer is a pillar of the Catholic faith, something each Catholic and every person, must make a central focus of their lives. Like all healthy relationships communication is of upmost importance, and through prayer we communicate with God, increasing our connection with the Divine becoming oriented toward our true and final end. Scripture entreats us to "Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 A state of constant prayer is difficult to imagine, but it is the goal. To always be giving thanks to God, seeking His will for us, and asking for the infusion His grace, is our purpose in life. But like all valuable things, it takes work and dedication to build the habits that get us to the goal. Small steps in the life of prayer can have huge effects in our lives and lead us to becoming prayer warriors devoted to the love of God. If your prayer life is nonexistent or in the early stages, just waking up every morning and dedicating your day to God and giving thanks to God can be enough to start building great habits of prayer. If you want more, finding a spiritual director can provide wonderful fruits, but if that's not where you are and you would prefer to take a deeper dive by yourself, please use some of the following resources drawn from the two millennia tradition of the Church.

 It is an ancient tradition of the Church to make the Sign of the Cross as a prayer and sign of life in Christ. The Roman Catholic tradition is to use the whole hand flat with fingers outstretched to trace a cross from the forehead to the belly and then from the left shoulder to the right shoulder. As you trace Christ's cross over yourself say, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." The five fingers of the hand should draw us into the contemplation of the Five Wounds of Christ, whenever we make the Sign of the Cross. This prayer can be used by itself, but it is often used to as a bookend to begin and end other prayers.

 Of course, no prayer life would be complete without the very prayer Christ taught his disciples, commonly known as The Our Father.

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 debts,
    As we also have forgiven our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation,
    But deliver us from evil.

Another common prayer glorifying the Triune God is known as the Glory Be or Lessor Doxology, and is an important part of Catholic prayer life.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be.

World without end.

We are a praying community. Both private prayer and communal prayer are important to us. Here is a prayer that members of our community pray regularly:

Peace Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is discord, harmony.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sorrow, joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

For more about St. Francis and praying for peace

Please join us in prayer.