Prayer
“Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God” (St. Therese of Lisieux, CCC 2559). God invites us into a relationship with Him that is both personal and communal. He speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Word-made-flesh. Prayer is our response to God who is already speaking or, better yet, revealing Himself to us. Therefore, prayer is not merely an exchange of words, but it engages the whole person in a relationship with God the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit.
How do I pray?
Various forms of prayer are presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2623-2649). These various forms include prayer of bless or adoration, prayer of petition, prayer of intercession, prayer of thanksgiving, and prayer of praise.
What is meditation?
Meditation is a Christian practice of prayer dating back to the early Church. As the Catechism states: “Meditation is above all a quest. The mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking.” By meditating on the Gospels, holy icons, liturgical texts, spiritual writings, or “the great book of creation,” we come to make our own that which is God’s. “To the extent that we are humble and faithful, we discover in meditation the movements that stir the heart and we are able to discern them. It is a question of acting truthfully in order to come into the light: “Lord, what do you want me to do?” (CCC 27905-2706).
Meditation is an essential form of Christian prayer, especially for those who are seeking to answer the vocational question, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
Meditating on Sacred Scripture
Spiritual reading of Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, is an important form of meditation. This spiritual reading is traditionally called “ lectio divina ” or divine reading. Lectio divina is prayer over the Scriptures.
How do we pray over the Sacred Scriptures?
1.The first element of this type of prayer is reading ( lectio) : you take a short passage from the Bible, preferably a Gospel passage and read it carefully, perhaps three or more times. Let it really soak-in.
2.The second element is mediation ( meditatio) . By using your imagination enter into the Biblical scene in order to “see” the setting, the people, and the unfolding action. It is through this mediation that you encounter the text and discover its meaning for your life.
3.The next element is prayer ( oratio ) or your personal response to the text: asking for graces, offering praise or thanksgiving, seeking healing or forgiveness. In this prayerful engagement with the text, you open yourself up to the possibility of contemplation.
4.Contemplation ( contemplation ) is a gaze turned toward Christ and the things of God. By God's action of grace, you may be raised above meditation to a state of seeing or experiencing the text as mystery and reality. In contemplation, you come into an experiential contact with the One behind and beyond the text.
5.No Bible no breakfast, No Bible no bed.
Prayer for Vocations
Father, in the fullness of time,
you sent your Son,
born of the Virgin Mary to be our Savior.
He preached the good news of our salvation,
healed the sick and cast out evil.
Now as crucified and risen Lord,
he pours out on us the Holy Spirit of adoption,
making us your sons and daughters.
Through the Church, he calls us to accept the gospel
and to share in your own divine life.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life for all people.
In your mercy, you do not abandon us.
In every age,
you raise up men and women
to offer their lives for the sake of the gospel
and the work of the Church.
We beg you, therefore,
grant to this local Church of Paterson
an increase of vocations
to the priesthood and the religious life.
Give us courageous and faithful men
to serve as worthy priests.
Bless us with generous and zealous
men and women willing to seek holiness
in consecrated life.
May we rejoice in an abundance
of vocations from our families
so that we may yield a rich harvest of good works
for your honor and glory.
We ask this in the name of Jesus who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.
+Most Rev. Arthur J. Serratelli, S.T.D., S.S.L.,D.D.
Bishop of Paterson
Oración por las vocaciones
Padre, en la plenitud de los tiempos,
enviaste a tu hijo, nacido de la Virgen María,
para ser nuestro salvador.
El predicó la buena noticia de nuestra salvación,
sanó los enfermos, y hecho fuera los demonios.
Ahora, como el Señor crucificado y resucitado,
derrama sobre nosotros el Espíritu Santo de adopción,
que nos hace hijos e hijas tuyos.
Por medio de la iglesia, nos llama a aceptar el evangelio
y compartir en su propia vida divina.
Jesús es el camino, la verdad y la vida para todos.
Por tu misericordia, no nos abandona,
pues en cada época, escoges hombres y mujeres
que ofrece su vida por el evangelio
y la obra de la iglesia.
Por eso, te pedimos que concedas a la
Iglesia de Paterson, el aumento de vocaciones
al sacerdocio y a la vida religiosa.
Danos hombres valientes y fieles que sean dignos sacerdotes.
Bendícenos con hombres y mujeres generosas y entusiásticas,
dispuestos a buscar la santidad con su vida consagrada.
Permite que gocemos la abundancia de vocaciones en nuestras familias,
y así tengamos una cosecha rica en buenas obras,
para tu honra y gloria.
Te lo pedimos en el nombre de Jesús, quien vive y reina contigo y
el Espíritu Santo, un solo Dios, por los siglos de los siglos.
+Monseñor Arturo Serratelli,
Obispo de Paterson
