Saint Theresa Of Avila
“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”
Gods Gift
Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God says St John Damascene
Humility is the foundation of prayer. Only when we humbly acknowledge that we do not know how to pray as we ought are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. Man is a beggar before God says Saint Augustine
If you knew the gift of God says Saint John. Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him says Saint Augustine
From Our Heart
Where does prayer come from? Whether prayer is expressed in words or gestures, it is the whole person who prays. But in naming the source of prayer, Scripture speaks sometimes of the soul or the spirit, but most often of the heart (more than a thousand times). According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain. Christian 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.
Relationship
Prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with his Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. The grace of the Kingdom is the union of the entire holy and royal Trinity . . . with the whole human spirit says Saint Gregory. Thus, the life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the thrice-holy God and in communion with him. This communion of life is always possible because, through Baptism, we have already been united with Christ. Prayer is Christian insofar as it is communion with Christ and extends throughout the Church, which is his Body. Its dimensions are those of Christ’s love.
Quotations from Saints
“A soul arms itself by prayer for all kinds of combat. In whatever state the soul may be, it ought to pray. There is no soul which is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer”. Saint Faustina
“You pay God a compliment by asking great things of Him” Saint Teresa of Avila
“He who prays most receives most”. St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
Common Prayers
Our Father Prayer
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.
The Lord’s Prayer ‘is truly the summary of the whole gospel.’ ‘Since the Lord… after handling over the practice of prayer, said elsewhere, ‘Ask and you will receive, ‘ and since everyone has petitions which are peculiar to his circumstances, the regular and appropriate prayer (the Lord’s Prayer) is said first, as the foundation of further desires.’
– Tertullian, De orat. from the Catechism of the Catholic Church; 2761.
* Thy is an old English word meaning YourHail Mary Prayer
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee*.
Blessed art thou* among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy* womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Pope Paul VI declared Mary Mother of the Church in 1965. The name Mary means light or star of the sea. For it was Mary who brought forth the Eternal Light, Jesus Christ The Virgin Mary, among all creatures, is a masterpiece of the Most Holy Trinity. In her humble heart full of faith, God prepared a worthy dwelling place for himself in order to bring to completion the mystery of salvation.Let us turn to Mary with filial trust, so that with her help we may progress in love and make our life a hymn of praise to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. – Pope Benedict XVI
*Thee = You*Thou = You
*Thy =Your
Glory Be Prayer
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.
Amen.
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one because God is love and love is an absolute life-giving force; the unity created by love is a unity greater than a purely physical unity. The Father gives everything to the Son; the Son receives everything from the Father with gratitude; and the Holy Spirit is the fruit of this mutual love of the Father and the Son – Pope Benedict XIV
Morning Prayer
Oh My God you Love me,
You are with me night and day,
I want to love you always,
In all I do and say.
I’ll try to please you Father,
Bless me through the day,
Amen.
Night Prayer
Oh my God I come to say,
Thank you for your love today,
Thank you for my family,
And all the things you give to me,
Guard me in the dark of night,
And in the morning send your Light
Amen.
Guardian Angel
Angel of God,
My Guardian dear,
To whom God’s love,
Commits me here,
Ever this day (night),
Be at my side,
To light and guard,
To rule and guide,
Amen