CHRISTIAN PRAYER. Goals of Webinar. What is Prayer? The Spiritual Journal. Webinar: July 1, 8, 15, 2015 Philip St. Romain, M.S., D. Min.

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1 1 CHRISTIAN PRAYER Webinar: July 1, 8, 15, 2015 Philip St. Romain, M.S., D. Min. Goals of Webinar 2 Explore methods of Christian prayer. Encourage and support practice of prayer. 3 The Spiritual Journal How did you spend your prayer time today? What did you hear God saying to you during your prayer time? (End of day) Time(s) you felt close to God. Time(s) you felt distant from God. What is Prayer? 4 Definitions Understandings

2 Prayer and 5 Monistic Theistic Theotic God is Interior Everything Revealed Truth Relational Gnostic Realizational Living the Truth Loving Relationship Prayer Apophatic Meditation Reflective Meditation Dialogue Contemplate Christian 6 Prayer Community Study Service 6 7 Reflect... 8 What thoughts, feelings, questions, etc. do you have about these three approaches to spirituality? What approach seems to predominate in your experience of Church? Which of these three spiritualities most characterizes your relationship with God? 8

3 Jesus and Prayer 9 Example Teaching Go to private room (solitude) Say few words (silence) Asking in faith (intercession) Lord s Prayer (formula) Paul and Prayer 10 Teachings Encouragements Example Types of prayers Praying in the Spirit 10 Prayer in Early Church 11 The Didache Paul s writings Writings of the early Fathers Into the Desert Hesychasm and the Jesus Prayer Monasticism 11 12

4 Prayer and 13 Monistic Theistic Theotic God is Interior Everything Revealed Truth Relational Gnostic Realizational Living the Truth Loving Relationship Prayer Apophatic Meditation Reflective Meditation Dialogue Contemplate Theotic 14 God IS Love God seeks loving relationship with human beings. The Holy Spirit is God s gift of Love, poured out in our hearts. We can experience and grow in God s love (theosis). 14 Types of Personal Prayer Active (Kataphatic) Contemplative (Apophatic) Vocal Prayer of Quiet Mental Prayer of Union Affective Transforming Union Intercession Thanksgiving (Glossalalia) Simplicity Ingredients for Personal Prayer Silence Solitude Time Openness to God

5 17 Lectio Divina: The Sacred Dialogue Reading Reflecting Responding Resting Lectio Meditatio Oratio Contemplatio 18 Reading Resting Responding Reflecting Aids and Supports in Prayer 19 Daily schedule Place Sacramentals -- candles, music, incense, etc. Meditation resources Mass Prayer group Retreat Spiritual direction Distractions 20 Noticing without engaging Praying with Re-focusing attention Breath prayers Praise Repetitive prayers 20

6 The Rosary The Rosary 22 Prayer counting devices found in all religions, including early Christianity. Originally, counting Our Fathers Modern Rosary practice emerging in 12th C. Promoted by Dominicans since 15th C. Numerous societies, confraternities. Marian apparitions associated with. 22 Spiritual Journal 23 Note date, readings What do I hear God saying to me in this reading(s)? How do I feel about this? How do I intend to respond? Consciousness examen. Reflections on readings, retreats, etc. Your own prayers, reflections, on your life. Consciousness Examen 24 Different from examination of conscience. Begin with a few moments of quiet prayer. Look back over events of day. - when were you open to God, loving? - when did you pull away in selfishness? - what unfinished business to attend to? Prayers of thanksgiving, remorse, petition. 24

7 Communal Prayer Forms 25 Sunday worship Prayer Services Liturgy of the Hours 25 Lectio Divina and Communal Prayer 26 Reading Reflecting Responding Resting Lectio Meditatio Oratio Contemplatio 27 Liturgy of the Hours Prayer of the Church (the Divine Office ) Antecedant in Jewish practices Throughout the day, all over the world. - Matins: during the night - Lauds: prayer at dawn - Terce: mid-morning (9 a.m.) - Sext: mid-day (noon) - None: mid-afternoon (3 p.m.) - Vespers: evening prayer (lighting of lamps) - Compline: night prayer (before retiring) Liturgy of the Hours Compiled in Roman Breviary Hymns and Psalms Primary basis of monastic prayer. Priests and many religious required to pray. 28

8 The Mass as Prayer 29 Community lifting minds and hearts to God through song and prayer. Prayers addressed to God. Reading and reflection on Scripture. Petitions for needs of community, Church, world. Eucharist: union with God. Resting Sending Footnote, Reference or Name 30 Signs of the Times Contact with other religions Vatican Documents on prayer, meditation The cultural situation -- secularization, materialism, relativism, etc. 30 Encounters with Other Religions 31 Buddhism - Zen (Thomas Merton, Catholic Priests as Zen Masters, retreats, literature, Anthony de Mello) Hinduism - Yoga (television, YMCA, retreats, literature) - TM (instructional centers, relaxation method, Christian meditation methods of John Main) - Non-duality teachers (Eckhart Tolle, Ken Wilber) Taoism - martial arts (YMCA, private instructors) Islam - (conversion of high-profile athletes, political leaders) 31 Christian Meditation 32 Experience of John Main. Christian mantra: Maranatha.

9 Centering Prayer 33 Response to interest in TM. Promoted by Trappists Thomas Keating, William Menninger, and Basil Pennington. Simple receptivity. Sustaining recollection. Simplicity. Contemplative Outreach helps to promote. Vatican Document 34 Letter to the Bishops on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Cautions against methods that focus on self to the exclusion of God. Emphasizes central place of Scripture in prayer. Does not reject Eastern methods because of their non- Christian origin. Cultural Influences 35 Secularization, materialism, pluralism, multiculturalism. Declining Church attendance and affiliation with organized religions. without religion. Digital revolution and shortening attention span. Christian prayer as counter-cultural. 35 Confucius says If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nations. When there is order in the nations, there will be peace in the world. 36

10 Mother Teresa Says The fruit of Silence is prayer. The fruit of Prayer is faith. The fruit of Faith is love. The fruit of Love is service. The fruit of Service is peace. 37