Jesus Christ Source of Our Salvation

Prayer in the Life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ 241

Another story about prayer has a different re- weary (Lk 18:1). St. Paul repeated Jesus’ advice
sult. It involves a grandmother who was helping her when he wrote, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thes
granddaughter with a homework assignment. How- 5:17). Along the same lines, St. Frances Cabrini
ever, the child was upset because she had misplaced (1850–1917), the first American citizen to be can-
her favorite doll. Finally, she asked her grandmoth- onized, wrote:
er if they could kneel down together to ask God to
help find the doll. Of course, the grandmother said We must pray without tiring, for the salva-
yes. They both knelt down, closed their eyes, and tion of mankind does not depend on mate-
offered a silent prayer. Then the girl sat down and rial success; nor on sciences that cloud the
completed the homework assignment. intellect. Neither does it depend on arms and
human industries, but on Jesus alone.
The next day, the grandmother asked her grand-
daughter if she found her doll. “No,” she replied, Prayer is our response to the God who seeks us.
“but I am not thinking about my doll today.” As the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it,
prayer is a “vital and personal relationship with the
We have Jesus’ Word that our heavenly Fa- living and true God” (CCC, 2558). The Holy Spir-
ther will give good things to us. Sometimes God it enables us to pray. In humility, we approach our
answers our prayers exactly the way we hope that loving Father who desires only good things for us,
he would, like in the case of Bl. Mother Teresa. At which he grants to us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
other times, God tells us to be patient and to look
for other answers. Perhaps God was trying to teach The Catechism further defines prayer as “the
the little girl patience but also the value of detach- living relationship of the children of God with
ment—that possessions are not all that important. their Father who is good beyond measure, with his
Still other times God might say no to our requests Son Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit” (CCC,
because he is answering a much deeper need in our 2565). Think of prayer, then, as a relationship, a
hearts, giving us a more valuable gift that will make coming together with God the Father who is our
us a better person and a better disciple of his Son. Abba; with Jesus Christ, our Savior, brother, and
friend; and with the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and
For Reflection Helper, who dwells in our hearts. When we pray, we
become more aware of who we are as adopted chil-
When was a time that prayer helped you the dren of our loving God. Prayer brings us into unity
most? with our loving Triune God.

Defining Prayer Great saints have also given us excellent defini-
(CCC, 2558–2567; tions of prayer. For example, St. John Damascene
2590; 2623–2649) said prayer is “the raising of one’s mind and heart to
God.” St. Augustine remarked, “True prayer is noth-
God the Father calls each of us into a vital relation- ing but love.” St. Thérèse of Lisieux observed, “For
ship with him through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spir- me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look
it. Prayer is a powerful means to grow in union with turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and
Jesus. He told us to pray always without becoming of love, embracing both trial and joy.”

St. Clement defined prayer as “conversation
with God.” St. Teresa of Avila also pictured prayer
this way when she recommended that we think
of prayer as a journey with our invisible God, a

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242 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

Explaining the Faith

Do my prayers affect God? For example, can they get God to change his mind?

Prayer brings together two great mysteries. The first is of an eternally loving God who knows all that was,
all that is, and all that ever will be. The second involves the mystery of our own free will, which enables
us to accept or reject God’s invitation to love.

When we pray, we are praying to a loving God who has known our prayers for all eternity. Thus, when
we pray, we are not telling God anything new. Nor do we exercise any power over him, for example, the
power to persuade him to change his mind about something. In fact, it is the Holy Spirit who first inspired
us to pray. As a result of knowing and inspiring our prayers from all eternity, God had included them in
his plan for the world. Furthermore, the very prayers that God knew we would ask have been answered!
Therefore, prayer does not change God. Prayer changes us.

companion who walks next to us along the path of • Prayer helps relieve anxiety by helping us heed
life. Prayer is turning to the Father and talking and Jesus’ teaching not to worry about everyday
listening to him as in a friendly conversation. Just cares because our heavenly Father is looking
as friendships thrive on conversation, so will regu- out for us.
lar conversations with our loving God give us the Prayer has many benefits, but the greatest is
strength to live according to his will.
that prayer deepens our relationship with the Tri-
Benefits of Prayer une God who loves us beyond what we can imagine.
This chapter examines prayer as a central compo-
Certainly, though, we can say that prayer has many nent for the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ.
benefits:
For Review
• Prayer contributes to our sense of self-worth.
In prayer we get in touch with who we are as 1. Give a definition of prayer. Explain its
God’s child, discovering God’s infinite love for meaning.
us.
2. What is the greatest benefit of prayer?
• Prayer leads to happiness, helping us discover
that our restless hearts can find true happiness, For Reflection
not in possessions or fame, but in our relation-
ship with Jesus Christ. Write your own personal definition of prayer.

• Prayer changes us by making us more loving, How to Pray
by showing us God’s will for us and what we
must do to follow Christ more closely. Prayer is an act of love, a personal response to God’s
love for us. We show this love when we pray to God
• Just like water helps plants grow, prayer helps the Father, our loving Abba who is the source of our
nourish in us virtues like faith, hope, charity, life. We show our love when we pray to Jesus Christ,
humility, sensitivity to other people, compas- our Lord and Savior, asking for his friendship and
sion, and a desire to work for God’s kingdom.

• Prayer energizes, calms, and renews.

• Prayer heals because we meet the Divine Phy-
sician who touches our hurting hearts and for-
gives our sins.

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Prayer in the Life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ 243

help. We show our love when we pray • ten minutes during a free pe- votive candle
to the Holy Spirit, the interior teach- riod at school
er of Christian prayer, asking for his A prayer candle typically
guidance and strength to live a Christ- • between homework placed before a statue of
like life. assignments Jesus or the Virgin Mary
that is lit for a prayer
We also show our love when we Catholics set aside one hour a intention.
pray in union with our Blessed Moth- week to worship at the Sunday
er. She is the greatest saint. Her open- Eucharist and on holy days of
ness and example serve as a model of obligation.
how to cooperate with the graces the
Holy Spirit showers on us. 3. Posture. You can be more alert
and relaxed while praying with
Most Catholics learn how to pray a suitable posture. Some peo-
from parents, teachers, parish priests, ple pray best when standing
and other believers whose example or walking, some while sitting
inspires them. Common to the les- upright in a chair, others by
sons are some teachings of saints who
have made prayer part of their daily
lives. The following “6 Ps” make
up good preliminary steps for a rich
prayer life:

1. Place. One good rule: find a
special place to pray where you
can calm yourself, put yourself
in God’s presence, and focus
your attention. Consider the fol-
lowing: your bedroom, a special
corner in your house where you
may light a votive candle, the
school chapel or parish church,
in your car with the radio off, or
on a regular walking route out-
side where you can focus some
time on prayer.

2. Period of Time. Prayer can take
place any time, but it is good to
carve out a scheduled part of the
day for prayer. For example:

• first thing in the morning or
last thing at night

• before or after a meal

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244 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

lectio divina kneeling, still others (like St. beyond what we can imagine.
Ignatius of Loyola) by lying on He has showered us with the
Literally, “divine reading.” their backs. As you begin your gift of life and so many other
This is a prayerful way to prayer in whatever posture you gifts. Reminding yourself of
read the Bible or any other choose, it helps to inhale and these truths will help you ap-
sacred writings. exhale slowly, letting the cares proach God with humility and
of the day drain away. with grateful hearts. You can
4. Presence. You can begin your enter your prayer realizing that
prayer time by recalling ba- the Holy Spirit himself has led
sic truths like these: God is al- us to spend time with our lov-
ways present to us. He loves us ing God, a special time of trust
and companionship with the
one who holds us in the palm of
his hand. Being present to God
in prayer is itself a prayer.
5. Passage. There are many ways
to pray, as this chapter will point
out. One time-honored and sure
way to pray is to select a pas-
sage from Scripture and then
meditate on it. Known as lec-
tio divina (see page 245), this
is a wonderful way to allow the
Lord to speak to your heart.
6. Persistence. Amid the distrac-
tions of daily life, regular prayer
can be tough. It is sometimes
described as a battle because
when we pray, we are fighting
against ourselves, our surround-
ings, and Satan who tries to turn
us away from our prayer. But
you should remember the words
of St. Padre Pio: “Prayer is the
best weapon we have. It is a key
to opening God’s heart.”

Distractions in prayer caused by a
wandering mind, an overactive imag-
ination, or external noises are normal.
You can counteract them by gazing at
a crucifix, holy picture or icon, or by

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Prayer in the Life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ 245

lighting a candle to help keep your attention on God. heal our bad memories that might be troubling us or
You can call on the Holy Spirit to focus your atten- remind us of all the good things he has done for us.
tion. Repeatedly reciting a prayer-word or -phrase
like “Abba,” “Lord Jesus,” “Come, Holy Spirit,” or Christian prayer is heartfelt, expressing itself as
“Jesus help me” can help drive away distractions. vocal prayer, meditation, and mental prayer.

Jesus is pleased that we want to pray, even if we Vocal Prayer
are distracted or do not think much is going on. In
prayer, we are present to the Lord, and he appreci- When we express our prayer vocally in words we
ates the time we spend with him. If our prayer is are doing what Jesus himself did when he taught
united to Jesus, he will give us much more than we the Our Father. When we say our prayers aloud with
are asking for. His love will touch us, despite our others, we can strengthen our spiritual relationships
restless minds. He will give us the Holy Spirit who with them. The Church has a rich tradition of vocal
strengthens us and changes us into other Christs. In prayer. For example, this prayer of St. Francis de
the battle to pray, we should always remember that Sales (1562–1627) is intended for daily recitation:
any effort we make to try to pray is itself a prayer.
The next sections focus on several forms, expres- My God, I give you this day.
sions, and practices of prayer. I offer You, now, all of the good
that I shall do and I promise to accept,
Prayer Expressions for love of You,
(CCC, 2700–2719; 2721–2724) all of the difficulty that I shall meet.
Help me to conduct myself during this day
Recall an earlier definition of prayer as conversation in a manner pleasing to You.
with God. Conversation involves talking, where we Amen.
take our concerns and requests to God. As a wise
person once said, “If we want to walk with God, Meditation
we must talk to God.” Vocal prayer—using spo-
ken words—is one way to pray. But we must lis- Meditation is prayerful reflection, especially on the
ten to God as well, cherishing moments of silence Word of God found in Sacred Scripture. When we
when we can hear God speak to us. This can take meditate, we “tune into God.” We actively use our
place in meditation or in mental prayer leading to thoughts, emotions, imaginations, and desires to
contemplation. think about God’s presence in the world and in our
lives. We meditate to gain a greater knowledge and
When we slow down and put ourselves in God’s love of the Lord so that we may better serve him.
presence, we hear our Lord speak to us through our
intellects, feelings, imaginations, wills, and mem- Throughout the history of the Church, there have
ories. For example, he can put new ideas into our developed different types of spiritualities that teach
minds, ideas that teach us how to be more loving us how to pray and to live like Christ in our daily
persons. He can calm our troubled emotions by lives. St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and
strengthening our faith and trust that he will take St. Francis de Sales are examples of great Catholic
care of us. He can inspire our imaginations by help- saints who teach us how to use the Bible, especial-
ing us visualize how we solve in a new way a trou- ly the Gospels, when we meditate. In addition, we
bled relationship. He can strengthen our wills to do can also meditate on the writings of the saints, the
the right thing when we face temptation. And he can events in our world, and the action of God in our
own lives. Lectio divina is an example of a medita-
tion on Scripture.

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246 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

contemplation Mental Prayer • Adoration. When we adore God,
we humbly acknowledge that
Wordless prayer whereby Mental prayer usually centers on Je- he is the loving Creator of ev-
a person’s mind and heart sus. We might converse with him erything. Adoration glorifies the
rest in God’s goodness and or reflect on one of the mysteries God who made us. All blessings
majesty. of his life, for example, his Passion flow from him.
and Crucifixion. Sometimes mental
contrition prayer can lead to contemplation, a • Petition. Petition or supplication
form of silent, wordless prayer where is asking God to provide what
Heartfelt sorrow and aver- we simply rest in the presence of our we need—materially or spiritu-
sion for sins committed all-loving God. St. John Vianney told ally. Jesus told us to petition God
along with the intention of of a simple peasant who described for the coming of the Kingdom
sinning no more. Contrition contemplative prayer. The peas- and to ask for the gift of the Holy
is the most important act ant sat daily in front of our Blessed Spirit, the source of all gifts (see
of penitents, necessary for Lord present in the tabernacle. He ex- Luke 11:9–13). The Holy Spirit
receiving the Sacrament of plained, “I look at him and he looks at enables us to live Christ-like
Penance. me.” Contemplative prayer is silently lives. Contrition is a special
being in God’s presence, gazing on type of petition in which we ask
Eucharist him with hearts full of love. In this our merciful Father to forgive
type of prayer, we seek Christ, give our sins. A model of contrition is
The source and summit of ourselves to the will of the Father, and the tax collector who began his
Christian life, the Eucharist place ourselves under the guidance of prayer with, “Oh God, be merci-
is one of the Sacraments the Holy Spirit. When praying this ful to me a sinner” (Lk 18:13).
of Initiation. The word way, we empty our minds of thoughts
eucharist comes from a and images and simply allow the di- Like we so often do in our own
Greek word that means vine presence to penetrate our being. prayer, Jesus asked his Father for
“thankful.” The Eucharist We do not have to do anything at all. many things. For example, he
commemorates the Last If you are able to pray this way, you prayed that Simon not be tempt-
Supper, at which Jesus gave have been given a great gift from God. ed. And at the Last Supper, Jesus
his Body and Blood in the prayed to his Father that we, his
form of bread and wine, Prayer Forms disciples, would always remain in
and the Lord’s sacrificial (CCC, 2623–2643) the truth and stay united to him.
Death on the cross.
The way we express our prayer may • Intercession. Intercessory prayer
be in several forms. These have been is a special form of petition; it is
revealed in both Sacred Tradition prayer that we make to God on
and Sacred Scripture and are norma- behalf of others. Jesus Christ is
tive for Christian people. They are as our High Priest who is always of-
follows: fering prayer on our behalf. Our
Lord calls on us to pray for each
• Blessing. We bless God because other. He also asks us to pray for
he first blesses us, that is, he our enemies. We can do this be-
showers his graces on us. Bless- cause, as Christ’s disciples, we
ing is a response to God’s gifts. can join our prayers to Jesus. It is
an honor when friends and rela-
tives ask us to pray for them. It
is a special privilege to be able
to petition Christ on their behalf.

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Prayer in the Life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ 247

Intercessory prayer is a wonderful example of • Praise. Praise is the form of prayer that ac-
Christian mercy and love-in-action. Praying for knowledges that God is God. We praise God
others at Mass or reciting a Rosary on their be- and give him glory because he is so good, gra-
half are two examples of intercessory prayer and cious, loving, and saving. He deserves our
ways to show Christian compassion and love. love, blessing, adoration, and praise for his
own sake. The Holy Spirit helps us praise God,
• Thanksgiving. Everything we have and every- enabling us to have faith in Jesus Christ and
thing we are is a pure gift from God. Think of to call God Abba. True praise of God includes
the gift of your life, friends, health, the friend- no selfish motive because we take joy in our
ship of Jesus who has saved you, and the Holy loving God alone. Many of the Psalms praise,
Spirit who dwells within and showers his gifts adore, and bless God. Jesus himself praised the
on you. God deserves our constant thanks. The Father for revealing his will to the humble and
Psalmist tells us, “Give thanks to the Lord lowly:
who is good, whose love endures forever!” (Ps
107:1). In truth, every breath we take is an op- At that very moment he rejoiced (in)
portunity to thank God. The Gospels record an the holy Spirit and said, “I give you
example of Jesus expressing his gratitude to the praise, Father, Lord of heaven and
Father when he raised Lazarus from the dead: earth, for although you have hidden
these things from the wise and the
Father, I thank you for hearing me. I learned you have revealed them to
know that you always hear me; but the childlike. Yes, Father, such has
because of the crowd here I have been your gracious will.” (Lk 10:21)
said this, that they may believe that
you sent me. (Jn 11:41–42)

The Eucharist (a word which means “to give
thanks”) is a very special prayer of thanksgiv-
ing. At Mass, we bless, adore, praise, and thank
God for all the blessings he has given to us.
We express our sorrow, ask for forgiveness,
and petition God for all the good things we and
others need to live our lives fully. When we re-
ceive Holy Communion, Christ lives in us and
unites us to God and all our Christian brothers
and sisters by the power of the Holy Spirit. At
Eucharist, Christ allows us to participate in his
own thanksgiving to the Father.

Defining Prayer in the
Book of Psalms

Read any three Psalms and identify the
kind of prayer taking place in the Psalm.
Quote the verses and explain how they fit
the definition of one of the prayer forms
listed above.

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248 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

Traditional More Ways to Pray
Catholic Prayer Practices
Variety is the spice of life, even in our prayer
Church history and Tradition offer several other life. Use your imagination in praying to God.
ways for Catholics to pray. Some examples are list- One idea is to compose short prayers by choos-
ed below. ing a word (or several words) that is somehow
related to all the letters of the alphabet. Here
Icons are some examples:

Icons are often described as “windows to heaven,” A Almighty Father, I adore you. Make
where God can touch us here on earth. They are me an ambassador of your love.
religious images painted by artists who seek to be
God’s channel, allowing God’s spirit to guide the C Christ, my friend. Help me be a
brush. worthy child of your Father. Give
me courage and conviction to car-
In Greek, the term icon means “image.” When ry my cross.
we pray before icons, we put ourselves in the pres-
ence of the holy person or enter into the religious G Glory to God the Father. Glory
mystery that is portrayed. to God the Son. Glory to God the
Holy Spirit. Gracious God grant us
One example of an icon is the Enthroned Ma- your good gifts.
donna (994), located in the Hagia Sophia Museum,
in Istanbul, Turkey. Hagia Sophia was first built as L Lord, Jesus Christ, Lamb of God,
a great Byzantine basilica by the Emperor Justinian I love you. You light up my life.
between 532 and 537. It was the largest cathedral in Help me listen to you, my leader.
the world for more than one thousand years.
S Spirit of God, give me, a sinner,
When you pray with an icon, you gaze at the strength to live a Christian life.
image coming into the presence of, for example, the
Blessed Mother. Gaze at the icon. Thank the Blessed Another idea is to write a letter to God the Fa-
Mother for giving her child to the world. Pray to Je- ther or to Jesus. Write the letter as you would
sus and ask him to bless you. to a person you love very much, a person who
loves you immeasurably in return. Be honest
Prayer before and direct. Speak of your love, your concerns,
the Blessed Sacrament what is bothering you, what brings you joy.

Keeping a holy hour or spending some time visiting You might also try writing a letter to you
our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is another way from God’s perspective. Ask the Holy Spirit for
to pray. A holy hour is a devotion that commemo- guidance. Imagine God telling you of his love
rates our Lord’s vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane for you, his mercy, his compassion, his under-
when he asked his disciples to stay awake and pray standing. Allow him to address your hurts and
(Mk 14:32–39). Many parishes celebrate the Forty concerns.
Hours’ Devotion, where the Holy Sacrament is ex-
posed continuously and the faithful are invited to Keep your letters. Refer to them from time
come spend some time with Jesus. The Blessed Sac- to time to see how your relationship with God
rament is contained in a tabernacle in a church or has grown. Reflect on how he has been a part
chapel. A sanctuary lamp is a sign of his presence. of your life.

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Prayer in the Life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ 249

When we are before the Blessed descent of the Holy Spirit on Pente- Blessed Sacrament
Sacrament we can recite short cost Sunday. Novenas are prayed over
prayers, read a Gospel passage, en- nine days, either privately or publicly, “A name given to the Holy
ter into a conversation with our Lord, to obtain special graces or to petition Eucharist, especially the
or simply sit in his presence, adoring for particular intentions. consecrated elements re-
him and thanking him for his many served in the tabernacle for
gifts. Make a point to visit Jesus in Jesus Prayer adoration, or for the sick”
the Blessed Sacrament in your school (CCC, 1330).
chapel or parish church. You might Prayers can be short, as brief as one
also wish to come to the Sunday Mass sentence. A famous one-line prayer is Forty Hours’ Devotion
fifteen minutes early (or stay a few the famous Jesus Prayer: “Lord Je-
minutes after Mass) to pray before sus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on A prayer devotion made
the Lord. me, a sinner.” This faith-filled prayer for forty continuous hours
acknowledges the divinity of Jesus as in which the Blessed
Litanies both Lord and Son of God. He is the Sacrament is exposed. It
Christ, the anointed one of God, who begins with a Solemn Mass
Jesus taught us to pray fervently, has brought us Salvation. The prayer of Exposition, which con-
continually, and with perseverance. acknowledges that we are sinners and cludes with the exposition
A litany is a popular way to pray be- in need of Christ’s forgiveness. You of the Blessed Sacrament
cause it can help us to remain persis- can recite the Jesus Prayer repeatedly and a procession. The for-
tent and focused in prayer. The Greek for a period of time, concentrating on ty hours models the time
root of the word litany is “to ask in each word as you slowly inhale and that Jesus spent in the
earnest.” exhale. It is a marvelous prayer of tomb from Death to his
faith and petition to Jesus Christ, our Resurrection.
Litanies contain a series of Savior.
prayers both invocations (asking) and litany
responses: for example, “Holy Moth- You can pray other one-line
er of God . . . pray for us.” Litanies prayers on many different occasions. From the Latin word leta-
can be either communal or private. For example, when you offer a prayer nia, meaning “prayer or
Popular litanies are the Litany of the at the beginning of a task, that task supplication,” a litany is a
Blessed Virgin Mary, the Litany of itself can become a prayer. If you form of prayer used in litur-
the Sacred Heart, the Litany of St. Jo- say, “Lord, I offer you the work I am gies that includes prayers
seph, and the Litany of the Saints. about to do preparing this PowerPoint with responses.
presentation,” your effort becomes a
Novenas prayer. Here are some other examples Jesus Prayer
of one-line prayers:
Novena comes from the Latin word A prayer that may have
for nine. It refers to the time Mary • Jesus, my friend and Savior, I originated with the Desert
and the Apostles spent in prayer be- love you. Fathers in the fifth cen-
tween the Ascension of Jesus and the tury, it is a short, formu-
laic prayer that is said
repeatedly.

Trying Out Ways to Pray

During the next week, try praying using a litany or novena. And the end
of your prayer time, write your reaction and reflections to praying us-
ing the form you chose.

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250 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

• Help me, Lord Jesus. • After reflecting on your sins, compose
your own Act of Contrition.
• Jesus, protect me from sin.
• Note the following in your journal:
• Praise God! An ideal time for you to pray on a
regular basis
• Mary, Mother of God, pray for me. A good place for you to pray
A comfortable prayer position for you
• Come, Holy Spirit. A good way for you to remind yourself
of God’s presence
• Holy Spirit, enlighten me. A prayer-word or phrase that helps
you refocus and handle distractions in
• Thank you heavenly Father for all the gifts you prayer
have given me.
Praying with
• Thank you, Father, for creating this day. Sacred Scripture (CCC,
2567–2589, 2653–2654)
For Review
Sacred Scripture is a rich source for prayer. Many
1. Discuss three good rules for getting start- prayers Catholics hold dear to their hearts come di-
ed in prayer. rectly from the Bible or are partly based on Scrip-
tural passages or events. These include prayers said
2. Suggest two ways to handle distractions in at Mass, Psalms and canticles, and familiar popular
prayer. prayers like the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the An-
gelus. Scripture tells of many people who prayed
3. Give an example of a vocal prayer. faithfully, both from the Old and New Testaments.
4. What is meditation? The greatest model of prayer is Jesus himself. Fi-
5. How might a person enter into mental or nally, Scripture offers instructions on how to pray.
Again, Jesus’ lessons on how to pray are timeless.
contemplative prayer?
6. How does God speak to us in the listening A constant theme in Scripture is that God’s rela-
tionship with his people is one of prayer. On the one
part of prayer? hand, God constantly seeks us. On the other hand,
our hearts, although weakened by sin, seek him. Sa-
For Reflection cred Scripture reveals that God always initiates the
process. When humans respond to his invitation,
• Write or share some answers to questions prayer takes place. Prayer is God’s gift to us.
Pope Benedict XVI posed to seminarians
and youth in his visit to America in 2008: Prayer in the Old Testament
“Have we perhaps lost something of the
art of listening? Do you leave space to There are many models of prayer in the Old Tes-
hear God’s whisper, calling you forth tament. For example, the patriarch Abraham heard
into goodness? Friends, do not be afraid
of silence or stillness. Listen to God,
adore him in the Eucharist. Let his word
shape your journey as an unfolding of
holiness.”

• After listing several special gifts you have
been given, compose your own prayer of
thanksgiving.

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Prayer in the Life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ 251

God’s voice, responded to his invita- to their brothers and sisters. Elijah, Liturgy of the Hours
tion, and obeyed him. He did so even the father of the prophets and the one
during the difficult times that came who appeared with Moses at the time The official daily prayer
his way. Moses was on intimate terms of Jesus’ Transfiguration, is an exam- of the Church; also known
with God, conversing with him “face ple of a man of faith whose prayers as the Divine Office. The
to face, like a man with his friend” God answered. For example, the Lord prayer offers prayers,
(Ex 33:11). Because of this close re- God enabled Elijah to bring a child Scripture, and reflections at
lationship, Moses was bold enough to back to life (1 Kgs 17:7–24). After he regular intervals through-
intercede for his people, asking God so fervently prayed, “Answer me, O out the day.
to be merciful and guide them to the Lord, answer me” (1 Kgs 18:37), Eli-
Promised Land. Moses’ intercession jah helped the people return to faith
for the Chosen People prefigured the on Mount Carmel.
intercession of Jesus Christ, the High
Priest, who came to save us.

Led by kings, priests, and prophets,
the Chosen People prayed in the Tem-
ple before the Ark of the Covenant.
King David, along with other authors,
composed the Psalms. Inspired by the
Holy Spirit, these marvelous prayers
comforted individuals and the com-
munity. These prayer-poems, quoted
and prayed by Jesus himself, have ap-
peal for all ages. Originally sung in
the Temple and later in local syna-
gogues, on pilgrimages, and in family
and personal settings, the Psalms cap-
ture human emotions like joy and awe
before God’s creation. They express
confidence and trust in a loving God,
complaints at the sorrows that befall
us, and thanksgiving and praise for a
generous, creative God. The Church
embraces the Psalms, using them in
every Mass and in the Liturgy of the
Hours (see page 254). She recom-
mends them to us as a time-honored
way to learn prayer.

The Old Testament prophets also
derived great strength from prayer.
They talked to God, interceded for the
people, and proclaimed God’s Word

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252 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

Prayer in Jesus went to a mountain to pray at the time of
the New Testament the Transfiguration when Peter, James, and John
were privileged to see the glory of the Risen Lord.
We learn best about prayer by contemplating Jesus At the Last Supper, Jesus offered the great Priestly
himself in prayer and then by following his instruc- Prayer, interceding on our behalf as he asked for us
tions on how to pray. Jesus learned prayer from his to be one with him so that we can witness to God’s
Mother and from the Jewish tradition. However, love and Salvation. After the Last Supper, Jesus took
as the eternal Son of God, Jesus’ prayer also came the Apostles to the Garden of Gethsemane where
from who he was. This is why, at the age of twelve, he prayed over his impending Death on the cross.
he said to his parents in the Temple, “I must be in The content of this prayer reveals that Jesus, like us,
my Father’s house” (Lk 2:49). was fearful at the thought of death. Yet he prayed,
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from
The Gospels give many examples of Jesus at me; still, not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42).
prayer. For example, after his baptism in the Jordan Jesus’ prayer of petition to be spared suffering and
River, Jesus went to the desert for a forty-day retreat death led to a prayer of submission, of following the
to pray in preparation for his ministry. Jesus also will of his Father. Finally, Jesus prayed on the cross:
prayed before making important decisions like se- asking God to forgive those who put him to death;
lecting the Apostles. After performing his first mir- reciting Psalm 22 (“My God, my God why have you
acles of healing, Jesus withdrew to pray. Likewise, forsaken me?”), and committing his spirit to God at
after performing the miracle of the loaves and fish- the moment of death.
es, Jesus dismissed the crowd and his followers and
withdrew to a hill to pray. Also, the night before Pe- Jesus also taught his disciples how to pray. For
ter confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, Jesus prayed. example, in the Sermon on the Mount, he told them
to pray simply, confidently, and with forgiveness in
Learn From their hearts. He gave them the words of the Lord’s
the Master Prayer (see pages 255–259). In Luke’s Gospel he
told them to pray constantly and with faith that their
We can learn much about prayer from Jesus’ prayers will be answered.
own example at prayer as well as from his spe-
cific teachings on how to pray. Read the fol- The New Testament tells of other great models
lowing passages that contain Jesus’ teaching for prayer. The Blessed Mother (see pages 259–261)
about prayer. For each, briefly summarize the is referenced in Acts 1:14 praying with the Apostles
point he is making. in the Upper Room, awaiting the coming of the Holy
Spirit on Pentecost Sunday. When the Holy Spirit
• Matthew 5:44 descended on Jesus’ disciples, Mary was with them
• Matthew 6:5–8 as they “devoted themselves to the teaching of the
• Matthew 18:19–20 Apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking
• Matthew 21:21–22 of the bread and to the prayers” (Acts 2:42). Prayer
• Mark 11:23–25 was essential to the life of the new Christians.
• Luke 11:5–13
• Luke 18:1 The New Testament letters attributed to St. Paul
• Luke 18:10–14 reveal him as a man of prayer. Paul praised God
• John 14:13 for blessings bestowed and for people who joined
• John 15:7 him in his ministry. Time and again, Paul petitioned
God on behalf of the people to whom he preached

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St. Benedict Faithful Disciple
St. Benedict founded the famous monas-
tery of Monte Cassino around the year
520. From this community, Benedict
wrote a famous rule for monks that was to

become the monastic rule for the Western

Church.

What can St. Benedict’s ancient rule teach

us about prayer? After Christianity was legal-

ized and Christians were no longer regularly

martyred for their faith, monasticism was the

most extreme form of Christian witness. From

every age, there have been Christians who

have felt drawn to a single-minded devotion to

God in prayer, solitude, and communal living.

In the early centuries, some men and women

withdrew from everyday life to go to the des-

ert to be alone with God. There they prayed,

fasted, read and meditated on the Scriptures,

and performed other various works of penance

and sacrifice. They were known as hermits.

Before long, hermits saw an advantage

of gathering with others to live the same type

of lifestyle in community. Monasteries were

formed so that these men and women could

share the burden of providing for food, shel-

ter, and protection and could then devote more

time to prayer. Benedict was a monk who

founded an early monastic community and

drew up a rule of life for the monks to live by.

Benedict attempted to seek a balance monasticism
among three things: public prayer at set
times throughout the day (called the “work of A style of Christian life that stress-
es communal living and communal

God”), the regular reading and meditation on worship along with private prayer,

the Bible (called “divine reading”), and man- silence, poverty, chastity, and
ual work for the physical support of the whole obedience.

monastery.

Benedict’s motto was ora et labora, “pray and work.” By doing this faithfully, those

who live a monastic life grow in deeper union with God. Monastic life also provides a

strong statement about God’s Kingdom. The witness of the monk says, “We are dedicat-

ed to the coming of God’s Kingdom without being attached to the passing things of this

world.” The monk’s witness—codified by St. Benedict—calls us to question what we

are doing and helps us to look more seriously at our own levels of commitment to God.

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254 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

the Gospel. He also wrote of his own personal rela- 1. an hour of readings
tionship with God and how the Lord helped him in 2. morning praises
tough times. 3. midday prayers
4. vespers (evening prayers)
In the history of the early Church up to our 5. compline (a short night prayer)
present day, the Holy Spirit taught and continues
to teach us how to pray. There are various ways to Each day follows a separate pattern of prayer
pray with Scripture, including those described in the with themes closely related to the liturgical year and
next section. feasts of the saints. In recent years, lay people have
taken to praying the Liturgy of the Hours.
The Church Prays with
Sacred Scripture (CCC, 2708) Another way to pray and meet the living God
in Sacred Scriptures is the devotional reading of
Sacred Scripture is God’s Word that reveals his great the Bible. For centuries, Catholics have practiced
love for us in Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Church a method of prayer known as lectio divina, that is,
encourages us to read Sacred Scripture so that we “sacred reading.” The purpose of the sacred reading
may hear God’s Word spoken to us today. of God’s Word is to meet God through his written
word and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into an
However, we should not only read and study even deeper union with him. Praying this way, it is
God’s Word but also pray it so that it will transform best to take a short passage, read it slowly and atten-
our lives. We pray it at Mass and the other liturgies tively, and let your imagination, emotions, memory,
of the Church. We pray it when we read the Psalms desires, and thoughts engage the written text.
and recite prayers like the Our Father. The Church
also prays Scripture by reciting the Liturgy of the The following method describes lectio divina
Hours (or Divine Office), which is part of the of- from the Benedictine tradition:
ficial public worship of the Church. The Liturgy of
the Hours extends the praise given to God in the 1. Reading (lectio). Select a short Bible passage.
Eucharistic celebration. Scriptural prayer, especial- Read it slowly. Pay attention to each word. If
ly the Psalms, is at the heart of the Liturgy of the a word or phrase catches your attention, read
Hours, which is traditionally recited by priests and it to yourself several times.
professed members of religious orders on behalf of
the whole Church. It consists of five main divisions: 2. Thinking (meditatio). Savor the passage. Read
it again. Reflect on it. This time feel any emo-
tions that may surface. Picture the images that

Praying with
the Daily Readings

Find the Scripture readings from today’s
Mass readings: www.usccb.org/nab/index
.shtml. Read the Gospel for today and pray
over it using the method outlined above.
Try this each day for the next two weeks.

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Prayer in the Life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ 255

arise from your imagination. Pay attention to For Reflection
any thoughts or memories the passage might
call forth from you. • What is a passage from the Old Testament
3. Prayer (oratio). Reflect on what the Lord that inspires you to prayer?
might be saying to you in this passage. Talk to
him as you would to a friend. Ask him to show • List four adjectives that describe Jesus as
you how to respond to his word. How can you the model pray-er.
connect this passage to your daily life? How
does it relate to the people you encounter ev- Two Special Prayers
ery day? Might there be a special message in for Jesus’ Disciples
this Scripture selection just for you? Pay at-
tention to any insights the Holy Spirit might The Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, holds the pre-
send you. eminent position among all Christian prayers. From
4. Contemplation (contemplatio). Sit in the pres- the earliest centuries until today, the Lord’s Prayer
ence of the Lord. Imagine him looking on you has been used in the liturgy of the church—in all
with great love in his heart. Rest quietly in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. The early
his presence. There is no need to think here, Church prayed the Lord’s Prayer three times a day.
just enjoy your time with him as two friends It remains a part of our daily prayer. No one had
would who quietly sit on a park bench gazing dared to address the almighty Creator with the in-
together at a sunset. timate term of address—Father, or more properly
5. Resolution. Take an insight that you gained “Daddy”—until Jesus invited his followers to do so.
from your “sacred reading” and resolve to ap-
ply it to your life. Perhaps it is simply a matter Next to the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary is a
of saying a simple prayer of thanks. Perhaps favorite Catholic prayer. The first part of the prayer
it is to be more patient with someone in your comes from Luke’s Gospel where he records the
life. Let the Word the Holy Spirit spoke to you greeting of the angel Gabriel (Lk 1:28) and that of
come alive in your life. Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth (Lk 1:42). The second part
of the prayer asks Mary to intercede for us.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ
prays alongside of us. We can be confident that our More information about the Lord’s Prayer and
prayers are heard because Jesus constantly inter- the Hail Mary follows.
cedes for us.
The Lord’s Prayer
For Review (CCC, 2759–2865)

1. Name two examples of prayer from the Jesus taught his disciples the Lord’s Prayer, the per-
Old Testament. fect Christian prayer and, in the words of Church
Father Tertullian, “a summary of the whole Gospel.”
2. How is Jesus a model for prayer? It is recorded in Matthew 6:9–15 and Luke 11:1–4.
The context in Matthew’s Gospel is the Sermon on
3. What is the Liturgy of the Hours? the Mount where Jesus teaches his disciples how
to pray. He tells them that they are to be authentic
4. Name the five steps for praying lectio when they pray. They should not be insincere like
divina.

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256 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

the hypocrites who like to show off when they pray (Lk 11:5–13). The first parable tells of a friend
so that others will think they are holy and devout. who comes knocking at the door at midnight for
Jesus further instructs his disciples to pray private- some bread. Jesus says that despite the late hour,
ly and that it is not necessary to use a lot of words the friend will respond to the request—if not out of
like pagans who babble magical incantations trying friendship—then certainly out of repeated and re-
to get God to do their will. Rather, Jesus’ disciples lentless requests. The point Jesus makes is clear: be
must keep their prayers simple and pray with faith- persistent in prayer. Never stop praying. Why? Je-
filled and forgiving hearts. Jesus then teaches them sus assures us, “And I tell you, ask and you will
the words of this perfect prayer: receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door
will be opened to you” (Lk 11:9–10). A second par-
Our Father in heaven, able explains that just as a human father will give
hallowed be your name, his children what is good for them (in the parable,
your kingdom come, wholesome food), how much more will our heav-
your will be done, enly Father give us what is good for us: that is, the
on earth as in heaven. Holy Spirit, spiritual food that gives us eternal life.
Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts, The following sections review each part of the
as we forgive our debtors; Lord’s Prayer: the address to our heavenly Father
and do not subject us to the final test, and seven petitions.
but deliver us from the evil one.
Our Father
(Mt 6:9–13)
Jesus is God’s only Son who reveals his Father to
Luke intended his Gospel for Gentile-Christians. us. He invites us to address God as Father, that is,
Unlike the Chosen People, Gentiles lacked a strong Abba in the Aramaic language Jesus spoke. Abba
tradition of prayer. The context of Jesus’ teaching is the word children use of their fathers, stressing
the Lord’s Prayer in Luke’s Gospel stresses Jesus’ an intimate, close, personal, dependent relationship.
own example of praying. Recall again that Jesus This address tells us that God is a gracious, all-
prayed all the time: for example, after his baptism, good, and all-loving Father whom we can approach
before choosing the Apostles, in the Temple and
synagogues, on a mountain during the Transfigura-
tion, in Gethsemane, and on the cross. There simply
can be no better teacher of prayer than Jesus, so the
disciples asked him how they should pray. Luke re-
cords Jesus’ words as:

Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
f or we ourselves forgive everyone in

debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.

(Lk 11:2–4)

Luke adds two parables of Jesus that stress im-
portant attitudes we should have when we pray

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Prayer in the Life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ 257

and address with confidence. More- Hallowed Be Thy Name transcendence
over, because we can call God Father,
Abba, we begin to comprehend the God is the source of all holiness. This A term that means “lying
awesome truth that God has adopted petition recognizes God’s holiness. behind the ordinary range
us into the divine family. We belong We hallow (make holy) God’s name of perception.” Because
to him. when we accept God’s love and act of God’s transcendence,
like his Son, Jesus Christ. We make he cannot be seen as he
Knowing God as our Father God’s name holy when we do God’s is unless he reveals his
means that we human beings are will, when we pray, and when we wit- mystery to our immediate
brothers and sisters with one another. ness to his Son, Jesus Christ. When contemplation.
The New Covenant that God made we live up to our name as Christians,
with each of us through his Son in the we lead others to come to know and
Holy Spirit has united us into a faith praise God because they can see
community, the Church. As mem- God’s image reflected in us.
bers of the Church, we pray and ap-
proach God together remembering to In the Old Testament, God re-
do what Jesus commanded us to do: vealed his name to be Yahweh, “I
treat each other with understanding, AM,” a name that reveals God who
compassion, and love. comes to us yet remains a mystery. Je-
sus, God’s only Son, reveals that Yah-
Who Art in Heaven weh is our heavenly Father. Christ’s
Paschal Mystery and our reception
“In Heaven” refers to God’s tran- of the Sacrament of Baptism adopt
scendence, his way of being, and us into God’s family, permitting us
his majesty above all his creatures. to call God Father. When we imitate
Through Jesus, God lives in the the Son, we witness to the Father’s
hearts of the just. We profess that we holiness.
are God’s people who are united to
Christ in Heaven. We wait for the day Thy Kingdom Come
when our heavenly reward will be
fully ours. Jesus inaugurated God’s Kingdom
from the beginning of his earthly
ministry and through his Passion,
Death, and Resurrection. The seeds

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258 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

of the Kingdom are present now in the Church be- Praying for our daily bread also challenges us
cause Jesus has saved and redeemed us. The Lord to remember the needs of others, especially those of
has set a structure in place in the Church that will hungry and poor people. This petition also reminds
remain until the Kingdom is fully achieved. It is Christ’s followers of their duty to share the Bread of
God’s will that a reign of peace and justice, of truth Life by preaching the Gospel to others in both word
and service, be advanced in the world. However, and deed. In this petition, we are also praying for
God’s Kingdom is “not yet” fully established until the fullness of God’s material and spiritual blessings
the Lord comes again at the end of the world—a day that will be ours in Heaven.
when our Savior will transform all of creation into
its fullness. Until that day, under the guidance of the And Forgive Us Our
Holy Spirit, we should live, experience, and work Trespasses as We Forgive
for the Kingdom right now through our participa- Those Who Trespass against Us
tion in the Church.
It is difficult to ask for and extend forgiveness. To
We pray for Christ’s return and the final com- do so we must humbly acknowledge that we are sin-
ing of God’s Kingdom when there will perfect righ- ners and that we need the Holy Spirit to help us re-
teousness, peace, and joy. To pray for the coming of pent of our selfishness and turn to a life of love and
God’s Kingdom means to join Jesus in his work: to service. We need Jesus’ help to turn our selfish ways
feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty, to wel- to a more loving life of service. We confess that we
come the stranger, to clothe the naked, to visit the need help on our journey to the Father.
sick and imprisoned, and to respond to the needs of
all who come into our lives, especially those Jesus Jesus teaches that for God’s forgiveness to pene-
called the “least of these.” trate our hearts we must in turn forgive others, even
our enemies. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus
Thy Will Be Done on teaches, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be
Earth as It Is in Heaven shown mercy” (Mt 5:7). The gift of God’s forgive-
ness must be shared with others. Extending forgive-
To do the Father’s will is to join our will to his Son’s ness is an invitation to love. It is also a superlative
and to his ongoing work of Salvation by loving oth- way to imitate Jesus who, on the cross, forgave
ers and responding to the least in our midst. For his executioners. We cannot call ourselves Chris-
this to happen, we need the assistance of the Holy tians and children of the Father without sharing the
Spirit to help us overcome our own selfishness and
strengthen us to live as faithful disciples of Jesus
Christ—disciples who proclaim and witness in their
lives the teachings of our Lord.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

When we ask for bread, we are requesting what
bread represents—both material and spiritual goods
and blessings that are necessary for life: food, shel-
ter, clothing; friendship, love, and companionship.
We pray for Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist.
He is the Bread of Life, “the Word of God and the
Body of Christ” (CCC, 2861), whom we receive in
Holy Communion.

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Prayer in the Life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ 259

forgiveness that we ourselves have been so gra- with the Virgin Mary ”to magnify with her the great
ciously given. things the Lord has done for her, and to entrust sup-
plications and praises to her” (CCC, 2682). The Hail
And Lead Us Not into Temptation Mary, one of the most popular prayers for Catholics,
expresses both of these aims. The meaning of the
Trials inevitably come our way. What we pray for various phrases of this beloved prayer follows.
in this petition is that we have the strength to over-
come any difficulties that might steer us away from Hail Mary, Full of Grace
a Christian life of service.
The Angel Gabriel greeted Mary this way, signify-
We also pray to God that he not allow us to take ing that she was full of grace, without sin, and in
the path that leads to sin. We pray to remain in his blessed union with God who dwelled within her.
grace until the very end of our lives. Prayer helps us The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
to resist what leads us to sin and gives us strength to “She was, by sheer grace, conceived without sin as
overcome difficulties in living a Christian life. We the most humble of creatures, the most capable of
ask the Holy Spirit to shower us with gifts like for- welcoming the inexpressible gift of the almighty”
titude, watchfulness, perseverance, and hearts that (CCC, 722).
can tell the difference between trials that strengthen
us spiritually and temptations that lead to sin and The Lord Is with Thee
death.
Out of his infinite goodness, God chose Mary, pre-
But Deliver Us from Evil served her from all sin, and filled her with grace.
In freedom, Mary responded to God’s blessings by
In union with the saints, we ask God to show forth always loving and serving him with total devotion.
the victory that Christ has already won over Satan.
We pray that the Father will deliver us from Satan’s Blessed Art Thou among Women
snares, including the temptations that a godless so-
ciety presents to us. We petition God to keep us Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, greeted Mary this way
from the evil of accidents, illness, violence, and nat- when she went to visit Elizabeth to help her before
ural disasters. We pray that God will help us reject
any cooperation in unjust, prejudicial, and selfish
actions. We pray that we never be put in a situa-
tion where we might be tempted to deny our loving
Father.

Finally, we pray with the Holy Spirit and all
God’s people—the Communion of Saints—for the
Lord’s Second Coming when we will be free for-
ever from the snares of the Evil One.

The Hail Mary
(CCC, 2673–2679; 2682)

The Blessed Mother has a unique role in Salvation
History. Her faith-filled cooperation with the Holy
Spirit serves as a model for all Christians. Through-
out history, the Church has prayed in communion

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260 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

giving birth to John the Baptist (Lk 1:42). Elizabeth to bless Mary for her faith in accepting God’s Word
rightly acknowledged that Mary has a unique role in that she was to be the Mother of God. Elizabeth is
Salvation History. She is the Mother of God whom greatly honored and humbled that the Mother of
we honor above all others. Mary is “blessed among God should come to visit her (Lk 1:43).
women” because she believed that God’s Word
would be fulfilled in her. Holy Mary, Mother of God

Blessed Is the Fruit of Thy Womb, This phrase acknowledges that Mary is the Mother
Jesus of God because she gave birth to Jesus who is both
true God and true man. The Council of Ephesus
Elizabeth proclaimed this blessing after her son, (431) defined the dogma that Mary is indeed The-
John the Baptist, leaped in her womb in the pres- otokos (“Birth-giver of God”). We can entrust all of
ence of the Son of God whom Mary was carrying in our causes and petitions to Mary. She prays for us as
her own womb. The Holy Spirit inspired Elizabeth she once prayed for herself: “May it be done to me
according to your word” (Lk 1:38).

Pray for Us Sinners

We acknowledge ourselves as sinners and ask our
Blessed Mother to intercede for us. Mary is the
Mother of God and the Mother of the Church, so
she cares deeply about all of her children. Just as
she interceded for the couple who ran out of wine
at the wedding feast of Cana, our Blessed Mother
will intercede for us by taking our concerns and us
to her Son. The love of our Blessed Mother knows
no bounds, far exceeding the love of even our own
earthly mothers. Another Marian prayer, the Memo-
rare reminds us that “never was it known that any-
one who fled to your protection, implored your help,
or sought your intercession was left unaided.” This
is why we can confidently pray to Mary and be as-
sured that our prayers will be heard and that in her
mercy she will answer them by taking them to her
Son.

Now and at the Hour of Our Death

Mary lived a faith-filled life. She witnessed the cru-
cifixion of her Son. She knew firsthand the agonies
of death and abandonment. She remained with Jesus
through his Death and rejoiced in his Resurrection.
In this petition, we ask her to remain with us to the
very end and help us on our journey to her Beloved
Son and our heavenly Father, especially at the lone-
liest time of our lives: the moment of our death.

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Prayer in the Life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ 261

It is reported that St. Francis Xavier (1506– For Reflection
1552) called to Jesus for mercy on his deathbed
and then whispered, “O Virgin Mother of God, re- • Recite five decades of the Rosary. Offer
member me.” Similarly, Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha (ca. the Rosary for a special intention for
1656–1680), an Algonquin Indian, died with these someone who has asked you for your
words on her lips: “Jesus, I love you! Jesus! Mary!” prayers.
We, too, are encouraged to surrender to Mary’s care
at the “hour of our death” that she might lead us to • How can you be “daily” bread for
her Son, Jesus, in paradise. someone close to you? For a classmate?

Prayer, especially in union with the Blessed
Mother, helps us to grow closer to Jesus, our Savior,
and to live lives of Christian discipleship. This mes-
sage serves as a good summary for this chapter and
this course. As you continue your studies, may you
grow ever closer to your Lord both in knowledge
and in love. Concerning your future, remember the
words of St. Pio of Pietrelcina (1887–1968): “Pray,
hope, and don’t worry.” And take to heart the words
of an old Irish blessing:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

For Review

1. Discuss two points Jesus makes in
Matthew’s Gospel about how his disciples
should pray.

2. What is the point of the two parables in
Luke’s Gospel following Jesus’ teaching of
the Lord’s Prayer?

3. Briefly discuss the meaning of each phrase
of the Lord’s Prayer.

4. Briefly explain the meaning of the Hail
Mary.

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262 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

Chapter 10 Quick View Main Ideas Terms, People, Places

• Prayer is essential to the life of a disciple. Complete each sentence by choosing the correct
(p. 240) answer from the list of terms below. You will
not use all of the terms.
• There are several definitions of prayer. One
way to think of it is a relationship with God: Blessed Sacrament
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (pp. 241–242)
contemplation
• The greatest benefit of prayer is that it deep-
ens our relationship with the Triune God. contrition
(p. 242)
Eucharist
• Prayer is an act of love that can be enhanced
by following “6 Ps”: place, period of time, Forty Hours’ Devotion
posture, presence, passage, and persistence.
(pp. 243–244) Jesus Prayer

• Christian prayer expresses itself as vocal lectio divina
prayer, meditation, and mental prayer.
(pp. 243–244) litany

• Expressions of prayer may be in several Liturgy of the Hours
forms that are revealed in both Sacred Tra-
dition and Sacred Scripture, including: monasticism
blessing, adoration, petition, intercession,
thanksgiving, and praise. (p. 245) transcendence

• Other ways for Catholics to pray are with votive candle
icons, before the Blessed Sacrament, and
by reciting litanies, novenas, and the Jesus 1. Spending some time before the Lord in the
Prayer. (pp. 248–249) ___________ is another way to pray. Often,
this practice is connected with an inter-parish
• Sacred Scripture is also a rich source of celebration of ___________.
prayer; there are many models of prayer in
both the Old Testament and New Testament. 2. After Christians were no longer regularly
(p. 250) being martyred for their faith, ___________
became the most extreme form of Christian
• The Church prays with Sacred Scripture, witness.
especially in the Liturgy of the Hours, and
also through practice of a prayer method 3. Mental prayer often leads to ___________.
called lectio divina or “sacred reading.”
(pp. 251–255) 4. You may wish to keep a ___________ in
the area you have chosen as a special prayer
• Two special Catholic prayers are the Our space.
Father and the Hail Mary. (pp. 255–256)
5. The petition “in Heaven” in the Our Father
• The Our Father has been called “a summary refers to God’s ___________.
of the whole Gospel.” (pp. 256–259)
Primary Source Quotations
• The Hail Mary helps the Church remain in
communion with the Virgin Mary, “to mag- Meaning of Prayer
nify the great things the Lord has done for For me, prayer means launching out of
her.” (pp. 259–261) the heart toward God; a cry of grateful
love from the crest of joy or the trough
of despair: it is a vast, supernatural force
that opens out my heart, and binds me
close to Jesus.

—St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Prayer reveals to souls the vanity of
earthly goods and pleasures. It fills them

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Prayer in the Life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ 263

with light, strength, and consolation, and • Mark 14:32 Chapter 10 Quick View
gives them a foretaste of the calm bliss
of our heavenly home. • Matthew 21:12–13

—St. Rose of Viterbo • John 17:1

Necessity of Prayer • Luke 23:34, 46
Nothing is equal to prayer; for what is
impossible it makes possible, what is 4. Read each Gospel passage below. Summa-
difficult, easy. rize Jesus’ teaching on prayer in your own
words. Rate how difficult each teaching is
—St. John Chrysostom for you to follow in your own life.
• Matthew 6:6–8
Those who pray are certainly saved;
those who do not pray are certainly • Luke 11:9–13
damned.
• Matthew 21:21–22
—St. Alphonsus Liguori
• Luke 11:5–8
The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer is the most perfect • Mark 11:25
of prayers. . . . In it we ask, not only for
all the things we can rightly desire, but • Matthew 18:18–20
also in the sequence that they should be
desired. This prayer not only teaches us 5. Write about or share an oral presentation
to ask for things, but also in what order about a friend, religion teacher, religious, or
we should desire them. relative who is a model of prayer for you.

—St. Thomas Aquinas 6. Translate and transcribe the Lord’s Prayer in
a foreign language you are studying.
Run through all the words of the holy
prayers [in Scripture], and I do not think 7. Recite the Litany to the Sacred Heart of Je-
that you will find anything in them that sus. Report on the history of this devotion.
is not contained and included in the
Lord’s Prayer. 8. Create a PowerPoint presentation to illus-
trate the Lord’s Prayer. Choose appropriate
—St. Augustine visuals to accompany the text of the prayer.

Ongoing Assignments 9. Make a list of “daily bread” that you need
to live a full, happy, holy, and healthy life.
As you cover the material in this chapter, Consider these categories:
choose and complete at least three of these • physical needs
assignments.
• psychological needs
1. Research several prayers of saints. Tran-
scribe into your prayer journal two of the • spiritual needs
most meaningful prayers that you found.
Prayer
2. Read Isaiah 43:1–3. Write a short reflection
about what it might mean for us today. St. Thomas Aquinas (ca. 1225–1274), one
of the Church’s most brilliant thinkers, is the
3. Look up each Gospel passage below. Write patron saint of students. He composed the
the names of the places where Jesus prayed. following prayer for students:
Then write and describe six places where
you pray. Prayer before Study
Creator of all things,
• Luke 5:16 true source of light and wisdom,
origin of all being,
• Luke 6:12 graciously let a ray of your light penetrate

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Chapter 10 Quick View 264 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

the darkness of my understanding.
Take from me the double darkness
in which I have been born,
an obscurity of sin and ignorance.
Give me a keen understanding,
a retentive memory, and
the ability to grasp things
correctly and fundamentally.
Grant me the talent
of being exact in my explanations
and the ability to express myself
with thoroughness and charm.
Point out the beginning,
direct the progress,
and help in the completion.
I ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
• Reflection: What do you need to do to be-
come a better student?
• Resolution: Pray this prayer the next time
you prepare for final exams.

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Prayer in the Life of a Disciple of Jesus Christ 265 Chapter 10 Quick View

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HfCaoanrtdhFboaolitoichk

A. Beliefs I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
From the beginning, the Church expressed and the communion of saints,
handed on its faith in brief formulas accessible to the forgiveness of sins,
all. These professions of faith are called “creeds” the resurrection of the body,
because their first word in Latin, credo, means “I and life everlasting. Amen.
believe.” The following creeds have special im-
portance in the Church. The Apostles’ Creed is a Nicene Creed
summary of the Apostles’ faith. The Nicene Creed
developed from the Councils of Nicene and Con- I believe in one God,
stantinople and remains in common between the the Father almighty,
Churches of both the East and West. maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
Apostles’ Creed
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
I believe in God, the Only Begotten Son of God,
the Father almighty, born of the Father before all ages.
Creator of heaven and earth, God from God, Light from Light,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, true God from true God,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
born of the Virgin Mary, through him all things were made.
suffered under Pontius Pilate, For us men and for our salvation
was crucified, died and was buried; he came down from heaven,
he descended into hell; and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven, Mary,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father and became man.

almighty; For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
from there he will come to judge the living and the he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
dead. in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven

266

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Catholic Handbook for Faith 267

and is seated at the right hand of the Father. The Symbol of Chalcedon
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead Following therefore the holy Fathers, we unani-
and his kingdom will have no end. mously teach to confess one and the same Son, our
Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in divinity and
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly
life, man composed of rational soul and body, the same
one in being (homoousios) with the Father as to the
who proceeds from the Father and the Son, divinity and one in being with us as to the humanity,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and like unto us in all things but sin (cf. Heb 4:15). The
same was begotten from the Father before the ages
glorified, as to the divinity and in the later days for us and our
who has spoken through the prophets. Salvation was born as to his humanity from Mary
the Virgin Mother of God.
I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic
Church. We confess that one and the same Lord Jesus
Christ, the only-begotten Son, must be acknowl-
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins edged in two natures, without confusion or change,
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead without division or separation. The distinction be-
and the life of the world to come. Amen. tween the natures was never abolished by their union
but rather the character proper to each of the two na-
Gifts of the Holy Spirit tures was preserved as they came together in one per-
son (prosôpon) and one hypostasis. He is not split or
1. Wisdom divided into two persons, but he is one and the same
2. Understanding only-begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ,
3. Counsel as formerly the prophets and later Jesus Christ him-
4. Fortitude self have taught us about him and as has been hand-
5. Knowledge ed down to us by the Symbol of the Fathers.
6. Piety
7. Fear of the Lord —From the General Council of Chalcedon
(ad 451)
Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Understanding
1. Charity the Paschal Mystery
2. Joy
3. Peace This article by Rev. Paul Turner first appeared in
4. Patience the Institute Resource Packet of the North American
5. Kindness Forum on the Catechumenate (2004), pp. 14–15.
6. Goodness
7. Generosity “Paschal mystery” is the expression we use
8. Gentleness for the suffering, death and resurrection of
9. Faithfulness Christ, and for our participation in Christ
10. Modesty through baptism and death.
11. Self-control
12. Chastity On the road one day with his disciples,
Jesus took the Twelve aside to explain some-
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268 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son “To this end [God] has also called you
of Man will be handed over to the chief through our Gospel to possess the glory of
priests and the scribes, and they will con- our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Christ has been
demn him to death and hand him over to the raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those
Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians
scourge him, and put him to death, but after 15:20). To the Romans (6:5), he says, “If we
three days he will rise.” have grown into union with him through a
death like his, we shall also be united with
The Gospels say Jesus predicted his him in the resurrection.” Paul’s words re-
passion on numerous occasions, but the call those of Jesus himself (John 14:3): “If I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come
significance eluded even his closest fol- back again and take you to myself, so that
lowers. Once he suffered his hor- where I am you also may be.”
rible death and stunned the world
with his resurrection, people un- Both words, paschal and mystery, are
derstood his prediction. important. Paschal refers to Passover. The
The resurrection of Jesus be- annual Passover recalls the day that the an-
gel of death passed over Israel in exile, spar-
came the centerpiece of early ing the firstborn of God’s chosen people, but
Christian preaching. In Acts of the visiting terror upon their enemies (Exodus
Apostles 13:28–30, for example, Paul 12). It was at Passover when Jesus mounted
announced, “Even though [the inhab- the cross at Calvary, freeing his own chosen
itants of Jerusalem] found no grounds people from sin and vanquishing death for-
for a death sentence, they asked Pilate ever (John 19:14).
to have [Jesus] put to death, and . . .
they took him down from the tree and Mystery refers to our faith. We do not
placed him in a tomb. But God raised understand how God will save us, or even
him from the dead.” why God loves us so. We do not appreciate
the joy that awaits us in eternal life. “What
The Paschal Mystery also prom- eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and
ises believers a share in the resurrec- what has not entered the human heart, what
God has prepared for those who love him,
tion. Paul explains the benefit this God has revealed to us through the Spir-
of faith (2 Thessalonians 2:14): it” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Christians face the Paschal Mystery
with every baptism and every death. Bap-
tism ushers us into the Paschal Mystery, and
death transports us to the threshold of its
completion. “In the sacraments of Christian
initiation we are freed from the power of
darkness and joined to Christ’s death, buri-
al and resurrection. . . . Baptism recalls and
makes present the paschal mystery itself, be-
cause in baptism we pass from the death of
sin into life” (Christian Initiation, General
Introduction 1, 6).

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Catholic Handbook for Faith 269

ahead. It is all mystery. But we believe it is
paschal, and therein lies our hope.

“In the face of death, the Church confi- B. Faith in God: Father,
dently proclaims that God has created each Son, and Holy Spirit
person for eternal life and that Jesus, the
Son of God, by his death and resurrection, Our profession of faith begins with God, for God
has broken the chains of sin and death that is the First and the Last, the beginning and end of
bound humanity” (Order of Christian Fu- everything.
nerals, General Introduction 1).
Attributes of God
The Paschal Mystery of Christ is the
promise of life for Christians. This glory St. Thomas Aquinas named nine attributes that seem
gives us hope and helps us face our fears. to tell us some things about God’s nature. They are:
1. God is eternal. He has no beginning and no
One day long ago Jesus foretold his
death, unveiling the Paschal Mystery to the end. Or, to put it another way, God always
Twelve. Mark describes the experience this was, always is, and always will be.
way: “The disciples were on the way, go- 2. God is unique. There is no God like Yahweh
ing up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead (see Isaiah 45:18). God is the designer of a
of them. They were amazed, and those who one-and-only world. Even the people he cre-
followed were afraid.” ates are one of a kind.
3. God is infinite and omniscient. This reminds
This still describes the experience of ev- us of a lesson we learned early in life: God
ery Christian. We are disciples, on the way— sees everything. There are no limits to God.
the way of the commands of Christ, the way 4. God is omnipresent. God is not limited to
toward our own death, our own Jerusalem. space. He is everywhere. You can never be
Jesus is not exactly with us. He is ahead of away from God.
us. This belief makes us amazed, but we fol- 5. God contains all things. All of creation is un-
lowers remain afraid. We know not what lies der God’s care and jurisdiction.
6. God is immutable. God does not evolve. God
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he always was and always will be.
7. God is pure spirit. Though God has been de-
scribed with human attributes, God is not a ma-
terial creation. God’s image cannot be made.
God is a pure spirit who cannot be divided into
parts. God is simple, but complex.
8. God is alive. We believe in a living God, a
God who acts in the lives of people. Most con-
cretely, God assumed a human nature in the

270 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

divine Person of Jesus Christ, without losing Think of the Father as a root,
his divine nature. of the Son as a branch,
9. God is holy. God is pure goodness. God is and of the Spirit as a fruit,
pure love. for the substance of these is one.

The Holy Trinity The Father is a sun
with the Son as rays
The Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Chris- and the Holy Spirit as heat.
tian faith and of Christian life. Only God alone can Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church
make it known to us by revealing himself as Father, (232–260) on the Holy Trinity.
Son, and Holy Spirit. Viewed in the light of faith,
some of the Church dogmas, or beliefs, can help our Faith in One God
understanding of this mystery:
There are several implications for those who love
• The Trinity is One. There are not three Gods, God and believe in him with their entire heart and
but one God in three Persons. Each one of soul (see CCC 222–227):
them—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is God • It means knowing God’s greatness and majesty.
whole and entire. • It means living in thanksgiving.
• It means knowing the unity and dignity of all
• The three Persons are distinct from one an-
other. The three Persons of the Trinity are dis- people.
tinct in how they relate to one another. “It is the • It means making good use of created things.
Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, • It means trusting God in every circumstance.
and the Holy Spirit who proceeds” (Lateran
Council IV quoted in CCC, 254). The Father is
not the Son; nor is the Son the Holy Spirit.

• The three divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity
are related to one another. While the three Per-
sons are truly distinct in light of their relations,
we believe in one God. The Three Persons do
not divide the divine unity. They are insepa-
rable in what they are and are inseparable in
what they do. However each Divine Person re-
veals his own unique personal properties in the
work that is done by the whole Trinity. Above
all, the divine missions of the Son’s Incarnation
and the gift of the Holy Spirit show forth the
personal properties of the Divine Persons. The
Council of Florence taught: “Because of that
unity the Father is wholly in the Son and whol-
ly in the Holy Spirit; the Son is wholly in the
Father and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Holy
Spirit is wholly in the Father and wholly in the
Son” (quoted in CCC, 255).

St. John Damascus used two analogies to de-
scribe the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity.

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Catholic Handbook for Faith 271

C. Deposit of Faith from Egypt (the Exodus), led them to the Promised
Land, formed them into a nation under his care, and
“Deposit of Faith” refers to both Sacred Scripture taught them in knowledge and worship.
and Sacred Tradition handed on from the time of the
Apostles, from which the Church draws all that she The stories, prayers, sacred histories, and oth-
proposes is revealed by God. er writings of the Old Testament reveal what God
is like and tell much about human nature, too. In
Canon of the Bible brief, the Chosen People sinned repeatedly by turn-
ing their backs on their loving God; they were weak
There are seventy-three books in the canon of the and easily tempted away from God. Yahweh, on the
Bible, that is, the official list of books the Church other hand, always remained faithful. He promised
accepts as divinely inspired writings: forty-six Old to send a messiah to humanity.
Testament books and twenty-seven New Testament
books. Protestant Bibles do not include seven Old Listed on the following page are the categories
Testament books in their list (1 and 2 Maccabees, and books of the Old Testament.
Judith, Tobit, Baruch, Sirach, and the Wisdom of
Solomon). Why the difference? Catholics rely on How to Locate
the version of the Bible that the earliest Christians a Scripture Passage
used, the Septuagint. This was the first Greek trans-
lation of the Hebrew Scriptures begun in the third Example: 2 Tm 3:16–17
century BC. Protestants, on the other hand, rely on 1. Determine the name of the book.
an official list of Hebrew Scriptures compiled in the The abbreviation “2 Tm” stands for the book
Holy Land by Jewish scholars at the end of the first
century AD. Today, some Protestant Bibles print the of Second Timothy.
disputed books in a separate section at the back of
the Bible, called the Apocrypha. 2. Determine whether the book is in the Old Tes-
tament or New Testament.
The twenty-seven books of the New Testament
are divided into three categories: the Gospels, the The book of Second Timothy is one of the New
letters written to local Christian communities or Testament letters.
individuals, and the letters intended for the entire
Church. The heart of the New Testament, in fact all 3. Locate the chapter where the passage occurs.
of Scripture, is the Gospels. The New Testament is The first number before the colon—“3”—
central to our knowledge of Jesus Christ. He is the
focus of all Scripture. indicates the chapter. Chapters in the Bible
are set off by the larger numbers that divide
There are forty-six books in the Old Testament a book.
canon. The Old Testament is the foundation for
God’s self-Revelation in Christ. Christians honor 4. Locate the verses of the passage.
the Old Testament as God’s Word. It contains the The numbers after the colon indicate the vers-
writings of prophets and other inspired authors who
recorded God’s teaching to the Chosen People and es referred to. In this case, verses 16 and 17 of
his interaction in their history. For example, the Old chapter 3.
Testament recounts how God delivered the Jews
5. Read the passage.
For example: “All Scripture is inspired by

God and is useful for teaching, for refutation,
for correction, and for training in righteous-
ness, so that one who belongs to God may be
competent, equipped for every good work.”

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272 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

The Old Testament The New Testament

The Pentateuch The Prophetic Books The Gospels The Catholic Letters

Genesis Gn Isaiah Is Matthew Mt James Jas
Exodus Ex Jeremiah Jer Mark Mk 1 Peter 1 Pt
Leviticus Lv Lamentations Lam Luke Lk 2 Peter 2 Pt
Numbers Nm Baruch Bar John Jn 1 John 1 Jn
Deuteronomy Dt Ezekiel Ez Acts of the Apostles Acts 2 John 2 Jn
Daniel Dn 3 John 3 Jn
The Historical Books Hosea Hos Jude Jude
Joel Jl Revelation Rv
Joshua Jos Amos Am The New Testament Letters
Judges Jgs Obadiah Ob
Ruth Ru Jonah Jon Romans Rom
1 Samuel 1 Sm Micah Mi 1 Corinthians 1 Cor
2 Samuel 2 Sm Nahum Na 2 Corinthians 2 Cor
1 Kings 1 Kgs Habakkuk Hb Galatians Gal
2 Kings 2 Kgs Zephaniah Zep Ephesians Eph
1 Chronicles 1 Chr Haggai Hg Philippians Phil
2 Chronicles 2 Chr Zechariah Zec Colossians Col
Ezra Ezr Malachi Mal 1 Thessalonians 1 Thes
Nehemiah Neh 2 Thessalonians 2 Thes
Tobit Tb 1 Timothy 1 Tm
Judith Jdt 2 Timothy 2 Tm
Esther Est Titus Ti
1 Maccabees 1 Mc Philemon Phlm
2 Maccabees 2 Mc Hebrews Heb

The Wisdom Books

Job Jb
Psalms Ps(s)
Proverbs Prv
Ecclesiastes Eccl
Song of Songs Sg
Wisdom Wis
Sirach Sir

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Catholic Handbook for Faith 273

Relationship between his body and gave the Church the gift of the
Scripture and Tradition Holy Spirit. Together, Christ and the Church
make up the “whole Christ” (Christus totus in
The Church does not derive the revealed truths of Latin).
God from the holy Scriptures alone. The Sacred 3. The Church is Catholic. The Church is cath-
Tradition hands on God’s Word, first given to the olic (“universal” or “for everyone”) in two
Apostles by the Lord and the Holy Spirit, to the suc- ways. First, she is catholic because Christ is
cessors of the Apostles (the bishops and the pope). present in the Church in the fullness of his
Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, these successors body, with the fullness of the means of Salva-
faithfully preserve, explain, and spread it to the ends tion, the fullness of faith, sacraments, and the
of the earth. The Second Vatican Council fathers ex- ordained ministry that comes from the Apos-
plained the relationship between Sacred Scripture tles. The Church is also catholic because she
and Sacred Tradition: takes her message of Salvation to all people.
Put another way, the Church in this world is
It is clear therefore that, in the supremely the Sacrament of Salvation, the sign and in-
wise arrangement of God, Sacred Tradition, strument of the communion of God and men.
Sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium of the As Pope Paul VI explained, this is so because
Church are so connected and associated that God desires “that the whole human race may
one of them cannot stand without the oth- become one People of God, form one Body of
ers. Working together, each in its own way, Christ, and be built up into one temple of the
under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they Holy Spirit” (quoted in CCC, 776).
all contribute effectively to the salvation of 4. The Church is Apostolic. The Church’s apos-
souls. (Dei Verbum, 10) tolic mission comes from Jesus—“Go, there-
fore, and make disciples of all nations” (Mt
D. Church 28:19)—and is directed by the Holy Spirit.
It is from God’s love for us that we receive
The Church is the Body of Christ, that is, the com- both our obligation and vigor to proceed in
munity of God’s people who profess faith in the ris- forging God’s mission that all will be saved
en Lord Jesus and love and serve others under the and come to a knowledge of the truth. “Sal-
guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Church is guided vation is found in the truth” (CCC, 851). It
by the pope and his bishops. is the Church’s love for Christ that spurs this
mission on. The Church remains apostolic
Marks of the Church because she still teaches the same things the
Apostles taught. The Pope and bishops, who
1. The Church is One. The Church remains one are successors to the Apostles, lead and guide
because of its source: The unity in the Trinity the Church until Jesus returns.
of the Father, Son, and Spirit in one God. The
Church’s unity can never be broken and lost
because this foundation is itself unbreakable.

2. The Church is Holy. The Church is holy be-
cause Jesus, the founder of the Church, is
holy, and he joined the Church to himself as

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274 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

325 410 722
Council of Nicaea (Arian heresy Rome invaded
refuted; Nicene Creed composed) by Visigoths St. Boniface
evangelizes the
311 432 Germanic people
Emperor Constantine ends St. Patrick begins
ca. 64 or 67 missionary work in
Peter and Paul persecution of Christians Ireland
are martyred in Rome
ca. 100 451
ca. 50 Death of St. John Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Jerusalem the Evangelist; defends the two natures
(Gentiles can be admitted to the Church) apostolic era ends of Christ

529
St. Benedict
founds order of
monks, the
Benedictines

ca. 6–4 BC 70 590
Jesus is born Temple destroyed St. Gregory the Great
becomes Pope
ca. 30–33 313
Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ Edict of Milan 800
Pope Leo III crowns
Easter/Pentecost 381
First Council of Constantinople Charlemagne
ca. 64 (Nicene Creed expanded; divine Roman emperor
Persecution of Christians begins
nature of Holy Spirit defined)
under Roman emperor Nero
431
Council of Ephesus (refutes Nestorianism;

states that Mary is the Mother of God)

476
Roman Empire in West collapses

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Catholic Handbook for Faith 275

1378 1540 1642
St. Ignatius of Loyola
The Great Schism in the Church begins (lasts until founds Society of Jesus Jesuits evangelizing the Native
1417), with the Pope residing in France and two (Jesuits) to assist in Americans are martyred (through 1647)
reform of the Church
or three men claiming to be Pope
1517
1073 1209 Martin Luther posts 1789
Pope St. Gregory VII
begins reforms of the St. Francis of ninety-five theses John Carroll is appointed first
Church Assisi founds beginning the bishop of the United States
Franciscan order
1095 Protestant Reformation 1869 1917
Pope Urban II Apparitions of Our
calls First The First Vatican Lady of Fatima
Crusade to free Council
Holy Land from 1978
Muslims convenes Beginning of
(through 1870) pontificate of Pope
John Paul II

1994
Vatican and
state of Israel
establish formal
relations

1431 1769 2005
The first of
St. Joan of Arc twenty-one California Pope John Paul II
is executed missions are dies; Joseph
founded (most by Ratzinger elected
Blessed Junipero Pope Benedict XVI

1054 1533 Serra)
1820
Final schism King Henry VIII
between the is excommunicated, leading to the Beginning of swell of nine million
Eastern and Catholic immigrants to the United
Western churches, start of the Anglican Church
which remains States (through 1920s)
today 1545
1891
1215 Council of Trent begins Pope Leo XIII writes the Rerum Novarum
(lasts until 1563), which encyclical, the first of the Church’s body
St. Dominic founds
Dominican order of advances the of social teaching doctrine
preachers Catholic Reformation
1903
1170 Beginning of pontificate of St. Pius X
St. Thomas Becket murdered in Canterbury Cathedral
(through 1914)

1962
The Second Vatican Council convenes (through 1965)

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276 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

The Apostles St. Matthew
and Their Emblems
Matthew’s shield depicts three purses, re-
St. Andrew flecting his original occupation as tax
collector.
Tradition holds that Andrew was crucified
on an X-shaped cross, called a saltire. St. Matthias

St. Bartholomew Matthias was the Apostle chosen by lot to
replace Judas. Tradition holds that Matth-
Bartholomew was flayed alive before being ias was stoned to death and then beheaded
crucified. He was then beheaded. with an ax.

St. James the Greater St. Peter

James the Greater, the brother of John, was Simon Peter was the brother of Andrew.
beheaded by Herod Agrippa. It is the only The first bishop of Rome, Peter was cruci-
death of an Apostle mentioned in Scripture fied under Nero, asking to be hung upside
(Acts 12:2). The shell indicates James’s down because he felt unworthy to die as
missionary work by sea in Spain. The Jesus did. The keys represent Jesus’ giving
sword is of martyrdom. Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

St. James the Less St. Philip

James the Less is traditionally known as Philip may have been bound to a cross and
the first bishop of Jerusalem. The saw for stoned to death. The two loaves of bread at
his emblem is connected with the tradition the side of the cross refer to Philip’s com-
of his body being sawed into pieces after ment to Jesus about the possibility of feed-
he was pushed from the pinnacle of the ing the multitudes of people (Jn 6:7).
Temple.
St. Simon
St. John the Evangelist
The book with fish depicts Simon as a
John was the first bishop of Ephesus. He “fisher of men” who preached the Gospel.
is the only Apostle believed to have died a He was also known as Simon the Zealot.
natural death, in spite of many attempts to
murder him by his enemies. One attempt in- St. Thomas
cluded his miraculous survival after drink-
ing a poisoned drink. Thomas is thought to have been a mis-
sionary in India, where he is thought to
St. Jude have built a church. Hence, the carpenter’s
square. He may have died by arrows and
Some traditions have Sts. Jude and Peter stones. It is then thought that he had a lance
martyred together. It is thought that he trav- run through his body.
eled throughout the Roman Empire with
Peter.

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The Pope of this era with their original names, place of origin,
and years as pope:
The bishop of Rome has carried the title “pope”
since the ninth century. Pope means “papa” or “fa- • Pope Leo XIII (Giocchino Pecci): Carpineto,
ther.” St. Peter was the first bishop of Rome and, Italy, February 20, 1878–July 20, 1903.
hence, the first pope. He was commissioned directly
by Jesus: • Pope St. Pius X (Giuseppe Sarto): Riese, Italy,
August 4, 1903–August 20, 1914.
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and
upon this rock I will build my church, and • Pope Benedict XV (Giacomo della Chiesa):
the gates of the netherworld shall not pre- Genoa, Italy, September 3, 1914–January 22,
vail against it. I will give you the keys to the 1922.
kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven; and what- • Pope Pius XI (Achille Ratti): Desio, Italy, Feb-
ever you loose on earth shall be loosed in ruary 6, 1922–February 10, 1939.
heaven. (Mt 16:18–19)
• Pope Pius XII (Eugenio Pacelli): Rome, Italy,
Because Peter was the first bishop of Rome, the March 2, 1939–October 9, 1958.
succeeding bishops of Rome have had primacy in
the Church. The entire succession of popes since St. • Pope John XXIII (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli),
Peter can be traced directly to the Apostle. Sotto il Monte, Italy, October 28, 1958–June 3,
1963.
The pope is in communion with the bishops of
the world as part of the Magisterium, which is the • Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini):
Church’s teaching authority. The pope can also de- Concessio, Italy, June 21, 1963–August 6,
fine doctrine in faith or morals for the Church. When 1978.
he does so, he is infallible and cannot be in error.
• Pope John Paul I (Albino Luciani): Forno di
The pope is elected by the College of Cardinals Canale, Italy, August 26, 1978–September 28,
by a two-thirds plus one majority vote in secret bal- 1978.
loting. Cardinals under the age of eighty are eligible
to vote. If the necessary majority is not achieved, the • Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla): Wadowice,
ballots are burned in a small stove inside the council Poland, October 16, 1978–April 2, 2005.
chambers along with straw that makes dark smoke.
The sign of dark smoke announces to the crowds • Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger): Marktl
waiting outside St. Peter’s Basilica that a new pope am Inn, Germany, April 19, 2005–present
has not been chosen. When a new pope has been
voted in with the necessary majority, the ballots are Fathers of the Church
burned without the straw, producing white smoke
and signifying the election of a pope. Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church, is a tradi-
tional title that was given to theologians of the first
Recent Popes eight centuries whose teachings made a lasting mark
on the Church. The Church Fathers developed a sig-
Since 1900 and including the pontificate of Pope nificant amount of doctrine that has great authority
Benedict XVI, there have been ten popes. Pope in the Church. The Church Fathers are named as ei-
John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope since ther Latin Fathers (West) or Greek Fathers (East).
Dutchman Pope Adrian VI (1522–1523). The popes Among the greatest Fathers of the Church are:

Latin Fathers Greek Fathers

St. Ambrose St. John Chrysostom

St. Augustine St. Basil the Great

St. Jerome St. Gregory of Nazianzus

St. Gregory the Great St. Athanasius

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278 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

Doctors of the Church

The Doctors of the Church are men and women honored by the Church for their writings, preaching, and
holiness. Originally the Doctors of the Church were considered to be Church Fathers Augustine, Ambrose,
Jerome, and Gregory the Great, but others were added over the centuries. St. Teresa of Avila was the first
woman Doctor (1970). St. Catherine of Siena was named a Doctor of the Church the same year. The list of
Doctors of the Church:

Name Life Span Designation

St. Athanasius 296–373 1568 by Pius V
St. Ephraim the Syrian 306–373 1920 by Benedict XV
St. Hilary of Poitiers 315–367 1851 by Pius IX
St. Cyril of Jerusalem 315–386 1882 by Leo XIII
St. Gregory of Nazianzus 325–389 1568 by Pius V
St. Basil the Great 329–379 1568 by Pius V
St. Ambrose 339–397 1295 by Boniface VIII
St. John Chrysostom 347–407 1568 by Pius V
St. Jerome 347–419 1295 by Boniface XIII
St. Augustine 354–430 1295 by Boniface XIII
St. Cyril of Alexandria 376–444 1882 by Leo XIII
St. Peter Chrysologous 400–450 1729 by Benedict XIII
St. Leo the Great 400–461 1754 by Benedict XIV
St. Gregory the Great 540–604 1295 by Boniface XIII
St. Isidore of Seville 560–636 1722 by Innocent XIII
St. John of Damascus 645–749 1890 by Leo XIII
St. Bede the Venerable 672–735 1899 by Leo XIII
St. Peter Damian 1007–1072 1828 by Leo XII
St. Anselm 1033–1109 1720 by Clement XI
St. Bernard of Clairvaux 1090–1153 1830 by Pius VIII
St. Anthony of Padua 1195–1231 1946 by Pius XII
St. Albert the Great 1206–1280 1931 by Pius XI
St. Bonaventure 1221–1274 1588 by Sixtus V
St. Thomas Aquinas 1226–1274 1567 by Pius V
St. Catherine of Siena 1347–1380 1970 by Paul VI
St. Teresa of Avila 1515–1582 1970 by Paul VI
St. Peter Canisius 1521–1597 1925 by Pius XI
St. John of the Cross 1542–1591 1926 by Pius XI
St. Robert Bellarmine 1542–1621 1931 by Pius XI
St. Lawrence of Brindisi 1559–1619 1959 by John XXIII
St. Francis de Sales 1567–1622 1871 by Pius IX
St. Alphonsus Liguori 1696–1787 1871 by Pius IX
St. Thérèse of Lisieux 1873–1897 1997 by John Paul II

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Ecumenical Councils acknowledged them. He told the rich young man,
“If you wish to enter into life, keep the command-
An ecumenical council is a worldwide assembly of ments” (Mt 19:17). Since the time of St. Augustine
bishops under the direction of the pope. There have (fourth century), the Ten Commandments have been
been twenty-one ecumenical councils, the most used as a source for teaching baptismal candidates.
recent being the Second Vatican Council (1962–
1965). A complete list of the Church’s ecumenical I. I, the Lord, am your God: you shall
councils with the years each met: not have other gods besides me.

Nicaea I 325 II. You shall not take the name of
the Lord, your God, in vain.
Constantinople I 381
III. Remember to keep holy the
Ephesus 431 sabbath day.

Chalcedon 451 IV. Honor your father and your mother.
V. You shall not kill.
Constantinople II 553 VI. You shall not commit adultery.
VII. You shall not steal.
Constantinople III 680 VIII. You shall not bear false witness

Nicaea II 787 against your neighbor.
IX. You shall not covet your
Constantinople IV 869–870
neighbor’s wife.
Lateran I 1123 X. You shall not covet your

Lateran II 1139 neighbor’s goods.

Lateran III 1179 The Beatitudes

Lateran IV 1215 The word beatitude means “happiness.” Je-
sus preached the Beatitudes in his Sermon on the
Lyons I 1245 Mount. They are:

Lyons II 1274 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of God.
Vienne 1311–1312
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will
Constance 1414–1418 be comforted.

Florence 1431–1445 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit
the land.
Lateran V 1512–1517
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for
Trent 1545–1563 righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Vatican Council I 1869–1870 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be
shown mercy.
Vatican Council II 1962–1965
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will
E. Morality see God.

Morality refers to the goodness or evil of human ac- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will
tions. Listed below are several helps the Church of- be called children of God.
fers for making good and moral decisions.

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments are a main source for
Christian morality. The Ten Commandments
were revealed by God to Moses. Jesus himself

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280 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the Precepts of the Church
sake of righteousness, for theirs is the king-
dom of Heaven. 1. You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy
days of obligation and rest from servile labor.
Cardinal Virtues
2. You shall confess your sins at least once a
Virtues—habits that help in leading a moral life— year.
that are acquired by human effort are known as
moral or human virtues. Four of these are the cardi- 3. You shall receive the Sacrament of Eucharist
nal virtues, as they form the hinge that connects all at least during the Easter season.
the others. They are:
4. You shall observe the days of fasting and ab-
• Prudence • Justice stinence established by the Church.

• Fortitude • Temperance 5. You shall help to provide for the needs of the
Church.
Theological Virtues
Catholic Social
The theological virtues are the foundation for moral Teaching: Major Themes
life. They are gifts infused into our souls by God.
The 1998 document Sharing Catholic Social Teach-
• Faith • Hope • Love ing: Challenges and Directions—Reflections of the
U.S. Catholic Bishops highlighted seven principles
Corporal (Bodily) of the Church’s social teaching. They are:
Works of Mercy
1. Life and dignity of the human person
1. Feed the hungry. 2. Call to family, community, and participation
2. Give drink to the thirsty. 3. Rights and responsibilities
3. Clothe the naked. 4. Preferential option for the poor and vulnerable
4. Visit the imprisoned. 5. The dignity of work and the rights of workers
5. Shelter the homeless. 6. Solidarity
6. Visit the sick. 7. God’s care for creation
7. Bury the dead.
Sin
Spiritual Works of Mercy
Sin is an offense against God.
1. Counsel the doubtful. Mortal sin is the most serious kind of sin. Mortal
2. Instruct the ignorant.
3. Admonish sinners. sin destroys or kills a person’s relationship with God.
4. Comfort the afflicted. To be a mortal sin, three conditions must exist:
5. Forgive offenses.
6. Bear wrongs patiently. • The moral object must be of grave or serious
7. Pray for the living and the dead. matter. Grave matter is specified in the Ten
Commandments (e.g., do not kill, do not com-
mit adultery, do not steal, etc.).

• The person must have full knowledge of the
gravity of the sinful action.

• The person must completely consent to the ac-
tion. It must be a personal choice.

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Catholic Handbook for Faith 281

Venial sin is less serious sin. Petty jealousy, dis- Holy Days of Obligation in
obedience, and a sarcastic word may be examples of the United States
venial sins. Venial sins, when not repented, can lead
a person to commit mortal sins. 1. Immaculate Conception of Mary
December 8
Vices are bad habits linked to sins. Vices come
from particular sins, especially the seven capital 2. Christmas
sins: pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and December 25
sloth.
3. Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
F. Liturgy and Sacraments January 1

The Sacraments and the Divine Office constitute the 4. Ascension of the Lord
Church’s liturgy. The Mass is the most important li- Forty days after Easter
turgical celebration.
5. Assumption of Mary
Church Year August 15

The cycle of seasons and feasts that Catholics cel- 6. All Saints Day
ebrate is called the Church Year or Liturgical Year. November 1
The Church Year is divided into five main parts: Ad-
vent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time. The Seven Sacraments

1. Baptism
2. Confirmation
3. Eucharist
4. Penance and Reconciliation
5. Anointing of the Sick
6. Matrimony
7. Holy Orders

How to Go to Confession

1. Spend some time examining your conscience.
Consider your actions and attitudes in each
area of your life (e.g., faith, family, school/
work, social life, relationships). Ask yourself,
Is this area of my life pleasing to God? What
needs to be reconciled with God? with others?
with myself?

2. Sincerely tell God that you are sorry for your
sins. Ask God for forgiveness and for the grace
you will need to change what needs changing
in your life. Promise God that you will try to
live according to his will for you.

3. Approach the area for confession. Wait at an
appropriate distance until it is your turn.

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282 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

4. Make the Sign of the Cross with the priest. He The Introductory Rites
may say: “May God, who has enlightened ev-
ery heart, help you to know your sins and trust The Entrance
his mercy.” You reply: “Amen.” Greeting of the Altar and of the People
Gathered
5. Confess your sins to the priest. Simply and di- The Act of Penitence
rectly talk to him about the areas of sinfulness The Kyrie Eleison
in your life that need God’s healing touch. The Gloria
The Collect (Opening Prayer)
6. The priest will ask you to express your contri-
tion or sorrow and to pray an Act of Contrition. The Liturgy of the Word
Pray an Act of Contrition you have commit-
ted to memory. See page 290 for a prayer of Silence
contrition. The Biblical Readings (the reading of the

7. The priest will talk to you about your life, en- Gospel is the high point of the Liturgy of
courage you to be more faithful to God in the the Word)
future, and help you decide what to do to make The Responsorial Psalm
up for your sins—your penance. The Homily
The Profession of Faith (Creed)
8. The priest will then extend his hands over your The Prayer of the Faithful
head and pray the Church’s official prayer of
absolution: The Liturgy of the Eucharist

God, the Father of mercies, through the The Preparation of the Gifts
Death and Resurrection of his Son, has rec- The Prayer over the Offerings
onciled the world to himself and sent the The Eucharistic Prayer
Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness Thanksgiving
of sins; through the ministry of the Church Acclamation
may God give you pardon and peace, and I Epiclesis
absolve you from your sins in the name of Institution Narrative and
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Consecration
Spirit. Anamnesis
Offering
You respond: “Amen.” Intercessions
Final Doxology
9. The priest will wish you peace. Thank him and The Communion Rite
leave. The Lord’s Prayer
The Rite of Peace
10. Go to a quiet place in church and pray your The Fraction (Breaking of the
prayer of penance. Then spend some time qui- Bread)
etly thanking God for the gift of forgiveness. Communion
Prayer after Communion
Order of Mass
The Concluding Rites
There are two main parts of the Mass, the Liturgy
of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The
complete order of Mass is as follows:

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Catholic Handbook for Faith 283

Communion Regulations one family in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Mary is the
Queen of the Saints. Her role in the Church flows
To receive Holy Communion properly, a person from an inseparable union with her Son.
must be in the state of grace (free from mortal sin),
have the right intention (only for the purpose of Mother of God
pleasing God), and observe the Communion fast.
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is the closest human to
The fast means that a person may not eat any- cooperate with her Son’s work of redemption. For
thing or drink any liquid (other than water) one hour this reason, the Church holds her in a special place.
before the reception of Communion. There are ex- Of her many titles, the most significant is that she is
ceptions made to this fast only for the sick and aged. the Mother of God.

Three Degrees of the The Church teaches several truths about Mary.
Sacrament of Holy Orders First, she was conceived immaculately. This
means from the very first moment of her existence
There are three degrees of the Sacrament of Holy she was without sin and “full of grace.” This be-
Orders: the ministries of bishop, priest, and deacon. lief is called the Immaculate Conception. The feast
of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on
The bishop receives the fullness of the Sacra- December 8.
ment of Orders. He is the successor to the Apostles. Second, Mary was always a virgin. She was a
When he celebrates the Sacraments, the bishop is virgin before, in, and after the birth of Jesus. As his
given the grace to act in the person of Christ, who is Mother, she cared for him in infancy and raised him
the head of the Body of the Church. to adulthood with the help of her husband, Joseph.
She witnessed Jesus’ preaching and ministry, was at
Priests are ordained as coworkers of the bishop. the foot of his cross at his crucifixion, and present
They, too, are configured to Christ so that they may with the Apostles as they awaited the coming of the
act in his person during the Sacraments of Eucharist, Holy Spirit at Pentecost. With her whole being, she
Baptism, and the Anointing of the Sick. They may is as she stated: “I am the handmaid of the Lord”
bless marriages in the name of Christ and, under (Lk 1:38).
the authority of the bishop, share in Christ’s minis- Third, at the time of her death, Mary was as-
try of forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance and sumed body and soul into Heaven. This dogma was
Reconciliation. proclaimed as a matter of faith by Pope Pius XII in
1950. The feast of the Assumption is celebrated on
Deacons are ordained for service and are config- August 15.
ured to Christ the servant. Deacons are ordained to The Church has always been devoted to the
help and serve the priests and bishops in their work. Blessed Virgin. This devotion is different from that
While bishops and priests are configured to Christ given to God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Rather,
to act as the head of Christ’s body, deacons are con- the Church is devoted to Mary as the first disci-
figured to Christ in order to serve as he served. Dea- ple, the Queen of All Saints, and the Church’s own
cons may baptize, preach the Gospel and homily, Mother. Quoting the fathers of the Second Vatican
and bless marriages. Council:
In the meantime the Mother of Jesus, in the
G. Mary and the Saints glory which she possesses in body and soul
in Heaven, is the image and the beginning
The doctrine of the Communion of Saints flows from
our belief that we Christians are closely united as

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284 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

of the Church as it is to be perfected in the the saints for their friendship so that we can follow
world to come. Likewise she shines forth on the example they have left for us.
earth, until the day of the Lord shall come, a
sign of certain hope and comfort to the pil- Patron Saints
grim People of God. (Lumen Gentium, 68)
A patron is a saint who is designated for places (na-

Marian Feasts tions, regions, dioceses) or organizations. Many
throughout the Year
saints have also become patrons of jobs, professional

groups, and intercessors for special needs. Listed be-

January 1 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God low are patron saints for several nations and some

March 25 Annunciation of the Lord special patrons:

May 31 Visitation Patrons of Places

August 15 Assumption Americas Our Lady of Guadalupe,
St. Rose of Lima
August 22 Queenship of Mary
Argentina Our Lady of Lujan
September 8 Birth of Mary
Australia Our Lady Help of Christians
September 15 Our Lady of Sorrows
Canada St. Joseph, St. Anne
October 7 Our Lady of the Rosary
China St. Joseph
November 21 Presentation of Mary
England St. George
December 8 Immaculate Conception
Finland St. Henry
December 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe
France Our Lady of the Assumption,

Canonization of Saints St. Joan of Arc, St. Thérèse of

Saints are those who are in glory with God in Heaven. Lisieux
Canonization refers to a solemn declaration by the
pope that a person who either died a martyr or who Germany St. Boniface
lived an exemplary Christian life is in Heaven and
may be honored and imitated by all Christians. The India Our Lady of the Assumption
canonization process first involves a process of
beatification that includes a thorough investigation Ireland St. Patrick, St. Brigid,
of the person’s life and certification of miracles that
can be attributed to the candidate’s intercession. St. Columba

The first official canonization of the universal Italy St. Francis of Assisi,
Church on record is St. Ulrich of Augsburg by Pope
John XV in 993. St. Catherine of Siena

Some non-Catholics criticize Catholics for Japan St. Peter
“praying to saints.” Catholics honor saints for their
holy lives but we do not pray to them as if they were Mexico Our Lady of Guadalupe
God. We ask the saints to pray with us and for us
as part of the Church in glory. We can ask them to Poland St. Casmir, St. Stanislaus,
do this because we know that their lives have been
spent in close communion with God. We also ask Our Lady of Czestochowa

Russia St. Andrew, St. Nicholas of

Myra, St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Scotland St. Andrew, St. Columba

Spain St. James, St. Teresa of Avila

United States Immaculate Conception

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Special Patrons 3. The Nativity
4. The Presentation in the Temple
Accountants St. Matthew 5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

Actors St. Genesius Mysteries of Light

Animals St. Francis of Assisi 1. Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan River
2. Jesus Self-Manifestation at the Wedding
Athletes St. Sebastian
of Cana
Beggars St. Martin of Tours 3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God and

Boy Scouts St. George Jesus’ Call to Conversion
4. The Transfiguration
Dentists St. Apollonia 5. The Institution of the Eucharist at the Last

Farmers St. Isidore Supper

Grocers St. Michael Sorrowful Mysteries

Journalists St. Francis de Sales 1. The Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
Maids St. Zita 3. The Crowning with Thorns
4. The Carrying of the Cross
Motorcyclists Our Lady of Grace 5. The Crucifixion

Painters St. Luke Glorious Mysteries

Pawnbrokers St. Nicholas 1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
Police Officers St. Michael 3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption of Mary
Priests St. John Vianney 5. The Crowning of Mary as the Queen of

Scientists St. Albert Heaven and Earth

Tailors St. Homobonus How to Pray the Rosary

Teachers St. Gregory the Great, Opening
St. John Baptist de la Salle
1. Begin on the crucifix and pray the Apostles’
Wine Merchants St. Amand Creed.

H. Devotions 2. On the first bead, pray the Our Father.
3. On the next three beads, pray the Hail Mary.
Catholics have also expressed their piety around
the Church’s sacramental life through practices like (Some people meditate on the virtues of faith,
the veneration of relics, visits to churches, pilgrim- hope, and charity on these beads.)
ages, processions, the Stations of the Cross, religious 4. On the fifth bead, pray the Glory Be.
dances, the rosary, medals, and many more. This
section lists some popular Catholic devotions. The Body

The Mysteries of the Rosary Each decade (set of ten beads) is organized as
follows:
Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation

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286 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

1. On the larger bead that comes before each set 7. Jesus falls the second time.
of ten, announce the mystery to be prayed (see 8. Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem.
above) and pray one Our Father. 9. Jesus falls the third time.
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments.
2. On each of the ten smaller beads, pray one 11. Jesus is nailed to the cross.
Hail Mary while meditating on the mystery. 12. Jesus dies on the cross.
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross.
3. Pray one Glory Be at the end of the decade. 14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.
(There is no bead for the Glory Be.)
Some churches also include a fifteenth station,
Conclusion the Resurrection of the Lord.

Pray the following prayer at the end of the Rosary: Novenas

Hail, Holy Queen The novena consists of the recitation of certain
prayers over a period of nine days. The symbolism
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, of nine days refers to the time Mary and the Apos-
our life, our sweetness, and our hope. tles spent in prayer between Jesus’ Ascension into
To thee do we cry, Heaven and Pentecost.
poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs, Many novenas are dedicated to Mary or to a
mourning and weeping in the valley of tears. saint with the faith and hope that she or he will in-
Turn then, most gracious advocate, tercede for the one making the novena. Novenas to
thine eyes of mercy toward us; St. Jude, St. Anthony, Our Lady of Perpetual Help,
and after this our exile, and Our Lady of Lourdes remain popular in the
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Church today.
Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Liturgy of the Hours

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, The Liturgy of the Hours is part of the official, pub-
that we may be made worthy of the lic prayer of the Church. Along with the celebration
promises of Christ. of the Sacraments, the recitation of the Liturgy of
Amen. the Hours, or Divine Office (office means “duty” or
“obligation”), allows for constant praise and thanks-
Stations of the Cross giving to God throughout the day and night.

The Stations of the Cross is a devotion and also a The Liturgy of Hours consists of five major
sacramental. (A sacramental is a sacred object, bless- divisions:
ing, or devotion.) The Stations of the Cross are indi-
vidual pictures or symbols hung on the interior walls 1. An hour of readings
of most Catholic churches depicting fourteen steps 2. Morning praises
along Jesus’ way of the cross. Praying the stations 3. Midday prayers
means meditating on each of the following scenes: 4. Vespers (evening prayers)
5. Compline (a short night prayer)
1. Jesus is condemned to death.
2. Jesus takes up his cross. Scriptural prayer, especially the Psalms, is at the
3. Jesus falls the first time. heart of the Liturgy of the Hours. Each day follows
4. Jesus meets his Mother.
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross.
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.

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Catholic Handbook for Faith 287

a separate pattern of prayer with themes closely tied In nómine Patris,
in with the liturgical year and feasts of the saints. et Filii,
et Spíritus Sancti.
The Divine Praises Amen.

These praises are traditionally recited after the bene- Our Father
diction of the Blessed Sacrament.
Our Father
Blessed be God. who art in Heaven,
Blessed be his holy name. hallowed be thy name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man. Thy kingdom come;
Blessed be the name of Jesus. thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Blessed be his most Sacred Heart. Give us this day our daily bread
Blessed be his most Precious Blood. and forgive us our trespasses
Blessed be Jesus in the most holy sacrament of as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
the altar. but deliver us from evil.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Amen.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most
Pater Noster qui es in celis:
holy. sanctificétur Nomen Tuum;
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate advéniat Regnum Tuum;
fiat volúntas Tua,
Conception. sicut in caelo, et in terra.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption. Panem nostrum
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and cuotidiánum da nobis hódie;
et dimítte nobis débita nostra,
Mother. sicut et nos
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. dimíttimus debitóribus nostris;
Blessed be God in his angels and his saints. Et ne nos inducas in tentatiónem,
sed libera nos a Malo.
I. Prayers Amen.

Some common Catholic prayers are listed below. Glory Be
The Latin translation for three of the prayers is in-
cluded. Latin is the official language of the Church. Glory be to the Father
There are several occasions when you may pray in and to the Son
Latin; for example, at a World Youth Day when you and to the Holy Spirit,
are with young people who speak many different as it was in the beginning,
languages. is now,
and ever shall be,
Sign of the Cross world without end. Amen.

In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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288 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

Glória Patri Hail, Holy Queen
et Filio
et Spiritui Sancto. Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
Sicut erat in princípio, our life, our sweetness and our hope!
et nunc et semper, To you do we cry,
et in sae’cula saeculórum. poor banished children of Eve;
Amen. to you do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Hail Mary Turn then, O most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us,
Hail Mary, full of grace, and after this exile,
the Lord is with thee. show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Blessed art thou among women O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, R. that we may be made worthy of the promises
pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death. Amen. of Christ. Amen.

Ave, María, grátia plena, The Angelus
Dóminus tecum.
Benedicta tu in muliéribus, V. The angel spoke God’s message to Mary.
et benedíctus fructus ventris R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
tui, Iesus. Hail Mary . . .
Sancta María, Mater Dei, V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
ora pro nobis peccatoribus R. May it be done unto me according to your
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen. word.
Hail Mary . . .
Memorare V. And the Word was made flesh.
R. And dwelled among us.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, Hail Mary . . .
that never was it known V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
that anyone who fled to your protection, R. That we may be made worthy of the promises
implored your help,
or sought your intercession was left unaided. of Christ.
Inspired by this confidence, Let us pray: We beseech you, O Lord, to pour
I fly unto you,
O virgin of virgins, my Mother, out your grace into our hearts. By the mes-
To you I come, before you I stand, sage of an angel we have learned of the In-
sinful and sorrowful. carnation of Christ, your son; lead us by his
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, Passion and cross, to the glory of the Resur-
despise not my petitions, rection. Through the same Christ our Lord.
but in your mercy hear and answer me. Amen. Amen.

Regina Caeli

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
The Son you merited to bear, alleluia,

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Catholic Handbook for Faith 289

has risen as he said, alleluia. Morning Offering
Pray to God for us, alleluia.
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and suffer-
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia. ings of this day in union with the holy sacrifice
Let us pray. of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them
God of life, you have given joy to the world by for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart: the
Salvation of souls, reparation for sin, the re-
the Resurrection of your son, our Lord Jesus union of all Christians. I offer them for the in-
Christ. Through the prayers of his Mother, the tentions of our bishops and all members of the
Virgin Mary, bring us to the happiness of eter- apostleship of prayer and in particular for those
nal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. recommended by your Holy Father this month.
Amen. Amen.

Grace at Meals Act of Faith

Before Meals O God,
I firmly believe all the truths that you have
Bless us, O Lord,
and these your gifts, revealed
which we are about to receive from your and that you teach us through your Church,
for you are truth itself
bounty, and can neither deceive nor be deceived.
through Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen.

After Meals Act of Hope

We give you thanks, almighty God, O God,
for these and all the gifts I hope with complete trust that you will give me,
which we have received through the merits of Jesus Christ, all necessary
from your goodness
through Christ our Lord. Amen. grace in this world
and everlasting life in the world to come,
Guardian Angel Prayer for this is what you have promised
and you always keep your promises.
Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s Amen.
love entrust me here, ever this day be at my side,
to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. Act of Love

Prayer for O my God, I love you above all things, with my
the Faithful Departed whole heart and soul, because you are all good
and worthy of all my love. I love my neighbor
V: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. as myself for the love of you. I forgive all who
R: And let perpetual light shine upon them. have injured me, and I ask pardon of all whom I
May their souls and the souls of all faithful have injured. Amen.

departed, through the mercy of God, rest in
peace.
R: Amen.

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290 Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation

Act of Contrition

My God,
I am sorry for my sins with all my heart.
In choosing to do wrong
and failing to do good,
I have sinned against you
whom I should love above all things.
I firmly intend, with your help,
to do penance,
to sin no more,
and to avoid whatever leads me to sin.
Our Savior Jesus Christ
suffered and died for us.
In his name, my God, have mercy.

Prayer for Peace
(St. Francis of Assisi)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
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.

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