502 MEDITATION

YOUCAT Lesson 502

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

502  What is the essence of meditation?

The essence of meditation is a prayerful seeking that starts with a sacred text or a sacred image and explores the will, the signs, and the presence of God.  [2705-2708]

The crypt of the National Champion Shrine 16 miles northeast of Green Bay, Wisconsin.  The statue marks the location where Mary, Queen of Heaven appeared to Adele Brise in 1859.  …..502

We cannot “read” sacred images and texts the way we read things in the newspaper that do not immediately concern us.  Instead, we should meditate on them; in other words I should lift my heart to God and tell him that I am now quite open to what God wants to say to me through what I have read or seen.  Besides Sacred Scripture, there are many texts that lead to God and are suitable for meditative prayer.  16

“Much knowledge is not what satisfies the soul and gives it contentment, but rather interior meditation on things and savoring them.”  St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

[2705-2708]

MEDITATION

2705 Meditation is above all a quest. The mind seeks to understand the why and how of the Christian life, in order to adhere and respond to what the Lord is asking. The required attentiveness is difficult to sustain. We are usually helped by books, and Christians do not [lack] them: the Sacred Scriptures, particularly the Gospels, holy icons, liturgical texts of the day or season, writings of the spiritual fathers, works of spirituality, the great book of creation, and that of history the page on which the "today" of God is written. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

2706 To meditate on what we read helps us to make it our own by confronting it with ourselves. Here, another book is opened: the book of life. We pass from thoughts to reality. To the extent that we are humble and faithful, we discover in meditation the movements that stir the heart and we are able to discern them. It is a question of acting truthfully in order to come into the light: "Lord, what do you want me to do?" –CCC

2707 There are as many and varied methods of meditation as there are spiritual masters. Christians owe it to themselves to develop the desire to meditate regularly, lest they come to resemble the three first kinds of soil in the parable of the sower.( Compare Mark 4:4-7, 15-19.)⁵ But a method is only a guide; the important thing is to advance, with the Holy Spirit, along the one way of prayer: Christ Jesus. –CCC

2708 Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him. --CCC

THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH, December 31, 2017

The Presentation of the Infant Jesus in the Temple

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

 December 31, 2017
Lectionary: 17

Reading 1   SIRach 3:2-6, 12-14

God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother's authority he confirms over her sons.  Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and preserves himself from them.  When he prays, he is heard; he stores up riches who reveres his mother.  Whoever honors his father is gladdened by children, and, when he prays, is heard.  Whoever reveres his father will live a long life; he who obeys his father brings comfort to his mother.

My son, take care of your father when he is old;grieve him not as long as he lives.  Even if his mind fail, be considerate of him; revile him not all the days of his life; kindness to a father will not be forgotten, firmly planted against the debt of your sins—a house raised in justice to you.

Responsorial Psalm   PSalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (cf. 1) Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;
blessed shall you be, and favored.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your home;
your children like olive plants
around your table.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Behold, thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion:
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Reading 2   COLossians 3:12-21

Brothers and sisters:  Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.  And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.  And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them.  Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.

Alleluia   COLossians 3:15A, 16A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the peace of Christ control your hearts;
let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel   LuKe 2:22-40

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, They took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.  This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.  He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, He took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:"Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel."  The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted —and you yourself a sword will pierce— so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."  There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.  She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.  She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. 

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.  The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

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501 VOCAL PRAYER

YOUCAT Lesson 501

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

501  What is vocal prayer?

In the first place prayer is lifting the heart to God.  And yet Jesus himself taught his disciples to pray with words.  With the Our Father he left us the perfect vocal prayer as his testament to show how we should pray.  [2700-2704, 2722]

The Boston Black Catholic Choir at Stonehill College bring a special spirit of celebration to the Chapel of Mary.  As their songs of praise rang out to the Lord the congregation joined in.  …..501

While praying we should not try to think pious thoughts.  We should express what is in our hearts and offer it to God as complaint, petition, praise, and thanks.  Often it is the great vocal prayers—the Psalms and hymns of Sacred Scripture, the Our Father, the Hail Mary—that direct us to the true substance of prayer and lead to a kind of free, interior prayer.  511-527

 [2700-2704, 2722]

 VOCAL PRAYER

2700 Through his Word, God speaks to man. By words, mental or vocal, our prayer takes flesh. Yet it is most important that the heart should be present to him to whom we are speaking in prayer: "Whether or not our prayer is heard depends not on the number of words, but on the fervor of our souls."(  St. John Chrysostom, Ecloga de oratione 2:Patrologia Graeca 63,585.)² --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

2701 Vocal prayer is an essential element of the Christian life. To his disciples, drawn by their Master's silent prayer, Jesus teaches a vocal prayer, the Our Father. He not only prayed aloud the liturgical prayers of the synagogue but, as the Gospels show, he raised his voice to express his personal prayer, from exultant blessing of the Father to the agony of Gesthemani.( Compare Matthew 11:25-26; Mark 14:36.)³ –CCC

2702 The need to involve the senses in interior prayer corresponds to a requirement of our human nature. We are body and spirit, and we experience the need to translate our feelings externally. We must pray with our whole being to give all power possible to our supplication. –CCC

2703 This need also corresponds to a divine requirement. God seeks worshippers in Spirit and in Truth, and consequently living prayer that rises from the depths of the soul. He also wants the external expression that associates the body with interior prayer, for it renders him that perfect homage which is his due. –CCC

2704 Because it is external and so thoroughly human, vocal prayer is the form of prayer most readily accessible to groups. Even interior prayer, however, cannot neglect vocal prayer. Prayer is internalized to the extent that we become aware of him "to whom we speak;"( St. Teresa of Jesus, The Way of Perfection 26,9 in The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, tr. K. Kavanaugh, OCD, and O. Rodriguez, OCD (Washington DC: Institute of Carmelite Studies, 1980),II,136.)⁴ Thus vocal prayer becomes an initial form of contemplative prayer. --CCC

500 VARIOUS WAYS TO PRAY

YOUCAT Lesson 500

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

500  Are there various ways to pray?

Yes, there is vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer.  All three ways of prayer presuppose recollecting one’s mind and heart.  [2699, 2721]

Sunday Mass at St. Peter Catholic church, Ashton, WI. The church was built in 1901.  At the left edge of the photo is a beautiful carved pulpit but the reader for the Mass uses a modern microphone and a lecturn.  Photo by Don L. Bragg …..500

 

”There are many paths of prayer.  Some people follow only one, while others walk along all of them.  There are moments of a lively certainty: Christ is there, he is speaking inside us.  In other moments he is the silent one, a distant stranger…For everyone prayer remains in its infinite variations, a passageway to a life that does not come from ourselves but from somewhere else.”  Brother Roger Schutz

[2699, 2721]

2699 The Lord leads all persons by paths and in ways pleasing to him, and each believer responds according to his heart's resolve and the personal expressions of his prayer. However, Christian Tradition has retained three major expressions of prayer: vocal meditative, and contemplative. They have one basic trait in common: composure of heart. This vigilance in keeping the Word and dwelling in the presence of God makes these three expressions intense times in the life of prayer. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

IN BRIEF

2721 The Christian tradition comprises three major expressions of the life of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer. They have in common the recollection of the heart. --CCC

This is well explained by a contemporary spiritual writer, Fr. Thomas Dubay. As an elderly peasant once explained when St. John Vianney asked him how he prayed: “I look at the good God, and the good God looks at me.”

499 WHEN TO PRAY

YOUCAT Lesson 499

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth 

Chapter Three:  The Way of Prayer

499  When should a person pray?

From the earliest times Christians have prayed at least in the morning, at meals, and in the evening.  Someone who does not pray regularly will soon not pray at all.  [2697-2698, 2720]

Christ, by Titian - (detail) 1553, oil on canvas, Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain. …..499

Anyone who loves another person and all day long never gives that person a sign of his love does not really love him.  So it is with God, too.  Anyone who truly seeks him will keep sending him signals of his longing for his company and friendship.  Get up in the morning and give the day to God, asking for his blessing and to “be there” in all your meetings and needs.  Thank him especially at mealtimes.  At the end of the day, place everything into his hands, ask him for forgiveness, and pray for peace for yourself and others.  A great day—full of signs of life that reach God.  188

“One should remember God more frequently than one breathes.”  St. Gregory Nazianzen (330-390)

“I therefore invite you every day to seek the Lord, who wants nothing more than for you to be truly happy.  Foster an intense and constant relationship with him in prayer and, when possible, find suitable moments in your day to be alone in his company.  If you do not know how to pray, ask him to teach you, and ask your heavenly Mother to pray with you and for you.”  Pope Benedict XVI to the young people of the Netherlands, November21, 2005

[2697-2698, 2720]

THE LIFE OF PRAYER 

2697 Prayer is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment. But we tend to forget him who is our life and our all. This is why the Fathers of the spiritual life in the Deuteronomic and prophetic traditions insist that prayer is a remembrance of God often awakened by the memory of the heart "We must remember God more often than we draw breath."( St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Orat. theo., 27,1,4:Patrologia Graeca 36,16.)¹ But we cannot pray "at all times" if we do not pray at specific times, consciously willing it. These are the special times of Christian prayer, both in intensity and duration. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

2698 The Tradition of the Church proposes to the faithful certain rhythms of praying intended to nourish continual prayer. Some are daily, such as morning and evening prayer, grace before and after meals,[the Rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet], the Liturgy of the Hours [150 Psalms], Sundays centered on the Eucharist [Mass with its hymns], are kept holy primarily by prayer. The cycle of the liturgical year and its great feasts are also basic rhythms of the Christian's life of prayer. (Texts enclosed in brackets [....] are added by Don L. Bragg) --CCC

498 WHERE TO PRAY?

YOUCAT Lesson 498

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

498  Can you pray anywhere?

Yes, you can pray anywhere.  Nevertheless a Catholic will always look also for those places where God “dwells” in a special way.  Above all these are Catholic churches, where our Lord is present in the tabernacle under the appearance of bread.  [1291-1296]

“Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”–payer given by Jesus to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, Diary, 47. …..498

”In a spiritual way we reach…(through our prayers) all of God’s creation, from the farthest planets to the depths of the ocean, a lonely convent chapel as well as an abandoned church, an abortion clinic in one city and a prison cell in another…indeed, heaven and the gates of hell.  We are connected with every part of creation.  We pray with every creature and for every creature, so that all for whom the blood of God’s Son was shed may be saved and sanctified. “  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997)

It is very important for us to pray everywhere: in school, on the subway, during a party, in the midst of our friends.  The whole world has to be drenched with blessings.  But it is also important for us to visit sacred places, where God waits for us, so to speak, so that we can rest in his presence, be strengthened, replenished, and sent forth by him.  A genuine Christian is never just sightseeing when he visits a church.  He lingers a moment in silence, adores God, and renews his friendship and love for him.  218

[1291-1296]

Places favorable for prayer

2691 The church, the house of God, is the proper place for the liturgical prayer of the parish community. It is also the privileged place for adoration of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. The choice of a favorable place is not a matter of indifference for true prayer. –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

- For personal prayer, this can be a "prayer corner" with the Sacred Scriptures and icons, in order to be there, in secret, before our Father.( Compare Matthew 6:6.)⁴⁸ In a Christian family, this kind of little oratory fosters prayer in common. --CCC

- In regions where monasteries exist, the vocation of these communities is to further the participation of the faithful in the Liturgy of the Hours and to provide necessary solitude for more intense personal prayer.( Compare Matthew 7.)⁴⁹ –CCC

- Pilgrimages evoke our earthly journey toward heaven and are traditionally very special occasions for renewal in prayer. For pilgrims seeking living water, shrines are special places for living the forms of Christian prayer "in Church."  --CCC

IN BRIEF

2692 In prayer, the pilgrim Church is associated with that of the saints, whose intercession she asks.  –CCC

2693 The different schools of Christian spirituality share in the living tradition of prayer and are precious guides for the spiritual life.  –CCC

2694 The Christian family is the first place for education in prayer.  –CCC

2695 Ordained ministers, the consecrated life, catechesis, prayer groups, and "spiritual direction" ensure assistance within the Church in the practice of prayer.  –CCC

2696 The most appropriate places for prayer are personal or family oratories, monasteries, places of pilgrimage, and above all the church, which is the proper place for liturgical prayer for the parish community and the privileged place for Eucharistic adoration.  --CCC

497 CLOSE TO SAINTS IN PRAYER

YOUCAT Lesson 497

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

497  Why does it help to turn to the saints when we pray?

Saints are people who are aflame with the Holy Spirit; they keep God’s fire burning in the Church.  Even during their earthly life, the saints prayed ardently, in a way that was contagious.  When we are close to them, it is easy to pray.  Of course, we never worship saints; we are allowed, though, to call on them in heaven, so that they may present petitions for us at the throne of God.  [2683-2684]

The final miracle leading to the canonization of Pope St. John Paul II was granted to Florabeth Mora (left) of Costa Rica . …..497

Partially paralysed, Florabeth was on pain medication and lying in bed at home on May 1, 2011, clutching a magazine with a front cover photograph of the former Polish pontiff, when he purportedly appeared before her in a vision. “Floribeth, get up, what are you doing here? Why don’t you go into the kitchen and see your husband?” the vision said to her.

 The late Pope’s hands seemed to reach out towards her from the cover of the magazine, she said.

“And I responded, now I feel fine, I’m going, I’m going,” the 50-year-old mother-of-four told Il Messagero, an Italian daily newspaper.

 Floribeth was suffering from a severe brain aneurysm.  Even her neurosurgeon seems to be convinced. "If I cannot explain it from a medical standpoint, something non-medical happened," said Alejandro Vargas Roman. "I can believe it was a miracle." –source Wikipedia

Around the great saints developed particular schools of spirituality, which like the colors if the spectrum all point to the pure light of God.  They all start with a fundamental element of the faith, so as to lead—in each case by a different gate—to the center of the faith and devotion to God.  Thus Franciscan spirituality starts with poverty of spirit, Benedictine spirituality with the praise of God, and Ignatian spirituality with discernment and vocation.  A spirituality to which someone feels attracted, depending on his personal character, is always a school of prayer.

“If you are seeking God but do not know how you should begin, learn to pray and make the effort to pray every day.”  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (1910-19970

“The more generous you are toward God, the more generous you will find that he is toward you.”  St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)

“Not all saints have the same sort of holiness.  There are those who could never have lived with other saints.  Not all have the same path.  But all arrive at God.”  St. John Vianney  (1786-1859)

Spirituality:  Forms of piety in the Church, which in many cases developed out of the Spirit-filled way of life of the saints.  Thus we speak about Benedictine, Franciscan, or Dominican spirituality.

 [2683-2684]

GUIDES FOR PRAYER

A cloud of witnesses

2683 The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom,( Compare Hebrews 12:1.)⁴¹ especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints, share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives, the transmission of their writings, and their prayer today. They contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. When they entered into the joy of their Master, they were "put in charge of many things."( Compare Matthew 25:21.)⁴² Their intercession is their most exalted service to God's plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world. –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

2684 In the communion of saints, many and varied spiritualities have been developed throughout the history of the churches. The personal charism of some witnesses to God's love for men has been handed on, like "the spirit" of Elijah to Elisha and John the Baptist, so that their followers may have a share in this spirit.( Compare 2 Kings 2:9; Luke 1:1; Perfectae Caritatis 2.)⁴³ A distinct spirituality can also arise at the point of convergence of liturgical and theological currents, bearing witness to the integration of the faith into a particular human environment and its history. The different schools of Christian spirituality share in the living tradition of prayer and are essential guides for the faithful. In their rich diversity they are refractions of the one pure light of the Holy Spirit. --CCC

 The Spirit is truly the dwelling of the saints and the saints are for the Spirit a place where he dwells as in his own home since they offer themselves as a dwelling place for God and are called his temple.( St. Basil, De Spiritu Sancto, 26,62:Patrologia Graeca 32,184.

)⁴⁴ --CCC

496 THE HOLY SPIRIT

YOUCAT Lesson 496

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

496  Why do we need the Holy Spirit when we pray?

The Bible says, “We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

The Trinity in Christianity is the belief that there is but one God with three divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit.  We express this belief with the Sign of the Cross (In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit).  We affirm our belief in the Holy Trinity  when we pray the Apostle’s Creed.  Jesus often speaks of his Father in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to Mary and the Apostles on the first Penticost. …..496

 “Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your divine love.  Send forth your Spirit and we will be created and you will renew the face of the earth.  Let us pray: O God by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us by the same Spirit to be truly wise and to ever rejoice in his consolation through Christ our Lord.  Amen”

Praying to God is possible only with God.  It is not primarily our accomplishment that our prayer actually reaches God.  We Christians have received the Spirit of Jesus, who wholeheartedly yearned to be one with the Father: to be loving at all times, to listen to each other with complete attention, to understand each other thoroughly, to want wholeheartedly what the other person wants.  This holy Spirit of Jesus is in us, and he is speaking through us when we pray.  Basically prayer means that from the depths of my heart, God speaks to God.  The Holy Spirit helps our spirit to pray.  Hence we should say again and again, “Come, Holy Spirit, come and help me to pray.”120

“The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Spirit who unites the Father with the Son in Love.”  Pope Benedict XVI, Vigil of Pentecost 2006

“Come, O Holy Spirit, come: and from Thy heavenly home shed a ray of light divine…”  Sequence for Pentecost

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.”  Romans 8:26a