493 CHRISTIAN PRAYER

YOUCAT Lesson 493

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

493  What are the characteristics of Christian prayer?

Christian prayer is prayer in the attitude of faith, hope, and charity.  It is persevering and resigns itself to the will of God.  [2656-2658, 2662]

A woman prays before Pope Francis arrival in Madhu Sri Lanka Jan 14 CNS photo by Paul Haring.  ...493

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.”  Psalm 40:1

Someone who prays as a Christian steps at that moment out of himself and enters into an attitude of trusting faith in the one God and Lord; at the same time he places all his hope in God—that HE will hear, understand, accept, and perfect him.  St. John Bosco once said, “To know the will of God, three things are required: prayer, waiting, taking counsel.”  Finally, Christian prayer is always an expression of love, which comes from Christ’s love and seeks the divine love.

[2656-2658, 2662]

* The theological virtues

 2656 One enters into prayer as one enters into liturgy: by the narrow gate of faith. Through the signs of his presence, it is the Face of the Lord that we seek and desire; it is his Word that we want to hear and keep. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

2657 The Holy Spirit, who instructs us to celebrate the liturgy in expectation of Christ's return, teaches us-to pray in hope. Conversely, the prayer of the Church and personal prayer nourish hope in us. The psalms especially, with their concrete and varied language, teach us to fix our hope in God: "I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry."( Psalm 40:2.)⁸ As St. Paul prayed: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."( Romans 15:13.)⁹ –CCC

2658 "Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."( Romans 5:5.)¹⁰ Prayer, formed by the liturgical life, draws everything into the love by which we are loved in Christ and which enables us to respond to him by loving as he has loved us. Love is the source of prayer; whoever draws from it reaches the summit of prayer. In the words of the Cure of Ars:  --CCC

I love you, O my God, and my only desire is to love you until the last breath of my life. I love you, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving you, than live without loving you. I love you, Lord, and the only grace I ask is to love you eternally. . . . My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love you, I want my heart to repeat it to you as often as I draw breath.( St. John Vianney, Prayer.)¹¹ --CCC

IN BRIEF

2662 The Word of God, the liturgy of the Church, and the virtues of faith, hope, and charity are sources of prayer. --CCC