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