“Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him.”
St. Augustine of Hippo
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Prayer

Prayers

 

Understanding Prayer

Prayer as Relationship:

Prayer arises from the mystery of faith, a faith that is professed in our Creed and is celebrated in our liturgy so that we might be become more like Christ.  In the Catechism this change is described as becoming “conformed to Christ in the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father.” This mystery of faith requires that we believe it, we celebrate it, and that we live from it in a vital and personal relationship with Living God. This relationship is prayer.

It is a relationship of faithful and ever-growing love.  God the Father continually calls each of us into this mysterious encounter with Himself. It is God who begins the conversation.  Prayer is the language which expresses the love God has for us and our response to that love.  It takes seriously that God is with us in our daily lives, in all we do and the in the world around us and in our relationships with others.  Prayer is the mode of communication that nourishes our relationship with Christ and allows the friendship to grow.  

Prayer is something we do both as individuals and as a community of faith. When this happens in the context of a believing community, prayer unites us and draws us deeper into relationship with the God who loves us, as well as with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Like all our relationships, our relationship with God is deeply personal and unique. It reflects for us who we are and who we are created to be through the loving eyes of our Father.   

 

Prayer is a gift from God

Drawing imagery from the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman in John’s Gospel, St. Augustine describes the dynamic of prayer in the following way: “The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water: there Christ comes to meet every human being. It is he who first seeks us and asks us for a drink. Jesus thirsts; his asking arises from the depths of God’s desire for us. Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirsts with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him.” (St. Augustine, Sermons 56) It is because we are already loved and desired by God, that we are prepared for and drawn toward a relationship with God.

Like faith, prayer is a God’s gift to us so that we can know God and enter into a loving and intimate relationship with him.  Prayer is our response of faith to God’s free promise of salvation. It is also our response of love to the thirst of Jesus. The gift of prayer, is the gift of the Holy Spirit, active, alive and at work deep within each person, stirring within us a desire and thirst for God, showing us where to find God and responding to the love of God as we experience it

Prayer as Covenant: 

Where does prayer come from? If we believe that prayer is a gift, then it is not something that we can make happen. The Holy Spirit is working within us, and prayer is the language of God, already happening in our hearts. If this is so, then our prayer, and whatever prayer methods we use, are ways of coming to hear
what God is communicating within us.

Biblically, the heart is the source of prayer. “The heart is the dwelling-place where I am, where I live; according to the Semitic or Biblical expression, the heart is the place “to which I withdraw.” The heart is our hidden centre, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life and death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God, we live in relation: it is the place of covenant.” CCC 2563 It is a relationship which requires a response and work from both parties.

Prayer as Communion:  

“In the New Covenant [Jesus Christ] prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond all measure, with his Son Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit. The grace of the Kingdom is the “union of the entire holy and royal Trinity… with the whole human spirit.” Thus, the life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the thrice-holy God and in communion with him. This communion of life is always possible because, through Baptism, we have already been united in Christ. Prayer is Christian insofar as it is communion with Christ and extends throughout the Church, which is his Body. Its dimensions are those of Christ’s love.”
 

Do not be anxious about anything.  But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

And the peace of God which transcend all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  

~ Philippians 4:6-7

 

Opportunities for Prayer at Divine Mercy:

Sunday Mass:  

Saturday 4:00pm (St Paul’s site) 

Sunday 9:00am (St Francis site)

               11:00am (St Paul’s site)

Daily Mass

Monday to Friday 9:30am
Daily Masses take place at our St. Paul’s Site

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Join us for Adoration and Benediction every Tuesday, 2:00 to 3:30 pm in the church. Prayer will include the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Stations of the Cross

Throughout the Season of Lent, the Parish gathers on Friday evenings at 6pm (at our St. Paul’s site) to prayer the Stations of the Cross.  Everyone is invited to join Fr. John for a hot bowl of soup before our communal prayer begins in the church.  

Novenas

Throughout the year, our Parish promotes and prays together different novenas, including the Novena of Grace, the Novena to the Sacred Heart, the Novena to the Divine Mercy and the Novena to St. Therese of Lisieux.  Watch the bulletin for details throughout the year.  

Retreats, Missions & Reflections

Throughout the year, our Parish provides the opportunities for retreats, missions and spiritual reflections.  Watch our bulletins and Faith Formation page for schedules and details.  

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola