Youcat commented through CCC – Question n. 510 – Part II.

YOUCAT Question n. 510 - Part II. Is it possible to pray always?

(Youcat answer repeated) Prayer is always possible. Prayer is vitally necessary. Prayer and life cannot be separated.  

A deepening through CCC

(CCC 2744) Prayer is a vital necessity. Proof from the contrary is no less convincing: if we do not allow the Spirit to lead us, we fall back into the slavery of sin (Cf. Gal 5:16-25). How can the Holy Spirit be our life if our heart is far from him? Nothing is equal to prayer; for what is impossible it makes possible, what is difficult, easy.... For it is impossible, utterly impossible, for the man who prays eagerly and invokes God ceaselessly ever to sin (St. John Chrysostom, De Anna 4, 5: PG 54, 666). Those who pray are certainly saved; those who do not pray are certainly damned (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Del gran Mezzo della preghiera). (CCC 2757) "Pray constantly" (1 Thess 5:17). It is always possible to pray. It is even a vital necessity. Prayer and Christian life are inseparable.      

 Reflecting and meditating 

(Youcat comment) You cannot keep God content with a few words in the morning or evening. Our life must become prayer, and our prayers must become life. Every Christian life story is also a story of prayer, one long attempt to achieve ever greater union with God. Because many Christians experience a heartfelt longing to be with God constantly, they turn to the so-called “Jesus prayer”, which has been an ageold custom particularly in the Eastern Churches. The person who prays it tries to integrate a simple formula - the most well-known formula is “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” - into his daily routine in such a way that it becomes a constant prayer.

(CCC Comment)

(CCC 2745) Prayer and Christian life are inseparable, for they concern the same love and the same renunciation, proceeding from love; the same filial and loving conformity with the Father's plan of love; the same transforming union in the Holy Spirit who conforms us more and more to Christ Jesus; the same love for all men, the love with which Jesus has loved us. "Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he [will] give it to you. This I command you, to love one another" (Jn 15:16-17). He "prays without ceasing" who unites prayer to works and good works to prayer. Only in this way can we consider as realizable the principle of praying without ceasing (Origen, De orat. 12: PG 11, 452c).

(The next question is: What are the words of the Our Father?)