534. What is prayer? (part 1)
(Comp 534) Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God, or the petition of
good things from him in accord with his will. It is always the gift of God who
comes to encounter man. Christian prayer is the personal and living
relationship of the children of God with their Father who is infinitely good,
with his Son Jesus Christ, and with the Holy Spirit who dwells in their hearts.
“In brief”
(CCC 2590) "Prayer is
the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things
from God" (St. John Damascene, De
fide orth. 3, 24: PG 94, 1089C).
To deepen and
explain
(CCC 2558) "Great is
the mystery of the faith!" The Church professes this mystery in the
Apostles' Creed (Part One) and celebrates it in the sacramental liturgy (Part
Two), so that the life of the faithful may be conformed to Christ in the Holy
Spirit to the glory of God the Father (Part Three). This mystery, then,
requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate it, and that they
live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God.
This relationship is prayer. (CCC 2665) The prayer of the Church, nourished by
the Word of God and the celebration of the liturgy, teaches us to pray to the
Lord Jesus. Even though her prayer is addressed above all to the Father, it
includes in all the liturgical traditions forms of prayer addressed to Christ.
Certain psalms, given their use in the Prayer of the Church, and the New
Testament place on our lips and engrave in our hearts prayer to Christ in the
form of invocations: Son of God, Word of God, Lord, Savior, Lamb of God, King,
Beloved Son, Son of the Virgin, Good Shepherd, our Life, our Light, our Hope,
our Resurrection, Friend of mankind....
Reflection
(CCC 2559) "Prayer is
the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things
from God" (St. John Damascene, De
fide orth. 3, 24: PG 94, 1089C) But when we pray, do we speak from the
height of our pride and will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and
contrite heart? (Ps 130:1). He who humbles himself will be exalted (Cf. Lk
18:9-14); humility is the foundation
of prayer, Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to
pray as we ought" (Rom 8:26), are we ready to receive freely the gift of
prayer. "Man is a beggar before God" (St. Augustine, Sermo 56, 6, 9: PL 38, 381). [IT CONTINUES]
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