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Jesus Tells Us How To Pray

Let’s admit it; prayer isn’t always easy.

And it’s not always fun either. Sometimes we can be distracted, confused or even discouraged at prayer.

When that happens, the best way to get back on track is to simplify. Return to basics, slow things down and focus on what’s really important in your prayer.

But what is most important?

The answer is in Jesus’ response to his Apostles, when they said, “Lord, teach us how to pray.”

Jesus responded with the “Our Father,” the Lord’s Prayer we’ve all come to know so well. 

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

It’s a perfect prayer created by our perfect God. We can’t go wrong with that.

Here are four lessons the Lord’s Prayer teaches us that we can adopt every time we raise our hearts and minds to God.

Adoration

Jesus teaches us that a perfect prayer requires the adoration of God. “Hallowed be thy name” is a humble acknowledgment of His infinite goodness and glory. 

It orients our perspective as mere creatures, entirely dependent on the incredible mercy and love of our God. 

Adoration is bowing our heads and our hearts when we seek to converse with the Lord and Creator of all. It is our duty as His beloved creatures to give Him reverence and adoration.

Supplication

The second aspect of a perfect prayer is “supplication” or asking for something.

In the Lord’s Prayer, we see two different kinds of “asking” that we can routinely use to enliven our prayer: positive and negative supplication. 

“Give us this day our daily bread…
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…”

Positive supplication asks God to grant us the good things that we need: “Give us this day our daily bread.” This applies to physical and spiritual goods, but especially to the Holy Eucharist. 

Negative supplication entreats God to spare us from physical and spiritual evils: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.…” 

Of course, God sometimes allows his loved ones to suffer, but we may still seek his mercy. Let us imitate Jesus, our perfect model. Despite being God, the Father willed that Jesus suffer for us. During his agony in the garden, Jesus even prayed to be delivered from his Passion (negative supplication), but only on the condition that the Father’s will be done.

This example is not only a perfect demonstration of negative supplication, but it also reveals the essential foundation for each and every prayer we to offer to God… a foundation which is also expressed in the Lord’s prayer. 

“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…” 

This is what we might call the “hinge” of every supplication we make to God.  Whether we ask to receive good things or be spared from evil, we must always pray that God’s will be done, or our prayer will be in vain. 

Contrition

The Lord’s Prayer provides another essential quality for our prayerful consideration: contrition, sorrow for our sins and wrong-doings: 

“…and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us…”

This is what made the publican’s prayer so pleasing in God’s sight, while the prayer of the prideful Pharisee was rejected. 

A prayer infused with contrition is a true prayer. A humble prayer. A prayer that is sweet and loveable in God’s sight because it is an honest prayer! 

Who is there who can claim to be without sin?

We’ve all offended God in some way or another and that’s an offense to the infinite majesty of God. If we make a true act of adoration, we’ll be compelled to make an act of contrition as well, because how could we draw near to an all-good God without considering how we’ve dishonored him with our past sins?

But rather than despair because of our failures, what does Jesus teach us?

To beg for forgiveness, as a child to a loving Father.

Thanksgiving

Thus far, the qualities of a perfect prayer have been quite clear.

But what about thanksgiving? Where is that in the Lord’s prayer?

While we don’t see the exact wording we’d expect, the meaning is there: 

“Hallowed be Thy name…give us this day our daily bread”

This is an expression of thanksgiving. A simple example will show us how.

Imagine you’re a child again and you’re visiting your grandmother. She made you a delicious batch of cookies….your very favorite kind.

You take a few, you gobble them up with delight and you come back and say, “Grandma, you’re the best ever! Could I please have some more?”

No doubt your grandmother would grin from ear to ear and hand over the cookies.

Praising her and begging for more of what she gives is a greater expression of gratitude than merely saying “thank you.”

That’s exactly how we express our thanksgiving in the Lord’s Prayer.

We proclaim His glory, “Hallowed be thy name…,” followed by supplication for all of the good things He already gives us and the things we can’t get enough of, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

The Perfect Prayer Recipe 

With the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us the four simple things that make up a perfect prayer. 

And if we take them to heart, all of our prayers, no matter how distracted or confused, can be made perfect.

Adoration. Contrition. Thanksgiving. Supplication.

Here’s a simple acronym to make it easy: ACTS.

Prayers are ACTS of love.

Remember that and you’ll continually offer prayers that are powerful and pleasing in God’s sight.

The issues of environmentalism and “climate change” are major talking points in society and politics today. With extremes on all sides of the debate, it’s a Catholic’s responsibility to discover the truth and align our lives with it.

Instead of treating nature as an ideological weapon to use in society and politics, let’s look to the teachings of the Church to root ourselves firmly in a truly Catholic perspective.

Among the questions we must answer are: How should we consider nature? What is nature’s purpose? What is our role in nature? What order did God establish between us and nature?

Before we answer those questions, we must accept an inescapable and utterly extraordinary truth: Creation did not have to exist. God did not need to create anything. But he did so anyway.

Why? The Church explains that God, according to His own free will and from the abundance of His love, created all things to reflect and share in His glory.

Nature reflects the goodness and glory of our Creator

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches “Because creation comes forth from God’s goodness, it shares in that goodness” (CCC 299). These words from the catechism merely echo Holy Scripture: “Through the greatness and the beauty of creatures one comes to know by analogy their maker” (Wis 13:5).

Creation is a reflection of God’s goodness and glory, which he shares purely out of his infinite love. From the tiniest rock at the bottom of the deepest ocean to the highest angel worshiping at the throne of God, all of creation exists to proclaim the Creator’s glory.

Further, we read in the book of Daniel that the three youths, Azariah, Mishael and Hananiah, were thrown into the raging furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar. Instead of wailing in agony, they remained unburned and united in a hymn of praise calling on all of creation to “bless the Lord!” From the angels and the heavens, to the heat and the cold, to the birds of the air and beasts of the earth “bless the Lord!” Their canticle is a lesson to us that all of creation, in some way, praises the glory of our God. Because it reflects God’s goodness (and even proclaims His praise), all of creation is endowed with a certain dignity that must be respected.

From the very beginning, God has made us stewards of his creation

As humans, we hold a very special place in creation.

We’re greater than the irrational beasts of the earth but lesser than the angels. We’re made in the image and likeness of God, which makes us the highest created being among physical creatures. And because of that exalted status, starting with Adam, God placed humanity in the position of steward over the rest of the physical universe.

From the very beginning, God gave us dominion over nature for our benefit and has entrusted us with the care and disposal of all creation to help us save our souls.

Now, we can easily see how this duty is neglected. We can oppressively subjugate nature to profit man, but we can also oppressively subjugate man to “profit” nature – as it were, elevating nature above man and thus inverting God’s established order.

Attempting to avoid any extreme or frustration of God’s order, how can we best fulfill our duty to God in our role as stewards of creation?

Let us imitate the saints, and find love and fulfillment in the family of God’s Creation

This is not a trick question…

What do you and a rock have in common? 

.

.

.

You’re both created by God and held in existence by His love.

What about you and a bird? A dog? A cow? Another person? An angel?

All of those things share a core commonality… they’re all of one and the same family…The family of creation.

This is why St. Francis of Assissi proclaimed every creature as his “brother” or “sister.” His disciple St. Bonaventure explains, “From a reflection on the primary source of all things [God], filled with even more abundant piety, he would call creatures, no matter how small, by the name of ‘brother’ or ‘sister.’”

St. Francis of Assisi clearly understood that creation reflects the glory and goodness of the Creator. His entire life was one of awe and wonder of God through creation. St. Francis was not a “radical environmentalist ahead of his time” or a “climate change activist.” He was a Catholic and he understood his place in creation and sought harmony in the created nature that God established. 

We can’t all be like St. Francis, but we all have a call to holiness. We can seek to deepen our Catholic understanding of creation so that by avoiding the role of masters, consumers and ruthless exploiters of man and nature we can, like St. Francis, discover a greater harmony within the family of creation.

Many of these ideas are explored in the introduction of “On Care For Our Common Home,” which you’ll find in your box this month. Give it a read while you enjoy the beauty of God’s creation this summer.

I’ll never forget what Fr. Mike told me and my friends that year we left for summer break.

It was the last week of my second year of college. Exams were wrapping up. My friends and I were anxious to cut loose and bask in the freedom of summer. But until then, we were coming to daily Mass at the college parish.

Fr. Mike knew we were about to leave the campus and the parish for summer work and travel. He wanted us to keep up with our faith. As far as he was concerned, the change of scenery and schedule didn’t let us off the hook.

So he looked at me and my friends from the pulpit and said, “Don’t take a vacation from your vocation.”

What did he mean? Of course he wasn’t telling us to spend hours upon hours praying every day. Summer was a time for us to visit family and friends, work a job and travel for fun. By “vocation,” he meant the universal call to holiness.

The universal call to holiness is one of my favorite Catholic teachings: Everybody, whether you’re a student, parent, son or daughter, teacher, fireman, janitor or CEO, is called to live a holy life. 

That’s what the great St. Francis de Sales always came back to in his writings. He knew it wasn’t realistic for people like you and me to follow the daily prayer regimen of a monk or priest. But that didn’t mean you were off the hook from holiness, anymore more than my college friends and I were. As laypeople, our vocation is to make sure our faith informs and inspires everything we do – including how we spend our free time, treat our family and friends, and conduct ourselves on the job or on vacation.

“Don’t take a vacation from your vocation.” If St. Francis de Sales said holiness is for everyone, Fr. Mike reminded me that holiness is for everywhere and every time.

So what about your summer? How can you bring your Catholic faith into your work, free time and vacation?

Just remember, though, that we never get it perfect. St. Francis de Sales knew that. He had great advice for people who try to live a holy life and find themselves messing up a lot (basically, every one of us). You’ll find some of that advice in the book “Searching for and Maintaining Peace” in your box this month.

So, happy reading and happy summer! Have a blessed June, and see you next month.

Inside your CatholicMonth.ly box for May, you’ll find one of the most beloved traditions in the Church: the miraculous medal. 

From its humble origins, this devotion has brought about thousands of favors, cures and conversions.

Where did it come from?

It all started when St. Catherine Laboure heard a voice in the middle of the night. 

Catherine was a nun with the Sisters of Charity in France. On the night of July 18, 1830, a child woke her up and told her to go to the chapel. The Virgin Mary was waiting for her, he said. So she got out of bed, dressed, and obediently followed the child.

Sure enough, Mary appeared by the altar and spoke to Catherine. She revealed that Catherine was going to receive a special mission from God.

A vision and a mission.

Four months later, Mary appeared to Catherine again. This time Catherine saw her standing on a globe with her arms held out, as rays of light poured out from the jewels on her fingers. The rays represented the graces Mary pours out on all who ask for them. An oval frame surrounded the vision, with the words “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”

Catherine was told to have this image inscribed on a medal that people would wear around their neck. She was also shown how the back side should be designed: an M with a bar and cross, surrounded by twelve stars.

Mary told Catherine that everyone who wears the miraculous medal with devotion and confidence will receive great graces. 

Sure enough, once the first medals were made and worn, people immediately began to report stories of blessings and conversions. The devotion spread like wildfire, and it kicked off a new age of devotion to Mary in the Church. The many stories and blessings associated with the medal quickly earned it the nickname “the miraculous medal.” The name has stuck ever since.

Now you too can wear a miraculous medal.

As Mary promised to Catherine, when you wear the medal with devotion and trust, you will experience many graces. A miraculous medal necklace also makes a wonderful gift for family and friends.

Grow your Marian devotion with CatholicMonth.ly.

The miraculous medal is one great way to grow in Marian devotion. The CatholicMonth.ly team can tell you firsthand how praying to Mary will deepen your spiritual life.

Learn to Pray with Mary

Few things are more Catholic than praying to Mary. But actually, many Catholics have a hard time with it. 

I know, because I used to be one of them.

I could easily ask things from God and from Jesus. But when it came to Mary, I hesitated. What did it actually mean to have a spiritual relationship with Mary? In many ways, I felt like a good Catholic, except when it came to this. I felt more guilty than inspired when I heard saints like Louis de Montfort say that devotion to Mary is “the safest, easiest, shortest and most perfect way of approaching Jesus.” 

So imagine how I fretted when a priest I knew asked me to give a talk about Mary to his parishioners.

I had a week to prepare for it. So I prayed. And read. And prayed some more. 

As I did, I realized more about Mary than I ever had before. All because I really looked at Mary as a mother. She’s the mother of Jesus, and she’s our spiritual mother too. 

When I thought about Mary and what good mothers do, things really began to click.

Here is what I learned from preparing for that talk: Like any good mother, Mary suffers for you, provides for you and prays for you.

Like a good mother, Mary suffers for you.

Mary was sinless, but she still suffered. Intensely.

She once had to travel a long distance away from home to flee from a king who wanted to kill her child. She had to live away from all her friends and family in a foreign land (Egypt) for years, in the middle of strangers who didn’t share her faith and values. She experienced the nightmare of losing her son for three days. And she watched her son die a most cruel and torturous death. 

Mary endured these sufferings and offered them up to God so that His will would be done. And because she was sinless, that has an incredible effect.

The rest of us fast and make sacrifices because we need it. It turns us away from our sins and attachments, so we can turn toward Heaven. We can even offer up our own fasting and suffering for the sake of others. But if Mary was sinless, then everything she offered up, all her sacrifices, all her sufferings, became grace poured out for the benefit of everyone else in the Church. 

Like a good mother, Mary provides for you.

Mary provides for you through example and through grace. Her life without sin was an extraordinary grace given to her alone, but it didn’t make her a robot. She said “yes” to God, cooperated with His will and practiced virtue. As members of the Body of Christ, we are called to do those same things in our own way. Mary did them perfectly as an example to us. 

But her example actually makes a difference for us, because (once again) of the way grace works. The graces we receive from God are given not just for our sake, but so we can bless the people around us. That means everything Mary did through God’s grace overflows to us as blessings!

Like a good mother, Mary prays for you.

Chances are that at some point in your life, your mom helped you out when you were in trouble. Mary does the same thing as your spiritual mother. 

As Christians, we pray for each other and ask others to pray for us. And although Mary is the Mother of God, she still shares our humanity. So it makes sense that she can intercede for us too. In fact, her intercession is especially powerful. Mary loves us as perfectly as she loves Jesus. Love of Jesus and love of neighbor go hand in hand. If Mary loves us, she wants what is truly best for us, which is the same as what Jesus wants for us too. So Jesus will always listen to His mother’s intercession, because He loves to do what she asks!

Take the story of the wedding feast at Cana. When Mary said, “They have no wine,” she was worried about the well-being of the wedding hosts. Jesus listened to her and went into action, performing His first miracle (and one of his most memorable). What confidence we can have in Mary to make our requests known to Jesus!

Get to know your mother.

The more I learn about Mary, the more I love her! She brings me peace and helps me deepen my spiritual life. As St. Louis de Montfort said, “He who finds Mary finds life, that is, Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life.”

I hope this CatholicMonth.ly box will help you do the same!

Have a blessed May, and see you next month.