We Catholics have a rich tradition of liturgical prayer, which moves us to remember and makes present to us the center of our faith — the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. Liturgy is the action of Christ the Priest and his Body, the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. No other action of the Church can equal the efficacy of liturgy. It is the summit and source of the life of the Church.
Our Catholic tradition is also rich in its diversity of personal prayer forms, expressions and devotions. The Catechism of the Catholic Church names various wellsprings of personal prayer — the word of God, the theological virtues, liturgy and the events of each day. (CCC 2652-2660)
The Word of God: Barbara Bowe, in her book, "Biblical Foundations of Spirituality: Touching a Finger to the Flame," states that all Christian spirituality is biblical. Sacred Scripture is the source of spirituality, and its touchstone of authenticity. Christian spirituality is grounded in the experience of God acting in human history. The God of the Bible is a holy presence, who forgives, heals and saves. This God, revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, is Emmanuel, God-with-us.
She writes that our spirituality draws on the "biblical treasure-house of stories, images, prophetic challenges and prayers and on the ultimate example of the life and death of Jesus for its understanding of God and for its convictions about the meaning of human existence."
The Theological Virtues: The theological virtues are faith, hope and love. They are concerned with a person's relationship with God.
Faith, in our biblical tradition, has different nuances. Faith can mean to be firm or solid; to be actively trusting; to believe. Through steadfastness in the struggles of life, our faith deepens. Faith is nourished by prayer, and prayer brings us to a deeper understanding of our baptismal faith.
Hope is not so much a human activity as it is an acceptance of being grounded in God's promises and in the person of Jesus Christ. We place our hope in God, who in the stories of Exodus, Sinai and the Promised Land, will not tolerate the enslavement of the people. God liberates his people and forms them into a holy people. Hope requires a vision of transcendence. It is a gift from God.
Love is an affective disposition toward another in relationship. The focus is God's benevolent love for us. The Old Testament shows the love of God in his unfailing intervention into Israel's history. The New Testament teaches us about Jesus' love for his disciples and his law of love. Prayer is how we respond to God's love. Love is the place of God's self-communication. (See "Faith," "Hope," and "Love" in the New Dictionary of Catholic Spirituality.) (CCC 2650-2660)
Liturgy and Prayer: The liturgical reforms in the post-Vatican II era focused on some very important pastoral considerations. Emphasis was placed on active engagement and active participation in the liturgy in contrast to the rubrical approach of the pre-Vatican II era. A greater emphasis was placed on the proclamation of the Word of God, the involvement of the laity in liturgical roles and the full, active, conscious participation of the assembly.
Nevertheless, sacred liturgy does not exhaust all the activity of the Church. Before coming to liturgy, people must come to faith and undergo conversion. Spiritual life is not limited to participation in liturgy alone. Christians, of course, are called to communal prayer, but they are also called to their "inner room" to pray to the Father in secret, and to pray without ceasing.
Popular devotions hold a high place in Christian spirituality and are highly recommended. Devotions should harmonize with the Church's liturgical seasons. For example, devotions such as the Stations of the Cross are very appropriately prayed during the Lenten Season to help us focus on the Passion and Death of Christ. Divine Mercy devotions, appropriate at any time, take on a special significance during the novena from Good Friday to Sunday of Divine Mercy.
Devotional prayers should be in accord with the sacred liturgy and be derived from the liturgy in some way. And, of course, devotional prayer should lead people to liturgy. (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 1-13)
Events of the Day: The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that the Holy Spirit is always offered to us, in all the events of our lives, making prayer spring from our interior. The Catechism states that it is "important to bring the help of prayer into humble, everyday situations; all forms of prayer can be the leaven to which the Lord compares the kingdom." (CCC 2660)
We could say that prayer is always a response to God's initiative. God speaks to us first and speaks to our heart, the very center of our being, through the Sacred Scriptures, through the gift of the virtues, through the liturgy and through the Holy Spirit at work in the events of each day. God communicates his love for us and his desire to enter into friendship with us. Our prayer is always a response to God's divine communication.
