Prayer Quotes

“When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you will find me.” Jer. 29:12-13

 

“Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands toward God in heaven!” Lam. 3:41

 

“This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one.” Mat. 6:9-13

 

“When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, ‘So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’” Mat. 26:40-41

 

“With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.” Eph. 6:18

 

“The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.” Jas. 5:16

 

“When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.” Mk. 11:25

 

“The LORD is far from the wicked, but hears the prayer of the just.” Prov. 15:29

 

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Mt. 7:7

 

“It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.” 1 Tim. 2:8

 

Christ: “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.” Mk. 1:35

 

Christ to Peter: “I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.” Lk. 22:32

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In the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

 

218. What is the liturgy?

The liturgy is the celebration of the mystery of Christ and in particular his paschal mystery. Through the exercise of the priestly office of Jesus Christ the liturgy manifests in signs and brings about the sanctification of humankind.

The public worship which is due to God is offered by the Mystical Body of Christ, that is, by its head and by its members.

 

219. What place does the liturgy occupy in the life of the Church?

The liturgy as the sacred action par excellence is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed and it is likewise the font from which all her power flows. Through the liturgy Christ continues the work of our redemption in, with and through his Church.

 

230. For what reason are the sacraments necessary for salvation?

For believers in Christ the sacraments, even if they are not all given to each of the faithful, are necessary for salvation because they confer sacramental grace, forgiveness of sins, adoption as children of God, conformation to Christ the Lord and membership in the Church. The Holy Spirit heals and transforms those who receive the sacraments.

 

243. What is the Liturgy of the Hours?

The Liturgy of the Hours, which is the public and common prayer of the Church, is the prayer of Christ with his body, the Church. Through the Liturgy of the Hours the mystery of Christ, which we celebrate in the Eucharist, sanctifies and transforms the whole of each day. It is composed mainly of psalms, other biblical texts, and readings from the Fathers and spiritual masters.

 

263. What are the effects of Baptism?

Baptism takes away original sin, all personal sins and all punishment due to sin. It makes the baptized person a participant in the divine life of the Trinity through sanctifying grace, the grace of justification which incorporates one into Christ and into his Church. It gives one a share in the priesthood of Christ and provides the basis for communion with all Christians. It bestows the theological virtues and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. A baptized person belongs forever to Christ. He is marked with the indelible seal of Christ (character).

 

271. What is the Eucharist?

The Eucharist is the very sacrifice of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus which he instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until his return in glory. Thus he entrusted to his Church this memorial of his death and Resurrection. It is a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet, in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.

 

274. What does the Eucharist represent in the life of the Church?

It is the source and summit of all Christian life. In the Eucharist, the sanctifying action of God in our regard and our worship of him reach their high point. It contains the whole spiritual good of the Church, Christ himself, our Pasch. Communion with divine life and the unity of the People of God are both expressed and effected by the Eucharist. Through the eucharistic celebration we are united already with the liturgy of heaven and we have a foretaste of eternal life.

 

299. Do the baptized have need of conversion?

The call of Christ to conversion continues to resound in the lives of the baptized. Conversion is a continuing obligation for the whole Church. She is holy but includes sinners in her midst.

 

433. Why is the Christian moral life indispensable for the proclamation of the Gospel?

Because their lives are conformed to the Lord Jesus, Christians draw others to faith in the true God, build up the Church, inform the world with the spirit of the Gospel, and hasten the coming of the Kingdom of God.

 

453. How does one keep Sunday holy?

Christians keep Sunday and other days of obligation holy by participating in the Eucharist of the Lord and by refraining from those activities which impede the worship of God and disturb the joy proper to the day of the Lord or the necessary relaxation of mind and body. Activities are allowed on the Sabbath which are bound up with family needs or with important social service, provided that they do not lead to habits prejudicial to the holiness of Sunday, to family life and to health.

 

534. What is prayer?

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.

 

535. Why is there a universal call to prayer?

Because through creation God first calls every being from nothingness. Even after the Fall man continues to be capable of recognizing his Creator and retains a desire for the One who has called him into existence. All religions, and the whole history of salvation in particular, bear witness to this human desire for God. It is God first of all, however, who ceaselessly draws every person to the mysterious encounter known as prayer.

 

544. How does Jesus teach us to pray?

Jesus teaches us to pray not only with the Our Father but also when he prays. In this way he teaches us, in addition to the content, the dispositions necessary for every true prayer: purity of heart that seeks the Kingdom and forgives one’s enemies, bold and filial faith that goes beyond what we feel and understand, and watchfulness that protects the disciple from temptation.

 

545. Why is our prayer efficacious?

Our prayer is efficacious because it is united in faith with the prayer of Jesus. In him Christian prayer becomes a communion of love with the Father. In this way we can present our petitions to God and be heard: “Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full” (John16:24).

 

550. What are the essential forms of Christian prayer?

They are blessing and adoration, the prayer of petition and intercession, thanksgiving and praise. The Eucharist contains and expresses all the forms of prayer.

 

574. What are the difficulties in prayer?

Distraction is a habitual difficulty in our prayer. It takes our attention away from God and can also reveal what we are attached to. Our heart therefore must humbly turn to the Lord. Prayer is often affected by dryness. Overcoming this difficulty allows us to cling to the Lord in faith, even without any feeling of consolation. Acedia is a form of spiritual laziness due to relaxed vigilance and a lack of custody of the heart.

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The Saints on Prayer

 

“Prayer is a place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.” – St. John Chrysostom

 

“Prayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.” – St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney

 

“It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do without the Holy Mass.” – St. Pio of Pietrelcina

 

“The Church draws her life from the Eucharist.” – Pope St. John Paul II

 

“Confession is an act of honesty and courage—an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God.” – Pope. St. John Paul II

 

“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simply look towards Heaven; it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” – St. Therese of Lisieux

 

“You cannot be half a saint; you must be a whole saint or no saint at all.” – St. Therese of Lisieux

 

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Prayer in The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic

 

“The 7% have a daily commitment to prayer, a routine. Prayer is a priority for them. They also tend to have a structured way of praying. Many of them pray at the same time every day.” (The Four Signs, 18-19)

 

“In most cases the 7% have developed their routine of prayer painstakingly through trial and error over the course of decades.” (The Four Signs, 19)

 

“Wherever you are in the journey, you may be thinking that you just don’t have time for anything else. The principle of continuous improvement is about to become your new best friend. All this principle asks you to do is to take one small step, and it can be applied to almost any area of your life. Making small daily investments usually leads to large returns.” (The Four Signs, 26)

 

“I believe we should focus our efforts on helping people of all ages to develop vibrant spiritual lives. Everything else, any other good thing that we desire for the Church and for the world, will flow from a dynamic relationship with God.” (The Four Signs, 33)

 

“Dynamic Catholics universally begin their day with some type of prayer, a spiritual routine that focuses their day.” (The Four Signs, 43)

 

“The first sign of a dynamic Catholic is about helping people establish a routine of prayer. One of the greatest gifts we can give anybody is to help them develop a sustainable prayer life. What I mean by that is that we give them the tools to cultivate a spiritual life and the tools to adapt that spiritual life according to the changing demands and challenges of different stages of their lives. Helping them develop a routine of prayer that works for them is the very first step.” (The Four Signs, 48)

 

“The more time you spend in silence, the more clearly you will hear the voice of God in your life.” (The Four Signs, 51)

 

“When was the last time you consciously sat down and explored God’s will for a particular situation? In this way, highly engaged Catholics are committed to listening to the voice of God in their lives. At the same time, they will be the first to admit that they don’t always get it right, that it is almost never totally clear, and that at times they know exactly what God is calling them to do but ignore his will. And yet, over and over they learn that it is openness to God’s voice and God’s will that most brings them peace in the decisions they make.” (The Four Signs, 56)

 

“But most known for furthering the use and popularity of the daily examination is Saint Ignatius Loyola. Ignatius began the first week of his famous Spiritual Exercises encouraging participants to engage in the daily practice of examining one’s soul and life. He believed that the daily examination, which is often referred to as the Examen, was the most important of the spiritual exercises.” (The Four Signs, 58)

 

Matthew Kelly’s Prayer Process: 1) Gratitude: Begin by thanking God in a personal dialogue for whatever you are most grateful for today, 2) Awareness: Revisit the times in the past twenty-four hours when you were and were not the-best-version-of-yourself. Talk to God about these situations and what you learned from them, 3) Significant Moments: Identify something you experienced today and explore what God might be trying to say to you through that event (or person), 4) Peace: Ask God to forgive you for any wrong you have committed (against yourself, another person, or him) and to fill you with a deep and abiding peace, 5) Freedom: Speak with God about how he is inviting you to change your life, so that you can experience the freedom to be the-best-version-of-yourself, 6) Others: Lift up to God anyone you feel called to pray for today, asking God to bless and guide them, and 7) Finish by praying the Our Father.” (The Four Signs, 61)

 

“If you are just beginning, you may want to start with just one minute in conversation with God each day, adding a minute each week until you reach ten. If that is the case, don’t try to race through all seven aspects of the prayer process. Just use the first step, Gratitude. Spend your minute speaking to God about everyone and everything you are grateful for, and then close with an Our Father. As you expand your time of prayer over the coming weeks, adding minutes, I suggest you add one step at a time of the process to your daily prayer. The key is to get the conversation started.” (The Four Signs, 62)

 

“What percentage of your parishioners has prayed for the parish outside of the Mass in the past thirty days? This is one of the highest indicators of engagement.” (The Four Signs, 67)

 

“Every moment of every day presents you with an opportunity to grow in holiness by loving God, loving your neighbor, and becoming more perfectly the unique and wonderful person God created you to be.” (The Four Signs, 77)

“Entonces ustedes me invocarán, y vendrán a mí en oración y yo los escucharé. Me buscarán y me encontrarán, porque me buscarán de todo corazón.” Jeremías 29:12-13

 

“Elevemos al Dios del cielo nuestros pensamientos y oraciones.” Lamentaciones 3:41

 

“Ustedes deban orar así: Padre nuestro que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu nombre. Venga tu reino. Hágase tu voluntad en la tierra, así como se hace en el cielo. Danos hoy el pan que necesitamos. Perdónanos el mal que hemos hecho, así como nosotros hemos perdonado a los que nos han hecho mal. No nos expongas a la tentación, sino líbranos del maligno.” San Mateo 6:9-13

 

“Luego volvió a donde estaban los discípulos, y los encontró dormidos. Le dijo a Pedro: ‘¿Ni siquiera una hora pudieron ustedes mantenerse despiertos conmigo? Manténganse despiertos y orern, para que no caigan en tentación. Ustedes tienen buena voluntad, pero son débiles.’” San Mateo 26:40-41

 

“No dejen ustedes de orar: rueguen y pidan a Dios siempre, guiados por el Espíritu. Manténganse alerta, sin desanimarse, y oren por todo el pueblo santo.” Efesios 6:18

 

“La oración fervorosa del justo tiene mucho poder.” Santiago 5:16

 

“Y cuando estén orando, perdonen lo que tengan contra otro, para que también  su Padre que está en el cielo les perdone a ustedes sus pecados.” San Marcos 11:25

 

“El Señor se aleja de los malvados, pero atiende a la oración de los justos.” Proverbios 15:29

 

“Pidan, y Dios les dará; busquen, y encontrarán; llamen a la puerta, y se les abrirá.” San Mateo 7:7

 

“Así pues, quiero que los hombres oren en todas partes, y que eleven sus manos a Dios con pureza de corazón y sin enojos ni discusiones.” 1 Timoteo 2:8

 

Cristo: “De madrugada, cuando todavía estaba oscuro, Jesús se levantó y salió de la cuidad para ir a orar a un lugar solitario.” San Marcos 1:35

 

Cristo a Pedro: “Pero yo he rogado por ti, para que no te falte la fe. Y tú, cuando te hayas vuelto a mí, ayuda a tus hermanos a permanecer firmes.” San Lucas 22:32

 

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La oración en el Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica Compendio

 

218. ¿Qué es la liturgia?

La liturgia es la celebración del Misterio de Cristo y en particular de su Misterio Pascual. Mediante el ejercicio de la función sacerdotal de Jesucristo, se manifiesta y realiza en ella, a través de signos, la santificación de los hombres; y el Cuerpo Místico de Cristo, esto es la Cabeza y sus miembros, ejerce el culto público que se debe a Dios.

 

219. ¿Qué lugar ocupa la liturgia en la vida de la Iglesia?

La liturgia, acción sagrada por excelencia, es la cumbre hacia la que tiende la acción de la Iglesia y, al mismo tiempo, la fuente de la que emana su fuerza vital. A través de la liturgia, Cristo continúa en su Iglesia, con ella y por medio de ella, la obra de nuestra redención .

 

230. ¿Por qué los sacramentos son necesarios para la salvación?

Para los creyentes en Cristo, los sacramentos, aunque no todos se den a cada uno de los fieles, son necesarios para la salvación, porque otorgan la gracia sacramental, el perdón de los pecados, la adopción como hijos de Dios, la configuración con Cristo Señor y la pertenencia a la Iglesia. El Espíritu Santo cura y transforma a quienes los reciben.

 

243. ¿Qué es la Liturgia de las Horas?

La Liturgia de las Horas, oración pública y común de la Iglesia, es la oración de Cristo con su Cuerpo, la Iglesia. Por su medio, el Misterio de Cristo, que celebramos en la Eucaristía, santifica y transfigura el tiempo de cada día. Se compone principalmente de salmos y de otros textos bíblicos, y también de lecturas de los santos Padres y maestros espirituales.

 

263. ¿Cuáles son los efectos del Bautismo?

El Bautismo perdona el pecado original, todos los pecados personales y todas las penas debidas al pecado; hace participar de la vida divina trinitaria mediante la gracia santificante, la gracia de la justificación que incorpora a Cristo y a su Iglesia; hace participar del sacerdocio de Cristo y constituye el fundamento de la comunión con los demás cristianos; otorga las virtudes teologales y los dones del Espíritu Santo. El bautizado pertenece para siempre a Cristo: en efecto, queda marcado con el sello indeleble de Cristo (carácter).

 

271. ¿Qué es la Eucaristía?

La Eucaristía es el sacrificio mismo del Cuerpo y de la Sangre del Señor Jesús, que Él instituyó para perpetuar en los siglos, hasta su segunda venida, el sacrificio de la Cruz, confiando así a la Iglesia el memorial de su Muerte y Resurrección. Es signo de unidad, vínculo de caridad y banquete pascual, en el que se recibe a Cristo, el alma se llena de gracia y se nos da una prenda de la vida eterna.

 

274. ¿Qué representa la Eucaristía en la vida de la Iglesia?

La Eucaristía es fuente y culmen de toda la vida cristiana. En ella alcanzan su cumbre la acción santificante de Dios sobre nosotros y nuestro culto a Él. La Eucaristía contiene todo el bien espiritual de la Iglesia: el mismo Cristo, nuestra Pascua. Expresa y produce la comunión en la vida divina y la unidad del Pueblo de Dios. Mediante la celebración eucarística nos unimos a la liturgia del cielo y anticipamos la vida eterna.

 

299. ¿Tienen necesidad los bautizados de conversión?

La llamada de Cristo a la conversión resuena continuamente en la vida de los bautizados. Esta conversión es una tarea ininterrumpida para toda la Iglesia, que, siendo santa, recibe en su propio seno a los pecadores.

 

433. ¿Por qué la vida moral de los cristianos es indispensable para el anuncio del Evangelio?

La vida moral de los cristianos es indispensable para el anuncio del Evangelio, porque, conformando su vida con la del Señor Jesús, los fieles atraen a los hombres a la fe en el verdadero Dios, edifican la Iglesia, impregnan el mundo con el espíritu del Evangelio y apresuran la venida del Reino de Dios.

 

453. ¿Cómo se santifica el domingo?

Los cristianos santifican el domingo y las demás fiestas de precepto participando en la Eucaristía del Señor y absteniéndose de las actividades que les impidan rendir culto a Dios, o perturben la alegría propia del día del Señor o el descanso necesario del alma y del cuerpo. Se permiten las actividades relacionadas con las necesidades familiares o los servicios de gran utilidad social, siempre que no introduzcan hábitos perjudiciales a la santificación del domingo, a la vida de familia y a la salud.

 

534. ¿Qué es la oración?

La oración es la elevación del alma a Dios o la petición al Señor de bienes conformes a su voluntad. La oración es siempre un don de Dios que sale al encuentro del hombre. La oración cristiana es relación personal y viva de los hijos de Dios con su Padre infinitamente bueno, con su Hijo Jesucristo y con el Espíritu Santo, que habita en sus corazones.

 

535. ¿Por qué existe una vocación universal a la oración?

Existe una vocación universal a la oración, porque Dios, por medio de la creación, llama a todo ser desde la nada; e incluso después de la caída, el hombre sigue siendo capaz de reconocer a su Creador, conservando el deseo de Aquel que le ha llamado a la existencia. Todas las religiones y, de modo particular, toda la historia de la salvación, dan testimonio de este deseo de Dios por parte del hombre; pero es Dios quien primero e incesantemente atrae a todos al encuentro misterioso de la oración.

 

544. ¿Cómo nos enseña Jesús a orar?

Jesús nos enseña a orar no sólo con la oración del Padre nuestro, sino también cuando Él mismo ora. Así, además del contenido, nos enseña las disposiciones requeridas por una verdadera oración: la pureza del corazón, que busca el Reino y perdona a los enemigos; la confianza audaz y filial, que va más allá de lo que sentimos y comprendemos; la vigilancia, que protege al discípulo de la tentación.

 

545. ¿Porqué es eficaz nuestra oración?

Nuestra oración es eficaz porque está unida mediante la fe a la oración de Jesús. En Él la oración cristiana se convierte en comunión de amor con el Padre; podemos presentar nuestras peticiones a Dios y ser escuchados: «Pedid y recibiréis, para que vuestro gozo sea colmado» (Jn 16, 24).

 

550. ¿Cuáles son las formas esenciales de oración cristiana?

Las formas esenciales de oración cristiana son la bendición y la adoración, la oración de petición y de intercesión, la acción de gracias y la alabanza. La Eucaristía contiene y expresa todas las formas de oración.

 

574. ¿Cuáles son las dificultades para la oración?

La dificultad habitual para la oración es la distracción, que separa de la atención a Dios, y puede incluso descubrir aquello a lo que realmente estamos apegados. Nuestro corazón debe entonces volverse a Dios con humildad. A menudo la oración se ve dificultada por la sequedad, cuya superación permite adherirse en la fe al Señor incluso sin consuelo sensible. La acedía es una forma de pereza espiritual, debida al relajamiento de la vigilancia y al descuido de la custodia del corazón.

 

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Los santos en la oración

 

“La oración es el baño de amor interior dentro del cual el alma se sumerge.” – San Juan Bautista María Vianney

 

“Sería más fácil que la tierra se rigiera sin el sol, que sin la santa Misa.” – San Pio de Pietrelcina

 

“La Iglesia vive de la Eucaristía.” – Papa Juan Pablo II

 

“Para mí, la oración es un impulso del corazón, una sencilla mirada lanzada hacia el cielo, un grito de reconocimiento y de amor tanto desde dentro de la prueba como en la alegría.” – Santa Teresa de Lisieux