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Monday, February 9, 2009
Excellent Homily on Prayer and Fasting, By Father Paul Burchat from Priests for Life
PRAYER AND FASTING
By Father Paul Burchat from Priests for Life
This is a simple review of some of the basics concerning these two topics. I will start with prayer. One of if not the simplest and best place to read about prayer is in the fourth section of the Catechism. There are as many ways to define prayer, as there are ways of praying. Quoting the Little Flower the Catechism says, "prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy" (2558). That is not necessarily the most perfect definition of prayer but it certainly is a very good one. Prayer of course is a means to an end it is not an end in itself. The end is a deeper, ongoing union with God and prayer as much as anything is what accomplishes this. I make this point because some people can become attached to their form of prayer or style of prayer and miss the real point of it. They have a set routine of prayer and can feel distressed if for some reason that pattern is disrupted. At this point it is not so much God they are seeking but the self-satisfaction of having stuck to their routine. They do all the "right" things and miss the goal. In light of this we begin to see that prayer is a dynamic and not a static reality. Ultimately it is God who invites and stimulates us to pray. Our desire for God is the result of God's desire for us. And as with any relationship the one we have with God will change and mature as time goes by. As such how we pray will change with time as well. So we should not be surprised if our prayer routine, which at one time seemed to work so well becomes dry and unappealing. It usually means that God wants to show us more sides of himself and to enter into a new phase of the relationship he has with us. That entails allowing the old form of prayer to "dry up" so we can replace it with another. You could compare this to communicating with your child. If you are still talking to your son or daughter when they are twenty as you did when they were one year old something is very wrong. Of course sometimes no matter what we do prayer can stay dry and this is God's way of testing us to see if we will stay faithful and whether or not we are really seeking him or just the consolations that can come with prayer.
Prayer is to the soul as food is to the body. If my soul is to stay healthy I need to pray, otherwise my spirit can become sick and listless. "Humility is the foundation of prayer" (CCC 2559). Real prayer demands I understand how utterly dependent I am on God. Without this I may be talking to God but I am not praying. And of course more than anything else or should I say anyone else, prayer is meant to change me not other people. As a result of praying for others they may change for the better, but even if they don't (at least from my perspective) I should be changing for the better. If I am praying for others but expecting that I will stay the same I am undermining my efforts. Therefore there is no such thing as wasted prayer. My prayer may or may not help others but it can always help me. There is also no such thing as an unanswered prayer. Every one of my prayers has been answered. I just didn't always like the answer I got. God tells me what I need to hear not what I want to hear.
There are many styles and forms of prayer: vocal, meditative, contemplative, praise, adoration, thanksgiving, sacramental, intercessory, prayers of petition, etc. etc. Where does one begin? We begin with whatever works. There really is no right or wrong way to pray. In fact there is only one wrong thing we can do in prayer, i.e. stop praying. Apart from this the field is wide open and no matter how we pray good things are going to happen, at least to us. I did not say easy things but good things. However none of this can happen without self-discipline. If we are to develop a mature life of prayer and a stable relationship with God self-discipline is absolutely indispensable. We are fooling ourselves to think otherwise. You don't develop a solid friendship with anyone unless you put the time in with him or her and it is no different with God.
There are difficulties in prayer of course; the most common is getting distracted. When this happens we should not spend much if any time in trying to track down the cause or source of the distraction much less exert any effort in trying to expel it, as this would only increase the power it has over us. We should merely return to prayer as soon as possible (CCC 2729).
Fasting is limiting the amount of food eaten. Abstinence on the other hand is completely eliminating a particular foodstuff from the diet such as meat, dairy products or what have you. Practically speaking the Church understands fasting to entail the eating of only one full meal a day and cutting back on the portions at the other meals. Fasting is not done only by religious people or for religious reasons. People will abstain from certain foods or cut back on their quantities for a variety of reasons. Dieting is a form of fasting, which is done for the purpose of losing weight and with the intention of improving one's health and/or appearance. Some people may be allergic to certain foods and need to eliminate them entirely from their diet. When the primary intention is for the sake of appearance then the underlying reason is either to enhance ones' self-esteem, to engage our narcissistic or hedonistic tendencies or some combination of these. If people are ill or preparing for surgery there may a need to fast or stop eating altogether for a period of time. Others may fast as a means of protest or to further some ideological vision or goal. The Church on the other hand asks us to fast not because she considers certain foods evil but for sound spiritual reasons. The sacrifices we undergo by fasting, as we unite them to our Lord's passion and cross, are a means of doing penance for our sins and the sins of others and thus help to further the salvation of the world. From her perspective fasting helps to curtail our self-indulgence and to tame or mortify our appetites with the ultimate goal of enhancing our spiritual growth. Fasting is one of the three primary forms of penance which the Church has always put forth for our consideration; the other two being prayer and almsgiving. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday of course are obligatory days of fast and abstinence from meat. All the Fridays of the year (which are not Solemnities) are obligatory days of penance and we certainly are free to abstain from meat on that day, but here in Canada we may substitute some other form of penance such as acts of piety or charity for abstaining from meat. This then is the sense in which the Church understands fasting and why.
For more articles and homilies on prayer and fasting please check this link
Prayer and Fasting:
By Father Paul Burchat from Priests for Life
This is a simple review of some of the basics concerning these two topics. I will start with prayer. One of if not the simplest and best place to read about prayer is in the fourth section of the Catechism. There are as many ways to define prayer, as there are ways of praying. Quoting the Little Flower the Catechism says, "prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy" (2558). That is not necessarily the most perfect definition of prayer but it certainly is a very good one. Prayer of course is a means to an end it is not an end in itself. The end is a deeper, ongoing union with God and prayer as much as anything is what accomplishes this. I make this point because some people can become attached to their form of prayer or style of prayer and miss the real point of it. They have a set routine of prayer and can feel distressed if for some reason that pattern is disrupted. At this point it is not so much God they are seeking but the self-satisfaction of having stuck to their routine. They do all the "right" things and miss the goal. In light of this we begin to see that prayer is a dynamic and not a static reality. Ultimately it is God who invites and stimulates us to pray. Our desire for God is the result of God's desire for us. And as with any relationship the one we have with God will change and mature as time goes by. As such how we pray will change with time as well. So we should not be surprised if our prayer routine, which at one time seemed to work so well becomes dry and unappealing. It usually means that God wants to show us more sides of himself and to enter into a new phase of the relationship he has with us. That entails allowing the old form of prayer to "dry up" so we can replace it with another. You could compare this to communicating with your child. If you are still talking to your son or daughter when they are twenty as you did when they were one year old something is very wrong. Of course sometimes no matter what we do prayer can stay dry and this is God's way of testing us to see if we will stay faithful and whether or not we are really seeking him or just the consolations that can come with prayer.
Prayer is to the soul as food is to the body. If my soul is to stay healthy I need to pray, otherwise my spirit can become sick and listless. "Humility is the foundation of prayer" (CCC 2559). Real prayer demands I understand how utterly dependent I am on God. Without this I may be talking to God but I am not praying. And of course more than anything else or should I say anyone else, prayer is meant to change me not other people. As a result of praying for others they may change for the better, but even if they don't (at least from my perspective) I should be changing for the better. If I am praying for others but expecting that I will stay the same I am undermining my efforts. Therefore there is no such thing as wasted prayer. My prayer may or may not help others but it can always help me. There is also no such thing as an unanswered prayer. Every one of my prayers has been answered. I just didn't always like the answer I got. God tells me what I need to hear not what I want to hear.
There are many styles and forms of prayer: vocal, meditative, contemplative, praise, adoration, thanksgiving, sacramental, intercessory, prayers of petition, etc. etc. Where does one begin? We begin with whatever works. There really is no right or wrong way to pray. In fact there is only one wrong thing we can do in prayer, i.e. stop praying. Apart from this the field is wide open and no matter how we pray good things are going to happen, at least to us. I did not say easy things but good things. However none of this can happen without self-discipline. If we are to develop a mature life of prayer and a stable relationship with God self-discipline is absolutely indispensable. We are fooling ourselves to think otherwise. You don't develop a solid friendship with anyone unless you put the time in with him or her and it is no different with God.
There are difficulties in prayer of course; the most common is getting distracted. When this happens we should not spend much if any time in trying to track down the cause or source of the distraction much less exert any effort in trying to expel it, as this would only increase the power it has over us. We should merely return to prayer as soon as possible (CCC 2729).
Fasting is limiting the amount of food eaten. Abstinence on the other hand is completely eliminating a particular foodstuff from the diet such as meat, dairy products or what have you. Practically speaking the Church understands fasting to entail the eating of only one full meal a day and cutting back on the portions at the other meals. Fasting is not done only by religious people or for religious reasons. People will abstain from certain foods or cut back on their quantities for a variety of reasons. Dieting is a form of fasting, which is done for the purpose of losing weight and with the intention of improving one's health and/or appearance. Some people may be allergic to certain foods and need to eliminate them entirely from their diet. When the primary intention is for the sake of appearance then the underlying reason is either to enhance ones' self-esteem, to engage our narcissistic or hedonistic tendencies or some combination of these. If people are ill or preparing for surgery there may a need to fast or stop eating altogether for a period of time. Others may fast as a means of protest or to further some ideological vision or goal. The Church on the other hand asks us to fast not because she considers certain foods evil but for sound spiritual reasons. The sacrifices we undergo by fasting, as we unite them to our Lord's passion and cross, are a means of doing penance for our sins and the sins of others and thus help to further the salvation of the world. From her perspective fasting helps to curtail our self-indulgence and to tame or mortify our appetites with the ultimate goal of enhancing our spiritual growth. Fasting is one of the three primary forms of penance which the Church has always put forth for our consideration; the other two being prayer and almsgiving. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday of course are obligatory days of fast and abstinence from meat. All the Fridays of the year (which are not Solemnities) are obligatory days of penance and we certainly are free to abstain from meat on that day, but here in Canada we may substitute some other form of penance such as acts of piety or charity for abstaining from meat. This then is the sense in which the Church understands fasting and why.
For more articles and homilies on prayer and fasting please check this link
Prayer and Fasting:
2 Chronicles 7:14
" If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land."
-2 Chronicles 7:14
-2 Chronicles 7:14
Holy Hour Prayer Booklets
The 40 Days for Life Prayer and Fasting Committee has put together some Pro Life prayer pamphlets which are suitable for use in prayer groups or as Holy Hours in your Church or Parish. Below are links to the prayers.
Divine Mercy Chaplet Holy Hour
Journey to Calvary ( The Way of the Cross for the Terminally Ill)
Sacred Heart Holy Hour
Sacred Heart Holy Hour - 2 ( different readings)
Saint Joseph Holy Hour
A Rosary for Life - The Joyful Mysteries
A ROSARY FOR LIFE- THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
A Rosary for Life - The Sorrowful Mysteries
A ROSARY FOR LIFE - THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
Pro Life Stations of the Cross
Respect for Life Meditations on the stations of the cross are based on those celebrated by Pope John Paul II on Good Friday 1991.
Rosary for Life from Priests for Life Canada
Divine Mercy Chaplet Holy Hour
Journey to Calvary ( The Way of the Cross for the Terminally Ill)
Sacred Heart Holy Hour
Sacred Heart Holy Hour - 2 ( different readings)
Saint Joseph Holy Hour
A Rosary for Life - The Joyful Mysteries
A ROSARY FOR LIFE- THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
A Rosary for Life - The Sorrowful Mysteries
A ROSARY FOR LIFE - THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES
Pro Life Stations of the Cross
Respect for Life Meditations on the stations of the cross are based on those celebrated by Pope John Paul II on Good Friday 1991.
Rosary for Life from Priests for Life Canada
Rosary making workshop
The Prayer and Fasting Committe of 40 Days for Life
invites you to attend a workshop on how to make a beaded string rosary. These rosaries will be given to our sidewalk councilors for them to use in their ministry. Thanks and may God bless you. Hope to see you there!
Rosary Making Workship:
When: Thursday Feb 19, 2009
Time: 1:00 PM
Where: 897 Blair Road, Gloucester ON
Rosary Making Workship:
When: Thursday Feb 19, 2009
Time: 1:00 PM
Where: 897 Blair Road, Gloucester ON
for directions please click on this link http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Ottawa&state=ON&address=+897+Blair+Road%2C
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Video on how to make a beaded cord rosary
Attention all you prayerful crafty men and women, The Spring 40 Days for Life Camaign now has a rosary making ministry and you will learn more about it at the meeting Tuesday evening at 7:00PM at Saint Pat's. We will be holding a workshop within the next week or two but if you would like a sneek preview on how to make a beaded cord rosary please click on the instructions below.
Actually this rosary is easier to make than the knotted cord rosary since the knot is the most difficult part of the rosary making
http://www.olrm.org/cord_inst.html
If you feel called to be part of this ministry please contact me at mtward@magma.ca
And while we are at it, if you have ever thought of making a knotted cord rosary go to
ROSARY ARMY website and watch the easy to follow video
http://www.rosaryarmy.com/?page_id=39f
or printable instructions please click here
http://www.rosaryarmy.com/wp-content/themes/mimbo2.2/images/rosaryinstructions1.pdf
Actually this rosary is easier to make than the knotted cord rosary since the knot is the most difficult part of the rosary making
http://www.olrm.org/cord_inst.html
If you feel called to be part of this ministry please contact me at mtward@magma.ca
And while we are at it, if you have ever thought of making a knotted cord rosary go to
ROSARY ARMY website and watch the easy to follow video
http://www.rosaryarmy.com/?page_id=39f
or printable instructions please click here
http://www.rosaryarmy.com/wp-content/themes/mimbo2.2/images/rosaryinstructions1.pdf
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Prayers for Canada
PRAYER TO OUR BLESSED MOTHER FOR CANADA
O Most Blessed Mother Mary, Mother of Mercy, at this most critical time, we entrust our country to your loving care.
Most Holy Mother, we beg you to reclaim this land for the glory of your Son. Overwhelmed with the burden of the sins of our nation, we cry to you from the depths of our hearts and seek refuge in your motherly protection.
Look down with mercy upon us and touch the hearts of our people. Open our minds to the great worth of human life and to the responsibilites that accompany human freedom.
Free us from falsehoods that lead to the evils of abortion and the breakdown of family life. Grant us the wisdom to know and proclaim that this nation was founded on God's law and that he alone is the True Source of our cherished rights and freedoms.
Guide and protect this land from every evil and from the attacks of the powers of darkness.
O Merciful Mother, give us the courage to reject the culture of death and the strength to build a new culture of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Imprimatur: Bishop Roman Danylak, D.D
Titular Bishop of Nyssa - Dec. 12, 2004
PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH - By Pope Leo XIII
O holy protector of the holy family, protect us children of the Lord Jesus Christ; keep far from us the errors and evils which corrupt the world; assist us from Heaven in our struggles against the powers of darkness. And as you once protected the Divine Child from the cruel edict of Herod, now defend the Church and our country and keep them safe from all dangers and threats. Spread over all of us your holy patronage so that by following your example and aided by your spiritual guidance, we may all aspire to a virtuous life, look to a holy death, and secure for ourselves the blessing of eternal happiness in Heaven.
Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe
O Most Blessed Mother Mary, Mother of Mercy, at this most critical time, we entrust our country to your loving care.
Most Holy Mother, we beg you to reclaim this land for the glory of your Son. Overwhelmed with the burden of the sins of our nation, we cry to you from the depths of our hearts and seek refuge in your motherly protection.
Look down with mercy upon us and touch the hearts of our people. Open our minds to the great worth of human life and to the responsibilites that accompany human freedom.
Free us from falsehoods that lead to the evils of abortion and the breakdown of family life. Grant us the wisdom to know and proclaim that this nation was founded on God's law and that he alone is the True Source of our cherished rights and freedoms.
Guide and protect this land from every evil and from the attacks of the powers of darkness.
O Merciful Mother, give us the courage to reject the culture of death and the strength to build a new culture of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Imprimatur: Bishop Roman Danylak, D.D
Titular Bishop of Nyssa - Dec. 12, 2004
PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH - By Pope Leo XIII
O holy protector of the holy family, protect us children of the Lord Jesus Christ; keep far from us the errors and evils which corrupt the world; assist us from Heaven in our struggles against the powers of darkness. And as you once protected the Divine Child from the cruel edict of Herod, now defend the Church and our country and keep them safe from all dangers and threats. Spread over all of us your holy patronage so that by following your example and aided by your spiritual guidance, we may all aspire to a virtuous life, look to a holy death, and secure for ourselves the blessing of eternal happiness in Heaven.
Prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe we beg you to protect all mothers of the unborn and the children within their wombs. We plead with you for your help to end the holocaust of abortion. Melt hearts so that life may be revered! Holy Mother, we pray to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart for all mothers and all unborn children that they may have life here on earth and by the most Precious Blood shed by your Son that they may have eternal life with Him in heaven. We also pray to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart for all abortionists and all abortion supporters that they may be converted and accept your Son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior. Amen
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