Learning to Pray
Text by Sophie de Mullenheim Illustrations by Laure Fournier and Eric Puybaret Publisher: Pierre-Marie Dumont Editor in Chief: Sophie Cluzel Layout Designer: Élisabeth Hebert Under the direction of Romain Lizé, Vice President, MAGNIFICAT Editor, MAGNIFICAT: Isabelle Galmiche Translator: Janet Chevrier Proofreaders: Kathleen Hollenbeck, Claire Gilligan Production: Thierry Dubus, Sabine Marioni
to Pray
Editorial: Why a Special Book on Prayer? The First Steps into Prayer ..................................................................................................... 6 When to Pray?.......................................................................................................................... 8 Your Prayer Corner ................................................................................................................. 10 Do-It-Yourself Project: A Three-Panel Icon ......................................................................... 11 Interview: Father Alex Robineau .......................................................................................... 12 Prayer Positions ....................................................................................................................... 14 The Sign of the Cross ............................................................................................................. 16 Do-It-Yourself Project: A Cross for Your Prayer Corner .................................................... 18 Interview: Sister Mary Veronica ............................................................................................ 20 Jesus, Teach Us to Pray! .......................................................................................................... 22 The Our Father ........................................................................................................................ 24 Do-It-Yourself Project: Prayer Die......................................................................................... 26 The Little Words of Prayer: I Love You .............................................................................. 28 Does God Really Speak to Us in Prayer? ............................................................................... 30 The Little Words of Prayer: Please ....................................................................................... 32 Lord, Answer Me! ................................................................................................................... 34 The Little Words of Prayer: Thank You! ............................................................................ 36 What’s Praying For? ................................................................................................................ 38 The Little Words of Prayer: Forgive Me ............................................................................. 40 Praying with Mary ................................................................................................................... 42 Praying the Rosary ................................................................................................................... 44 Do-It-Yourself Project: A Homemade "Decade" ................................................................... 46 Sung Prayer............................................................................................................................... 48 Praying to the Holy Spirit ....................................................................................................... 50 Praying with the Word of God............................................................................................... 52 Praying with the Saints ........................................................................................................... 54 A Litany of the Saints to Pray as a Family ............................................................................. 55 Praying as a Family .................................................................................................................. 56 CONTENTS
5 You know that we all need to breathe in order to live. Without oxygen, little by little, life fades away. But did you know that prayer is the breath of life for Christians? Without prayer, our souls wither and close in on themselves. And gradually, we forget God. We stray further and further from him and the immense joy he wishes for us. To know and love people, it is important to spend time with them, to talk with and listen to them. Prayer is that precious moment in which you sustain your relationship with the Lord. Through prayer, you can truly speak to God, who listens to you and wishes to speak to you. He is a friend who understands everything, a Father who loves you more than anything. You can tell him whatever you like and share every thought, every fear, every hope with him. The more you speak to God, the more you will feel loved, and the easier praying will become. Of course, you may not know how to go about it. You may not realize just how important it is—or even think it’s not interesting! Or perhaps you are full of good intentions but find praying difficult. This special book is meant to help you discover the great treasures of prayer. Here you will find explanations, practical advice, and interviews with believers who pray every day. You’ll come across do-it-yourself projects to liven up your prayer corner. And you’ll discover beautiful prayers to enrich those intimate moments spent with God. So, shall we get started? "Prayer is the soul’s bread of life, the heart’s pulse, a meditative and prolonged encounter with God." — Saint Pius of Pietrelcina Why a Special Book on Prayer? EDITORIAL
PRAYER AWARD 6 The First Steps into Prayer Goal 1 : Pray every day ! Find out what’s the best time in your day to pray. You’ll need some quiet time, a peaceful moment when you won’t be disturbed. Is that in the morning when you wake up? Or in the evening when you’re about to go to bed? By choosing the right time, you’ll make prayer fit into your daily schedule. Goal 2 : Get into a prayer position. Set aside a little corner of your room dedicated to prayer. Then decide what position you prefer: standing, sitting, or kneeling. Establish a little ritual to settle into the right frame of mind so that your thoughts are truly focused on God. It’s sort of like setting up the ingredients of a good breakfast: if you don’t have the right foods, the meal won’t sustain you until lunchtime. If you don’t organize yourself to focus on prayer, it won’t sustain you either. PRAYER IS A LITTLE LIKE A FOOTRACE. IT REQUIRES TRAINING WITHOUT GETTING DISCOURAGED. At first, you’ll run out of breath quickly. But with practice, you’ll find it gets easier every day. To train yourself to pray, first set some goals!
7 Goal 3 : At first, pray for just a few minutes. There’s no point in trying to pray for a very long time right from the start! You’ll soon lose motivation. Instead, keep it very simple at first: make the Sign of the Cross, and then say an Our Father and a Hail Mary. That is the bare minimum you should stick to, even when you’re in a hurry or really tired. Once you’ve gotten into this habit, then you’ll want to go further. Goal 4 : Make your prayer personal. Once you’re used to your daily quality time with the Lord and are in the habit of taking time out for him, you’ll want to speak to him more personally. Begin by thanking him for the good things he’s done in your life. Confide in him what’s in your heart. Ask him to forgive you for any wrong things you’ve done. And remember to tell him you love him!
8 When to Pray? HOW ABOUT IN THE MORNING? When you wake up—before you start the day—you can devote time to the Lord. But if there’s a mad rush in your house every morning, change your schedule or you’ll risk forgetting your prayers half the time. (If you really like morning prayer time, then set your alarm clock ten minutes earlier to pray before everyone else is up.) If you think you won’t be able to really pray in the morning, take at least a few seconds to make a slow Sign of the Cross and to offer up your day to the Lord. IN THE EVENING? In the evening, you can pray right before going to bed. That’s a good time to look back over your day and give thanks. If you find that you’re always half asleep by then, choose a different moment: right after supper, for instance. When everything’s done for the day, that’s a good time to withdraw to your room and pray. If you prefer to keep your prayer time in the morning, OF COURSE, YOU CAN PRAY ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE. However, if you keep thinking you can pray anytime, you could wind up never praying at all! If it’s to be long lasting, daily prayer must become a habit. The best way to be faithful to this heart-to heart talk with God is to carefully choose your time of daily prayer and stick to it.
9 you should still end your day by making a Sign of the Cross to entrust yourself to the Lord during the night. Take time then to say thank you to him for all the good things that happened, to say sorry for the bad things, and to repeat your trust in him before falling asleep. DURING THE DAY? Maybe you would prefer to pray after lunch? Or before doing your homework when you get home from school? What suits you best is up to you. The right moment to pray is when you can be alone, when it’s quiet and you’re not in a rush, and at a time that’s available every day so that you can get into a good routine. "To you I pray, O Lord; at dawn you will hear my cry." (Psalm 5:4) "Let my prayer be incense before you; my uplifted hands an evening sacrifice." (Psalm 141:2) A GOOD TIP PRINT OUT A LITTLE CALENDAR TO PUT IN YOUR PRAYER CORNER. EVERY TIME YOU SAY YOUR PRAYERS WELL, DRAW A CROSS IN THAT DAY’S BOX. KEEPING TRACK IS A GOOD WAY TO ESTABLISH A PRAYER ROUTINE. ONCE YOU’RE USED TO FILLING IN YOUR CALENDAR EVERY DAY, YOU WON’T EVEN HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT ANY MORE: IT WILL BE AS NATURAL FOR YOU AS BRUSHING YOUR TEETH!
10 When we love someone and want to think about that person, we often keep a photo of him or her at home. Arranging a prayer corner in your bedroom is a good way to help you think about God every day! SET UP A REAL SPACE . If you want to stick to your prayers, set up a permanent space in your bedroom to pray. If you have to create your prayer space every day, you might end up just forgetting about it. If one day your heart is filled with happiness because you’ve just had some good news, or if you’re sad, it will be easier to confide in the Lord if you see a cross or a prayer card as soon as you step into your room! WHICH SPOT TO CHOOSE? To set up your prayer corner, choose a spot you like that’s quiet. If you’re lucky enough to have your own room, you could set up a little tent where you can pray. If your room is small, you might arrange a prayer space on a shelf. And if you have to share your room with a brother or sister, reserve a place in your area for prayer, or make a nice prayer corner together! Your Prayer Corner WHAT WILL YOU PUT IN YOUR CORNER? • A CRUCIFIX • AN ICON OR A SMALL STATUE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY • MAGNIFIKID! • A PRAYER BOOK (SEE PAGES 58-59)
11 1. Fold the cardboard in three, as shown below, and cut it as indicated. 2. Go to pages 60-61 and cut out the icon, the Our Father, and the Hail Mary. 3. Glue the icon in the center of the largest panel. 4. Glue the Our Father on the left side of the icon, and the Hail Mary on the right side. Be careful to align the top of each prayer with the top of the icon so that it looks pretty. 5. Let the glue dry for a few hours or overnight, then stand it up in your prayer corner and you're ready to go! WHAT YOU'LL NEED: • THIN CARDBOARD, ABOUT 8 ½ BY 11 IN • SCISSORS • GLUE Do-It-Yourself Project FOR YOUR PRAYER CORNER, MAGNIFIKID! SUGGESTS THAT YOU MAKE A THREE-PANEL ICON TO PLACE ON A SHELF OR SMALL TABLE. A Three-PANEL Icon
14 To pray, choose the position that best suits you and what you want to say to the Lord. STAND KNEEL OR SIT? As at Mass, each position we adopt says something specific. Standing, we hold ourselves upright, proud to be children of God. We affirm our faith. Kneeling, we bow before the greatness of God. We recognize that we are very little before him but that we are infinitely loved. Finally, when seated, we listen attentively to what he has to tell us. HANDS FOLDED OR OPEN? Folding your hands before you is a sign of deep respect for God. It’s also a way to center yourself on your heart, to gather yourself. As for open hands, they are opened to offer your prayer and let it rise right up to heaven. They are also opened to receive all the graces God has in store for you. Prayer Positions HAVE YOU FIGURED OUT THE BEST TIME OF THE DAY FOR YOU TO PRAY? Have you set aside a special corner of your bedroom for this moment of encounter with God? Then it is time now to discover how to enter into prayer.
15 EYES CLOSED OR OPEN? Closing your eyes allows you to forget about your surroundings and concentrate better on prayer. But you can also pray with your eyes open and fixed on a cross or an icon, for instance, to let an image of Jesus fill you. "Arise, bless the LORD, your God, from eternity to eternity! Blessed is your glorious name, and exalted above all blessing and praise." (Nehemiah 9:5) A GOOD TIP CHOOSE THE POSITION THAT BEST EXPRESSES YOUR LOVE OF THE LORD, BUT ALSO THE ONE THAT’S MOST COMFORTABLE FOR YOU. IF YOU WANT YOUR PRAYER TO BE BEAUTIFUL AND LONG-LASTING, YOU MUSTN’T BE DISTRACTED BY A SORE KNEE OR A TWISTED FOOT. HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD AVOID PRAYING WHILE YOU’RE LYING DOWN, OR YOU MIGHT FALL ASLEEP!
16 Prayer must become a habit in your life. But it’s not like any other routine. By now, you can easily brush your teeth every day without even thinking about it. Your movements have become mechanical and efficient. It’s different with prayer. If your gestures and words grow mechanical, your prayer becomes empty. That’s why you have to take time to carefully choose the words or the prayer you wish to say. That’s also why it’s important to make a great Sign of the Cross, not too quickly and not like a robot. THE SIGN OF THE CROSS IS A PRAYER TRACED OVER YOU . The Blessed Virgin Mary taught believers in Lourdes how to make the Sign of the Cross. She did it very slowly, in order to show that it is—in and of itself—a great and beautiful prayer. By tracing the Sign of the Cross on yourself, you remember and affirm that Jesus died on the cross to save you from sin and death. You thank him for the gift of his life, and you marvel at his great love for you. The Sign of the Cross TO BEGIN EACH TIME OF PRAYER, MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS. This is the Christian’s sign of recognition. It witnesses to your faith. It is the sign that you believe. Each of your days should begin and end with this beautiful gesture!
17 IT IS A SIGN OF FAITH . The Sign of the Cross also sums up our faith in a nutshell. We believe in one sole God in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe in God the Father, who is the origin of all life and who sent us Jesus, his Only Begotten Son, to save us. We believe in his Son, Jesus, who came to share our human life, who died on the cross, and who rose again to deliver us from sin and death. We believe in the Holy Spirit, who enables us to know the love of God and to spread it throughout the world. "You must pay attention to what you’re doing, for it’s very important to make a beautiful Sign of the Cross!" —Saint Bernadette of Lourdes TO PROPERLY MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS… RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND TO YOUR FOREHEAD AS YOU SAY "IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER.” THEN PLACE IT IN THE CENTER OF YOUR CHEST AS YOU SAY "AND OF THE SON." NEXT, MOVE YOUR HAND TO YOUR LEFT SHOULDER AND THEN TO YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER AS YOU SAY: "AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT." FINALLY, END BY SAYING "AMEN." AS YOU JOIN YOUR HANDS OVER YOUR CHEST.
42 MARY KNOWS HER SON BETTER THAN WE DO. Mary knows how to talk to her Son and intercede for us—that is, to speak to him on our behalf. Remember that, at the wedding at Cana, it was to her that the servants went, to ask her to intercede with Jesus. And even when he told her he didn’t want to be disturbed, Mary told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Mary knows her Son. She knows he won’t be content with doing nothing. MARY PRAYED TOO . Think of Mary at prayer, and imitate her. Her prayer teaches us to place our trust in the hands of the Lord. "May it be done to me according to your word," she said to the Archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation. Mary’s prayer is also an act of grace. "My soul magnifies the Lord!" she responded to her cousin Elizabeth. MARY IS OUR MOTHER AND OUR ROLE MODEL . Don’t hesitate to take Mary as your model! She didn’t understand everything that was happening and didn’t know everything that was going to happen, but she always trusted in God. Better than anyone, she knew how to say to God, "Thank you," "I love you," and "Please"! Praying with Mary THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS YOU PREFER TO TELL YOUR MOM BECAUSE YOU FEEL SHE’LL UNDERSTAND YOU BEST. Mary is a mother, too. Sometimes it’s easier for us to confide in her. That is why, from the cross, Jesus gave her to us as our Mother. LITANIES TO MARY You can ask Mary to pray for you by making these requests, called litanies. Mother of Jesus, Emmanuel, pray for us. Mother of Jesus, the Savior, pray for us. Mother of Jesus, the Lord, pray for us. Mother of Jesus, conceived without sin, pray for us. Mother of Light, pray for us. Mother of Life, pray for us. Mother full of love, pray for us. Mother full of hope, pray for us. Mother of our Church, pray for us. Mother of all mankind, pray for us. Mother most blessed of all mothers, pray for us.
Prayer My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy pirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Magnificat
44 HOW DO I PRAY THE ROSARY? Praying the Rosary PRAYING THE ROSARY IS A VERY SIMPLE WAY TO GROW CLOSER TO THE LORD. Through its repetition, we become less preoccupied with ourselves and more drawn to God. Begin by holding the rosary and making the Sign of the Cross with its crucifix. Then recite the following prayers, in the order you see on the diagram. End your prayer by making the Sign of the Cross with the crucifix. Many people also kiss the crucifix as they finish, as a sign of love for all that God has done for us. Apostles' Creed Our Father 3 x Hail Mary Glory Be + Our Father Glory Be + Our Father Glory Be + Our Father Glory Be + Our Father Glory Be + Our Father First decade Fifth decade 10 x Hail Mary Fourth decade Third decade Second decade (I believe in God…)
45 WHY SHOULD I PRAY THE ROSARY? Saint John Paul II encouraged young people to pray the rosary. "This prayer will help you to be strong in your faith, constant in charity, joyful and persevering in hope."1 He recommended praying it often and everywhere. "Do not be ashamed to recite the rosary alone, while you walk along the streets to school, to the university or to work, or as you commute by public transport. Adopt the habit of reciting it among yourselves, in your groups, movements and associations." REPEAT IT BUT THAT'S NOT ALL... When you pray the rosary, think about everything that happened in the life of Mary. This allows you to comprehend what God has done for us. With Mary, you can contemplate all the major moments in the life of Jesus, which are called mysteries. Praying the mysteries brings us closer to him. THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES: THE ANNUNCIATION, THE VISITATION, THE NATIVITY, THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE, THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES: THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD, THE WEDDING AT CANA, THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, THE TRANSFIGURATION, THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN, THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR, THE CROWNING WITH THORNS, THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS, THE CRUCIFIXION THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION, THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY, THE CORONATION OF MARY HAIL MARY, FULL OF GRACE, THE LORD IS WITH THEE. BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN, AND BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF THY WOMB, JESUS. HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, PRAY FOR US SINNERS, NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH. AMEN. 1 World Youth Day 2003.
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition© 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. © 2017 by Magnificat, New York All rights reserved. ISBN Magnificat 978-1-941709-54-2 The trademark MAGNIFICAT depicted in this publication is used under license from and is the exclusive property of MAGNIFICAT Central Service Team, Inc., A Ministry to Catholic Women, and may not be used without its written consent. Printed in August 2017 by Transcontinental, Canada Job number MGN17026 Printed in compliance with the Consumer Protection Safety Act, 2008.
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