Each one of us has been anointed “to remain forever a member of Christ who is priest, prophet and king.” Hence, each of us belongs to “the priesthood of all the baptized.” Membership in that community means we are people of prayer. Each of us wants to speak to God and listen to God. And each of us can.
Every member of St. Joe’s prays at Sunday Mass, the “source and summit” of our individual and communal prayer lives.
Outside of Sunday Mass, we pray in very different ways. Some people pray mostly on the move, talking to God and listening as the Spirit moves them. Others lean toward more formalized prayer times. Most mix both modes.
We also pray in a wide array of moods. We sometimes feel a little stuck in prayer, sensing that our words are more ritualistic than relational, wondering if our efforts to listen are more routine than robust. At other times we feel very revved up, “ambitious for the higher gifts,” confident that God wants to grant us an even stronger connection. Most of us move back and forth between moods.
Finally, we come to prayer from varied pasts. Some have been at it for decades. Others are at it again after a long break. Still others are relative novices.
Regardless of our modes of prayer, our moods in prayer, or our history of prayer, several methods of prayer help everyone. Sunday Mass is the first. Scriptural prayer and “The Examen” are two others. Mass, scripture prayer and the Examen form the core of the first CL challenge, the CL prayer challenge.
The First CL Challenge: Take a Next Step in Prayer
1. Sunday Mass -- 60 minutes
2. Mon - Sat Scripture Prayer (10 min/day) -- 60 minutes (View some daily inspirational subscriptions & music)
3. Mon - Sat Examen (5 min/day) -- 30 minutes
Total: 150 minutes
The Second CL Challenge: Take a Next Step in Spiritual Reading
Read CL pages of spiritual reading each month.