To pray is one of the most beautiful and profound activities that man can do. By means of its continued practice one can reach such depth and inner renewal that in it and through it, man himself becomes the “work” of God. For a Christian, Jesus Christ is the authentic model and teacher of prayer. Mary was also a woman of prayer: “His mother stored up all these things in her heart” (Lk. 2:51). St. Vincent de Paul was convinced of the value of prayer. “Give me a man of prayer and he shall be capable of everything.” (Coste XI,83; CEME XI, 778)
To pray is to live; it is not to imagine nor to dream but to get out of the “dream” in which we live. To pray is to awaken; it is a constant dawning… a continuous awakening from life, in life and for life. The other kind of prayer, that which takes away and shuns life, that which pretends and dulls the senses, that which is a refuge and fleeing away… is not prayer. Neither is prayer “thinking” much about God, because going through things a thousand times in the head is not enough in a personal relationship. To pray is to enter into a dialogue with God from the depth of our hearts. As God gradually reveals Himself to us, prayer comes spontaneously, like a mutual call, a dialogue wherein God calls and seeks man out (“Where are you?… Gen. 3:9-13) and man responds (“Here I am, I come to do your will…“ Heb. 10:5-7) Thus, St. Teresa of Jesus says that prayer is “an intimate sharing between friends, taking time frequently to be alone with the One we loves us”. The one who discovers God, who discovers Christ, becomes a “lover”. And the one who loves tunes in, seeks the presence, the dialogue…
We need to live prayer; or if you prefer, the encounter with God. It’s one thing to think about trekking the mountain and another to really climb it. We are nourished when we eat. It is not enough to only read the menu in a restaurant; in the same manner, it is only when we drink that our thirst is quenched, not by recalling the fountain. We learn to walk by walking and to pray by praying.
Man´s heart, struck by infinite love, seeks with insatiable longing the loving encounter with his God. He ardently wishes to be with the Lord of his life, to fill his life with the shining and radiant presence of God. He feels like a ray of light which only finds itself when in permanent contact and union with the sun. How can we exist without Him? Be in communication and loving communion with God.
In prayer we go to be with the Lord in a loving presence. “To be” simply and clearly is an attitude quite costly for us who value so much our actions and our work and who measure our being and persons by our performance and efficiency.
Thus, before the “doing” of prayer, we must know how “to be”, valuing our capacity of being conscientiously present here and now, in an attitude of active passivity. At times, in praying, we value very much what we say to the Lord, what we think, what we analyze or do, the resolutions we make… so much so that we sometimes forget Him and continue to be engrossed in our own selves, in our problems and thoughts. Jesus says: “In your prayers do not babble much... because your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Mt. 6: 7-8)
Through this booklet, we invite you then to simply practice “being” in prayer, to simply focus into the depth of your being in an attitude of silence and warmth. Silence enables us to live our own selves and, at the same time, opens within us the possibility of welcoming and receiving the presence of God, his revelation and intimate communion with the soul. What little capacity do we actually have of simply being silent, welcoming and being receptive before the presence of the loving God! “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 S 3:10)
All profound encounters between people lead to an authentic manifestation and revelation of the intimacy of persons. This communication of intimacy brings about true friendship. A revelation of intimacy will be difficult to achieve if one does not encounter a silent, attentive and receptive heart on whom to share intimacy. Thus, we have to put into place conditions so that this encounter will come about and carefully begin this delicate task.
SOME MEANS:
Once we are clear on the primary element – our disposition – let us move on to talk of some means.
Since we are young people in the process of learning, there are times when it is necessary for us to place some means that can help us in the encounter and will focus our attention to the living presence.
Ø It may help to have an image or icon, a candle, the Bible, a chosen passage... or it would also be good to repeat a word, phrase or a short prayer slowly and to the rhythm of our breathing.
Ø Sometimes, it may be a feeling, a gesture or a song…
Ø Or at times, it will be an idea or reflection…
Ø It can also be perhaps an encounter with the poor or an event...
Ø And for those who have already begun this process, silence itself
But it is important to always remember that we should not stick to these means as if they were the only ones. Let us not forget that they are simply “bridges” that aid and facilitate the personal, intimate and loving encounter with God.
To help you in this encounter with the Lord, we suggest some ways to aid your personal prayer or community celebration. These proposed prayers and guides are inspired by the Marian and Vincentian spirituality of our Association, which will surely help awaken in you a prayerful attitude.
May the Blessed Virgin Mary, who became the model of the imploring Church when she joined in prayer with the disciples at the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, obtain for us, JMV members of the world, the gift of constant prayer and silence and make us capable of giving ourselves deeply to the service of the poor and other young people.
PART TWO: JMV PRAYERS
PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Come, Holy Spirit, and from heaven direct on man the rays of Your light.
Come Father of the poor; Come, Giver of God's gifts; Come, Light of men's hearts.
Kind Paraclete, in Your gracious visits to man's soul You bring relief and consolation.
If it is weary with toil, You bring it ease; in the heat of temptation, Your grace cools it; if sorrowful, Your words console it.
Light most blest, shine on the hearts of Your faithful - even into their darkest corners; for without Your aid man can do nothing good, and everything is sinful.
Wash clean the sinful soul, rain down Your grace on the parched soul and heal the injured soul. Soften the hard heart, cherish and warm the ice-cold heart, and give direction to the wayward.
Give Your seven holy gifts to Your faithful, for their trust is in You. Give them reward for their virtuous acts; give them a death that ensures salvation; give them unending bliss. Amen.
MARIAN PRAYERS
Praying with Mary...
Praying for Mary meant acknowledging in her the work of God and accepting herself as established in His work. To pray entails discovering God as “my God.” He who loves and singles me out even if neither reason nor basis exists for Him to do so. Prayer for Mary is a dialogue with God the Father. It is a dialogue of seeking in the faith.
"Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.”
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.
We Fly to Your Patronage
We fly to your patronage, O Holy Mother of God.
Despise not our petitions in our necessities
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin.
HAIL HOLY QUEEN
Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To you do we cry poor banished children of Eve! To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus! O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
AVE REGINA
Hail, Queen of heaven;
Hail, Lady of Angels;
Hail, root of Jesus;
Hail, the gate through which the Light rose over the earth.
Rejoice, O glorious Virgin, lovely beyond all others
Hail, most beautiful maiden and pray for us to Christ.
REGINA CAELI
P: Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
A: The Son whom it was your privilege to bear, alleluia
P: Has risen as he said, alleluia.
A: Pray to God for us, alleluia.
P: Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
A: For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
P. The angel of
the Lord declared unto Mary;
A: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
(Hail Mary...)
P: Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
A: Be it done unto me according to your word.
(Hail Mary...)
P: And the Word was made flesh;
A: And dwelt among us.
(Hail Mary...)
P: Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
A: That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom
the incarnation of Christ, your Son, was made known by the message of an angel,
may by his passion and cross be brought to the glory of his resurrection,
through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
(From the Novena of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal)
Remember, O most compassionate Virgin Mary
That never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection
Implored your help or sought your intercession was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence we fly unto you,
O Virgin of virgins, our Mother.
To thee we come, before you we stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
Despise not our petitions
But in your mercy hear and answer us.
Amen.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.
O Mary, this was the prayer that you gave to Saint Catherine Labouré
in the Chapel of the Apparitions, more than one hundred and fifty years ago.
This invocation, engraved on the Miraculous Medal,
is now worn and repeated by the faithful throughout the world.
Blessed are you among women!
You are intimately associated with the work of our Redemption,
associated with the Cross of our Savior,
your heart has been pierced, next to his heart.
And now, in the glory of your Son,
you never cease to intercede for us, poor sinners.
You watch over the Church for you are its Mother.
You watch over each of your Children.
From God, you obtain for us,
which radiate from your open hands,
and the only condition that you demand of us
is that we approach
with the confidence, the hardiness, and the simplicity of a child.
And it is thus that you bring us before your Divine Son.
O Mary,
bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause of life:
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers
of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women
who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of life
with honesty and love
to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel
as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilization of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.
[Source: Pope John-Paul II, March 25, 1995]
ALMA REDEMPTORIS MATER
Loving mother of the Redeemer,
gate of heaven, star of the sea,
assist your people who have
fallen
yet strive to rise again.
To the wonderment of nature
you
bore your Creator,
yet remained a virgin after as before.
You who received Gabriel's joyful greeting,
have pity on us poor sinners.
