Video Transcript
Edmund: There’s a story in Scripture that really sticks out to me when I think of prayer. In the Gospel of Mark it says that one morning, Jesus woke up “very early in the morning, while it was still dark, and went to a desolate place to pray.” (Mark 1:35)
Once you flip back a few pages you realize that the day before this, Jesus was involved in a long day of ministry in Capernaum (Mark 1:32-34). I think this is so important for us to reflect on. Despite the demands and busyness of His ministry, and despite being God, and despite everyone needing him (the disciples show up saying “Everyone is looking for you”) Jesus STILL made time to pray and be in relationship with God the Father.
Emily: This passage is suggesting that waking up early to pray was part of Jesus’ routine. He didn’t just pray when it was convienent.
Edmund: That reminds me of what the Church teaches us in the Catechism about prayer. In paragraph 2697 it says “But we cannot pray “at all times” if we do not pray at specific times, consciously willing it. These are the special times of Christian prayer, both in intensity and duration.”
Emily: We’re invited into a relationship with Jesus. And this relationship is prayer. But the life of prayer is the life of our daily relationship with Jesus. This relationship is infused into every aspect of our lives.
Edmund: We also are invited to have a rhythm of prayer in the daily and weekly routines of our life. Just like in relationships with our spouse, family, or friends. We have a certain rhythm to it. And having these specific times and routines of prayer help us to grow in our relationship with Jesus and walk with Him daily and intimately.
Emily: Prayer is the life of the new heart walking daily with Jesus. “The Tradition of the Church proposes to us certain rhythms of praying intended to nourish our relationship with Jesus. Some are daily, such as morning and evening prayer, grace before and after meals, or the Liturgy of the Hours. Sundays—centered on the Eucharist—are kept holy primarily by prayer. The cycle of the liturgical year and its great feasts are also basic rhythms of the Christian’s life of prayer” (CCC 2698).
Edmund: We are invited to a rhythm of life that includes intentional times of prayer in our daily lives. It’s also interesting that Jesus sought out a desolate place, away from distractions, to be alone with God. We can imitate Jesus and carve out a sacred place and an undisturbed time for prayer.
Emily: So what should we do during these times of prayer?
Edmund: The Catechism explains in paragraph 2699 “The Lord leads all persons by paths and in ways pleasing to him, and each believer responds according to his heart’s resolve and the personal expressions of his prayer. However, Christian Tradition has retained three major expressions of prayer: vocal, meditative, and contemplative. They have one basic trait in common: composure of heart. This vigilance in keeping the Word and dwelling in the presence of God makes these three expressions intense times in the life of prayer.”
Emily: So the Catechism proposes three “expressions of prayer.” But I remember there being five forms of prayer in an earlier part of the Catechism. How is this different from petition, intercession, thanksgiving, blessing, and praise?
Edmund: Well, think of these forms of prayer as the content of prayer. They are what we can and should talk to God about. These three expressions of prayer are more like ways we participate in that conversation with God.
Emily: Okay. So the first is vocal prayer – speaking out loud or in our hearts to God, or praying out loud with others.
Edmund: The second expression of prayer is meditation. This is a way of engaging our thoughts, imagination, emotion, and desire through prayerful reflection. This can look like meditating on Scripture or God Himself. It’s really focusing our attention on Jesus and the things of God, and allowing God to speak to us through these things, as we think about them more deeply.
Emily: And the final expression of prayer sounds a little trickier to describe. “Contemplative prayer,” the Catechism says, is “a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, an attentiveness to the Word of God, a silent love. It achieves real union with the prayer of Christ to the extent that it makes us share in his mystery” (CCC 2724).
Edmund: Contemplative prayer is something we should all strive for, but it’s a gift from God. It’s not something we can just “do”. It’s more like something that happens as we sit in conversation with God and turn our hearts to Him. Think of it like that moment when two people that really love and care about each other finally see each other’s face after a long time. And they just…smile and stare and bask in each other’s presence.
Emily: It’s like a combination of emotions, thoughts, meditation, all in one.
Edmund: These expressions of prayer really are an insight into what a life of prayer—the life of a disciple walking with Jesus—can look like. Jesus is calling us to have a life-giving, fruitful, and transformative relationship with Him. And we should imitate Him and make that a priority in our lives, setting aside time intentionally each day to nourish this life of prayer. And in this way, we can discover the wonderful adventure God is calling us to through prayer. And you, too, will find that prayer is the life of the new heart walking daily with Jesus.
