Ritual Prayer
"After
this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy
name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us
this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." - Matthew
6:9-13
"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." - Matthew 18:19-20
"And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words." - Matthew 26:44
"Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you
worthy of [this] calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of [his] goodness,
and the work of faith with power...." - 2 Thessalonians 1:11
"Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have [free] course, and be glorified, even as [it is] with you...." - 2 Thessalonians 3:1
"And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.'" - Revelations 4:8
What the Catechism of the Catholic Church says on "Ritual Prayer:"
2726. "In the battle of prayer, we must face
in ourselves and around us erroneous notions of prayer. Some people view prayer
as a simple psychological activity, others as an effort of concentration to
reach a mental void. Still others reduce prayer to ritual words and postures.
Many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that is
incompatible with all the other things they have to do: they 'don't have the
time.' Those who seek God by prayer are quickly discouraged because they do not
know that prayer comes also from the Holy Spirit and not from themselves
alone."
2776. "The Lord's Prayer is the quintessential prayer of the Church. It is
an integral part of the major hours of the Divine Office and of the sacraments
of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Integrated into
the Eucharist it reveals the eschatological character of its petitions, hoping
for the Lord, 'until he comes' (1 Cor 11:26 )."
COMMENTS
Where there are two or more people praying for the same thing, "it shall be done to them by my Father who is in heaven." Doesn't this explain the concept of ritual prayer in the Catholic Church? Yes, there is a danger of "just saying the words" without meaning them. But this is a problem with the individual Christian, not a problem with the concept of ritual prayer. If God didn't want us to pray the same prayer more than once, why did He give us the Lord's Prayer (the "Our Father")? Christ Himself repeated the exact same words in prayer (Matthew 26:44). The angels in heaven also repeat the same prayers in praise of God the Father (Revelations 4:8 ).
--- Chris
CHURCH
BELIEFS & ISSUES
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
WHAT THE
EARLY CHURCH BELIEVED
|
|
|
|
||
Biblical quotations on this web site are
either from the King James Version or the Douay-Rheims Version of the Bible.
©1997-2012 Chris Tesch. This Web site
first loaded on July 10, 1997.
Domain name - www.catholic-defense.com
secured April 5, 1999.
Written
permission is needed to copy any portion of this web site. All rights
reserved.