Creating Meaningful Prayer Experiences - Diocese of … · He says in his Apostolic Exhortation that: “Evangelizing is in fact 對the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her
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CREATING MEANINGFUL PRAYER EXPERIENCES Kitty MacLean Office for Parish Life Catechist Camp, 2016
Kitty MacLean Office for Parish Life Catechist Camp, 2016
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Presentation Notes
(1 minute) Welcome! Glad to have you here! Hopefully you find our time together today to be fruitful, and will give you some information to reflect on, but also expose you to some helpful resources to use in your classrooms and ministry settings. CLICK—change slide
LET US PRAY… Gracious and all-loving Father, out of love for all people you spoke your
Word who became flesh for our salvation.
May your Word transform me so that the message of your Son, our Lord, may be echoed through my teaching.
Allow me to guide the hearts of those whom I teach in such a way that they will enter more deeply into your way of truth and salvation.
Grant me the insight needed to lead them to know, love, and serve you. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may they become hearers and
followers of your Word, so that they might help transform the world to follow the way of life to which your Son has called us all, for he lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
(1 minute) We are in this room to discuss meaningful prayer experiences, and in consideration of the fact that all good things are of God, let us begin by join together in praying “Gracious and all-loving Father…” AMEN. CLICK—change slide
WHO’S IN THE ROOM? (AKA: WHO IS OUR SHARED WISDOM TODAY?)
Who are you?
Who am I?
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(7 minutes) I know that some of you may already know each other, but for the good of the order and for me, I think it is helpful to know who we’ll be sharing wisdom with today. Who are you? (CLICK) Have attendees Introduce (Name, Parish, Ministry) Who Am I? A few things to know about me…: (CLICK) My name is Kitty MacLean and I serve in the Office for Parish Life as the Coordinator for Lay Ministry Formation. In this capacity, I oversee the Diocesan Certificate in Lay Ministry process; I work with parishes who participate in the ARISE Together in Christ through RENEW, and overall I collaborate with other members of our OPL team to create opportunities for lay ministers throughout the Diocese to enrich their faith Before my work with the Diocese, I spent two years coordinating a catechist and Religion School teacher formation program for undergraduate students at the University of Dayton, preparing them to become effective catechists in their local parish communities. I’m so excited to be able to work with folks like yourselves who are promoting that joy of the gospel in your parish programs.
WHY ARE WE HERE???
“Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace…” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14)
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(5 minutes) First of all, I want you to remember that you are Faith Formation Rock-stars! In the Faith Formation programs in your parishes, in your Youth Groups, [in Catholic Schools], and in your own families, you have made the commitment to pass on the Catholic faith with knowledge and enthusiasm. You are witnessing to your faith… and that is AWESOME! Prayer is a way for us to become fully animated with the joy of the gospel, living out our Christian discipleship. We are members of the Church and by our very nature, we exist to share the gospel with others! CLICK—display quote Pope Paul VI said that the Church exists to evangelize (Evangelii Nuntiandi, para 14; 1968)! He says in his Apostolic Exhortation that: “Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say, in order to preach and teach, to be the channel of the gift of grace…” CLICK FOR NEXT SLIDE
OBJECTIVES: Why do we pray?
Meaning for the Church Meaning for us
How do we pray? Current practices?
How do we impart prayer to our students? New Practices/ Methods of Prayer
Planning Prayer and Prayer Space Questions etc… Resources
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Presentation Notes
(5 minutes) Today we’re going to talk a little bit about— Why should we/do we pray? What is the meaning of prayer for the Church in looking to our trusted sources? *** When I say “trusted sources,” I mean Church Teachings, Scripture, Church documents and similar. And what does prayer mean for us in our identity as Catechists? We’re also going to talk about How do WE pray? What are we currently doing in our prayer life? Do we see our prayer carrying over into the classroom How do we impart prayer... What are some New Practices that can we cultivate a prayer practices that spiritually feed us, give us a taste of how to mix things up for ourselves?… And, Are these new prayer practices something that we can implement into our teaching, that will expose our students to a diversity of prayers, and by doing so: lay the foundation for a robust prayer life, And in the process, complement the teaching of the ‘basics,’ overall… We’ll discuss planning prayer services, and creating prayer space that enhances the lessons and activities you do with your students. We’ll address questions or ideas that come up throughout the session And I’ll try to provide some helpful resources along the way… Two questions for the group: Why is it that you think we pray? Why is it important for us to pray? Looking for: -B/C it means a deeper Communion with Christ -Time to breathe, apart from the demands of daily life CLICK—change slide
“Faith is born of an encounter with the living God…” ~Lumen Fidei, para #4
“…we should appear as joyful messengers… which shine forth in a life of fidelity to the Gospel.”
~Evangelii Gaudium, para. #168
C.S. Lewis: “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time- waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God- it changes me.”
Why Do We Pray?
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(10 minutes) Deep down in our hearts, we find joy in our communion with Christ: (CLICK) Pope Francis says “faith is born of an encounter with the living God”…and therefore, he goes on to say that (CLICK) “we should appear….” - We pray out of recognition that there is a need within us to be filled—there is an innate need to pray, (CLICK) as we see from C.S. Lewis-- fortunately our tradition emphasizes the significance of prayer for us; prayer refreshes us for our ministry and acts like a spiritual pep talk!
WHY DO WE PRAY? (WHERE IN TRADITION?)
1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 “ Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of
God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit.”
Ephesians 6:18 “With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
#2564- “ Christian prayer is a covenant relationship between God and [hu]man in Christ…springing forth from both the Holy Spirit and ourselves, wholly directed to the Father, in union with the human will of the Son of God made man.”
#2565- “In [this] New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with his Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit…its dimensions are those of Christ’s love.”
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Presentation Notes
In Scripture, just look at some of the Pauline Epistles if you want a prayer warrior and a hearty pep talk, (CLICK)—in writing to some of the early Christians communities, Paul is constantly calling for the members to pray without ceasing, nurturing their faith because prayer is an opportunity to have open communication with the Lord about anything; Paul reminds his audience that praying for others is just as important in growing the Body of Christ. We also read in The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CLICK) that “prayer is a covenant relationship…” In prayer, we witness to the new covenant God gave us by sending his Son to us and we enter in full communion with the Holy Trinity. CLICK—change slide
National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers; USCCB Commission on Certification and Accreditation, 2011:
“…give witness to an integrated spirituality formed by Scripture, theological reflection, sacramental celebration, communal worship, and active participation in parish life. (Competency 2.1)
“…live a life of private and communal prayer that is both formed by and reflective of the breadth and depth of the Catholic spiritual tradition.” (Competency 2.2)
National Directory for Catechesis : #15- “Christ calls all the faithful to proclaim the Good News everywhere in
the world… living, and celebrating the faith in Liturgy and prayer.”
Task #4: “Catech[ists] teach[es] the Christian how to pray with Christ…prayer should be the ordinary environment for all catechesis so that the knowledge and practice of the Christian life may be understood and celebrated in its proper context.”
WHY DO WE PRAY? (AS CATECHISTS)
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CLICK—HEADING As Christians, through our baptism (CLICK) we are called to authentically celebrate our faith, proclaiming the good news wherever we go. In growing as Catechists, we are called to “Give witness…..,” to have a rich personal and communal prayer life, as it says in documents like the National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers. And as it says in the National Directory for Catechesis, (CLICK) that one of our responsibilities as a Catechist is teaching others how to pray. CLICK FOR NEXT SLIDE
HOW DO YOU PRAY? What is a current prayer practice?
How does this practice enrich your faith?
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Presentation Notes
(10 minutes) (CLICK HEADING) Take a few moments to talk to the person next to you and then we’ll come back to chat about this in the larger group, discussing the following questions: (CLICK) What is a current prayer practice that you do? (CLICK) How do you feel that it enriches your faith? (After the time for large group sharing: Is there anything that you feel needs to be ‘mixed up’ in your prayer life?)
1.) lectio (reading) Focus on a Word or Phrase
2.) meditatio (reflecting) What does this word or phrase stir in you? Do
you see yourself in the scene?
3.) oratio (praying) Talk to God about what is happening in this
experience
4.) contemplatio (contemplating) Rest in the Lord—Just BE
Stages of lectio divina
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Presentation Notes
(20minutes; 5 minute intro, 5 minutes of Prayer, 10 minute discussion) Now we’re going to try what may be a new form of prayer for some of you—(CLICK) has anyone ever prayed through lectio divina? (if so, have them give a brief explanation…) Before we pray, I want to draw your attention to this sheet (hold it us) in your packet. (CLICK--review the stages of ‘lectio’) Let us take a minute to quiet ourselves, and as the scripture is proclaimed, try to focus on a word or phrase that has special meaning for you and what God may be speaking to you through this scripture passage.
“When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, ‘Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.’”
The Coming of the Spirit (ACTS 2: 2 1-11)
IN THIS PASSAGE… •What word or phrase
stands out to you?
•How do you see this scripture relating to your
life and ministry?
•What do you think God is trying to communicate to you through this word or
phrase?
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Presentation Notes
Unpack this scripture a little bit: What word or phrase stands out to you? How do you see this scripture relating to your life or ministry at the present time? What do you think God is trying to communicate to you through this word or phrase? Do you find this kind of prayer valuable? Do you see adapting this for your students?
Contemplation:
Fr. Thomas Keating, O.C.S.O. Guidelines for Centering Prayer
“World Community for Christian Meditation” http://wccm.org/ Can be done with any age
Adults (Centering Prayer): Improves cardiovascular health, and immune functions Offers a means of stress reduction and coping strategies
In Children and Teens: Develops deeper concentration (attention), and cognitive skills Assists with problem-solving and decision making
Ritual Acts “Rote Prayers”
The Rosary: Brother Francis series: brotherfrancisonline.com/ “Come, Pray the Rosary”: www.comepraytherosary.org/
teaches the foundations of devotional practice gives a sense of larger worshiping community
Specialized Prayer Services for Young Adults
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Presentation Notes
(10 minutes) In addition to lectio divina, there are a few other prayer practices that can be adapted for a variety of age groups: Contemplation/Centering Prayer When you think about meditation, you can sometimes think of the Buddhist monks (“Ommmmmmmmm”), but actually, the concept of meditation has also been a significant part of prayer in the Catholic Christian tradition; Fr. Thomas Keating, a trappist monk, is one of the pre-eminent experts on Centering Prayer. He has written books, and has guidelines for the practice of Centering Prayer, which I have included in your packet. In addition to Fr. Keating’s work with Centering Prayer and Contemplation, there has been a movement growing and coming out of England and Canada since the mid-70s called the World Community for Christian Meditation, which has done research regarding the use of contemplation with Children. In their findings: “Regular meditation practice offers benefits to the meditator in terms of stress reduction, improved cardiovascular health and immune function, and improved coping strategies in the face of disease. It also gives rise to cognitive and psychological changes, addressing depression and anxiety, boosting cognitive skills, such as attention, decision-making and problem-solving, and playing an important role in driving the personal development of the meditator.” (Meditatio Magazine, 2016; newsletter of the WCCM) Ritual Acts ‘hand washing’ with students for Holy Thursday keep the cloth as a reminder of the significance - “Rote” Prayers or Devotionals (Ex.: The Rosary— Brother Francis video series (8y/o and under—laying the foundation) “Come Pray the Rosary”; for YA/YM do something akin to the Danielle Rose Rosary Prayer Service…)
(15 minutes; 5 minute discussion—10 minutes group sharing) In groups of 3 or 4, share how you might try adapting one of these prayers into your classroom…then we’ll come back to discuss what you come up with. How might you integrate this one form of prayer for a 3rd grade classroom? How about a Youth Group?
PLA
NN
ING
PR
AYE
R: Where to Start???
What are your ‘go-to’ sources? Lectionary/Bible USCCB website ( www.usccb.org )
Liturgical Calendar Ex. Lent/Advent/Ordinary Time
‘Current Events’ Did something happen in community? In the world?
How might your students need prayer ? Other Considerations:
Stages of Sacramental preparation Ex. First Eucharist; Confirmation
Religious Education—Textbooks What are the suggestions provided?
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Presentation Notes
(5 minutes) CLICK for TITLE CLICK : “Where to Start? What are go-tos?” When I am planning prayer, I go right to the scripture readings for the week. (CLICK) You can reference this from the lectionary directly, or you can look it up using the USCCB website. (CLICK) you should also be thinking about where you are in the Liturgical Year, OR (CLICK) Is something happening in the community, or the world around us that needs to be prayed for—for instance, in situations like the shootings in Dallas, in Orlando, or if there is something local that is impacting the community. How will you address that in praying with your kids? Sometimes the USCCB has prayer services already in place for these circumstances The Roman Missal can be used, also—see the section for “Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions” Other considerations for planning prayer might be (CLICK) “are your students receiving sacraments”? How does prayer coincide with their understanding of this sacrament? (CLICK) And, if there any suggestions for prayer that are listed in your Religious Ed textbooks that you can draw from…?
FOCAL POINT of your Classroom/Meeting Room (Table, Podium; or similar)
Colors- Align with Liturgical Seasons, if applicable
“Room Enough for the Holy Spirit” Other Considerations
(negotiable) ~Visual Interest (layering/height) ~Personal touches (how students contribute to the table)
Ex: Blessings Jar; personal ‘artifact’
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Presentation Notes
(5 minutes) Regarding prayer space… Having a prominent prayer area in your classroom emphasizes the fact that God is present in all that you do in the classroom. (CLICK) Your prayer space should be a FOCAL point in the room—it could be a table, some kind of podium or cart (if you’re desperate…) (CLICK) It should be in sync with the appropriate Liturgical Colors for the season And, it should “allow enough room for the Holy Spirit…”— don’t crowd your table with so much stuff that it will be distracting… - a prayer space should ideally have: -Crucifix -Bible - candles—if not age appropriate, use electric candles—lay the ground rules for handling real candles -You can use icons, or symbols such an advent wreath… (CLICK) Some negotiable factors of creating a prayer table are if you want to have layers—I usually choose to vary the height of my prayer table displays, when possible Also—creating an opportunity for your students to contribute to the prayer space Sometimes you can do a blessings jar where they can submit prayer intentions or blessings from the week Or, you can have them bring in a personal artifact that you can place on the table, or around the table… You know your students best, so there is room to make your prayer space fit your needs and the personality of the group. (CLICK)
ON-HAND RESOURCES: National Directory for Catechesis (USCCB, 2005)
Catechism of the Catholic Church: Second Edition (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997)
The Holy Bible
The Developing Christian:Spiritual Growth Through the Life Cycle (Peter Feldmeier; Paulist Press, 2007)
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Presentation Notes
(5 minutes) The Catechism is a go-to for all things doctrine! Make sure you have one somewhere in the parish or in your home that you can reference it—it can also be found online—it is only a ‘Google-search’ away. If you do not have a National Directory for Catechesis, this is a GREAT book to have as a resource, for lesson planning, for reading into catechetical guidelines, for some theological foundations. It is also really helpful for adapting lesson plans to different age groups; you can find it on Amazon for 15$ (or around 10$ if you get it for your kindle). And always make sure you have a reliable bible. Most times, when planning prayer or praying with Scripture I use a “New American Bible” but you can look on the USCCB website for approved versions. The last few years, I have found it very helpful to have a copy of Peter Feldmeier’s “The Developing Christian” book—this book breaks down the work of some of the most prominent developmental theorists (Erikson, Kohlberg, Piaget etc.,) while also bringing the writings of Doctors of the Church and Saints into the conversation in order to see what the stages of faith are for persons from early Childhood, all the way through into Elderhood. I have found this to be very readable and it is a great way to delve into the characteristics of your students, in terms of what they need spiritually for engage them in prayer, and in your lessons…
QUESTIONS???
KITTY MACLEAN COORDINATOR FOR
LAY MINISTRY FORMATION
Diocese of Scranton 330 Wyoming Avenue Scranton, PA 18503
Loving God, Creator of all things, you call us to be in relationship with you and others.
Thank you for calling me to be a catechist, for the opportunity to share with others
what you have given to me.
May all those with whom I share the gift of faith discover how you are present in all things.
May they come to know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
May the grace of the Holy Spirit guide my heart and lips, so that I may remain constant in loving and praising
you.
May I be a witness to the Gospel and a minister of your truth.
May all my words and actions reflect your love. Amen.
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Presentation Notes
(1 minute) You all have been wonderful and I’m so glad I got to be here with you—as we close out our time together, let us pray one last prayer together: “Loving God, Creator of all things…”
