Prayer through the Day 12/9/2013

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2 Salesian Prayer through the Day Salesian Spirituality: 3 Salesian Spirituality 3 PRAYER Prayer THROUGH through THE the DAY day Guidance of St. Francis de Sales on Prayer 2

3 Prayer through the Day 3 A Salesian Guidance

4 Life is about integration A blend of black and white notes results in melodious music A balanced prayer and activity makes life beautiful 4

5 We are related beings. We are related with God, others and ourselves We relate with God through Prayer. 5

6 Like air to our body So is God to our Soul Like breathing to body So is prayer to Soul. 6

7 Prayer life of Jesus supreme Example in our prayer. 7

8 The fundamental insight that Jesus passed on to us on prayer is That it is experiencing God through the Father-Son/Child intimacy. It is clear in the prayer he taught and in the prayed at Gethsemani. 8

9 SFS on Prayer: He sees prayer as basking in the heavenly father s love. Exposing our will to the warmth of the heavenly love. Father s love is like the stream of water that revives and flourishes the plants of our good desires in our hearts. 9

10 Prayer= Opening our understanding to God s brightness and light, and exposing our will to the warmth of his love. Prayer through the Day It purifies our understanding of its ignorance; our will of its sinful attachments; quenches the thirst of our hearts; washes away our imperfections. It is looking at God and being filled with him that results in resemblance of our attitudes and actions like his. 10

11 Prayer is STAYING CLOSE TO HIM. Constantly listening to him and observing him in his words, deeds, and desires, and to speak to him, to act like him, and will like him. Prayer is union with God like the needle with magnet, like the drop of water with the ocean. Prayer is UNION OF OUR WILL WITH THE WILL OF THE FATHER. 11

12 UNION with God can be experienced through different ways: Vocal prayers Through Mental Prayer Through Ejaculatory Prayers Essential aspect of Prayer is to realize the presence of God. Begin any kind of prayer, vocal or mental, by recalling the presence of God. Keep to this rule with out any exception. 12

13 In the recitation of Vocal prayers: relish the wonderful and delightful meaning of the words of these holy prayers. Recite them paying attention earnestly on the words and allowing their meaning to stir up good movements in your will. Purpose of the Vocal prayers is to raise our hearts to God with good stir ups towards God. In prayer it is not the length that matters but the depth. One single Our Father said with feeling is worth more than many recited quickly and in haste. IDL II:1. 13

14 SFS attaches greater importance to meditation/mental Prayer. He calls it personal prayer. In personal prayer we realize presence of God and our mind seeks enlightenment and illumination and our heart the seat of desires and affections, expresses the affections to God. Meditation is the best mental prayer. 14

15 Francis taught a method of meditation/mental prayer method has four steps: Preparation, Reflection, Resolution and Conclusion. preparation one places in the presence of God. Becoming aware of His Omni presence His presence in our Hearts Imagining that he is looking at us from heaven Imagining him as our Companion Reflection: Meditation proper. Consideration helps us to come to know the Lord. Resolution: Reflection gives rise to good affections in the heart. That would lead to deliberate decision to imitate the Lord. Conclusion: with prayer of offering. Collecting Nosegay. Meditation is carried forward to the day. 15

16 Prayer through the day: To Make our day a Prayerful day and God-filled day Francis De Sales proposes FIVE DEVOTIONAL Exercises: Morning Prayer Evening Prayer Examination of Conscience Awareness of God s Presence/ Spl Recollection Longing for God, repeating Ejaculatory prayers and good thoughts By means of these exercises what ever you do al through the day will be watered by God s blessing. 16

17 Morning Prayer: By morning Prayer we open the WINDOWS of our SPIRIT to the SUN OF JUSTICE Morning Prayer: By morning prayer we open the windows of our spirit to the Sun of Justice. It is a general preparation for the day. On rising give thanks, ask pardon if any sin committed in the night, receive the day as a gift from God and decide to use it well. Look ahead the tasks, occasions, of the day, consider potential temptations, tell God you cannot do anything without him, do them briefly before leaving the room; Do it regularly. 17

18 EVENING PRAYER By the means of Evening Prayer we close the windows of our spirit to the darkness of hell It is a light spiritual supper. Set aside some time before supper. Place yourself before Jesus Christ Crucified. Rekindle in your heart the fire of your morning exercise. Arouse yourself to Devotion. 18

19 EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE To be made before going to bed Give thanks, Examine how you conducted the day For the good done, give thanks For the wrongs, ask pardon, decide to correct, and to go confession Present yourself to God s hands. 19

20 Cultivate Awareness of God s Presence through the day It is recalling to our mind the presence of God as often as we can, even as we are busy with our daily works. God is our hiding place. With him we have spiritual communion. Heart to heart communion It refreshes and refills us with spiritual energy. This divine solitude is possible amidst our daily works. We withdraw ourselves to visit him 20

21 Cultivate Awareness of God s Presence through the day David, Catherine of Siena, and many other saints practiced it. We can create some spiritual hide outs: Visit Mount Calvary and imagine Jesus like the Pelican bird Visit the Manger in the Stable Jesus is like an owl Visit Ascension scene: Jesus flying high like sparrow. Like a pilgrim who stops to refresh 21

22 LONGING FOR GOD, EJACULATORY PRAYERS AND GOOD THOUGHTS LONGING FOR GOD: As a deer yearns for running streams, as lover for the beloved, a devout soul is athirst for God. It is arousing in the heart an ardent and tender affection for God. 22

23 Ejaculatory Prayers: expressions of love Devoting ourselves to such frequent, personal and affectionate communion with God, we will be filled with the perfume of his perfection. They are found in the Psalms, litanies of Jesus, Hymns etc we must take up the lines that the love prompts. Do not be fixed. SFS They make up lack of other prayers. 23

24 Good Thoughts People in love always think of their beloved; speak to them because their heart is full of affection for her. They engrave the name on the trees, on rocks, on any object. Similarly, people in love with God, almost always turn their thoughts to God. Every thing in the nature, inspires them/speaks to them about God. This exercise turns our lives into contemplative lives and helps us to be in union with God all through the day. 24

25 SFS spoke also a lot about the CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER Deeper levels of Prayer: Active Recollection: Achieved through human effort. Loving Recollection: Pure gift of God. It is given. Prayer of the Quiet: will is captive to God. absorption of Will. Or fully absorbed into God. Stays with God. Prayer of simple union: Fully drawn. Like iron filings to the magnet. St. Paul: I want to be with the Lord. And I long for it strongly. Phil 1: Person experiences temptations: of pride. Ex. Paul s thorn in the flesh. 25

26 COMMUNITY PRAYER Exhortations on Public exercise of Prayer 1. Mass: Liturgy of the Eucharist is the Sun of the Spiritual Exercise. The Centre of the Christian religion. The heart of Devotion. it is the supreme act of worship of God through Jesus Christ. Therefore Participate in the Mass and receive the Eucharist as often as possible. 26

27 In case it is not possible to participate: at least take your heart to the church. Make a spiritual presence. Participate spiritually. Go to Church in spirit. From your place unite your intension with that of the Christians. Make same interior acts as you are there. 27

28 Cultivate the company of the SAINTS, FAITHFUL DEPATED, ANGELS we learn to pray and sing the praises of God. Young nightingales keep the company of the old ones. Friendship with the Angels especially with the Guardian Angels. 28

29 Love the Word of God. Listen always with attention and respect. Receive in your heart like a precious balm. Read the spiritual books, biographies of the saints. They mirror the Christian life. Receive Holy Communion it helps growth in Devotion. Approach confession often to clean your evil attachments. 29

30 Exhortations On Prayer: Prayer through the Day Participate in the liturgy of Hours on the feast days. It affords delights of Devotion. God has ordained that community prayers to be more powerful than the individual prayers. So participate in community prayer. Join the pious associations. 30

31 Nose Gay Prayer is Father Child Intimacy like that of Jesus. Intimacy with God is Possible all through the day. Pray through the day is Possible. Spiritual Longings, Ejaculatory prayers, Good thoughts Living in the Divine Presence is the way. With draw often to visit Jesus in the Spiritual hide outs. 31

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