Catechist Handout. Week 6 Prayer CATECHIST NOTES OBJECTIVES OVERVIEW

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1 Catechist Handout Week 6 Prayer OBJECTIVES OVERVIEW To understand that there are different types of prayer To realize that prayer is essential to growing closer to God To gain practical ideas on how to improve one s prayer life 1. 4:00-5:00pm - Mass 2. 5:00-5:15pm - Hospitality in the Narthex 3. 5:15-5:30pm - Large Group/attendance in Church 4. 5:30-7:00pm - Small Group Lesson Plan LESSON COMPONENTS A. Community Building (10-15 min) B. Shared experiences by adults and teens (15-20 minutes) C. Scripture & Prayer D. Catholic Teaching/Insight E. Putting Faith Into Action Announcements 1 P a g e

2 Background for Catechists and Peers Types of Prayer Prayers of Blessing, Adoration and praising God Expressing praise and honor to God for giving us life, for the wonder and beauty of our world, and for all the many blessings we enjoy. We open ourselves up to praise God for all the wonders of creation Prayer of Petition asking for what we need, including forgiveness Probably the most familiar prayer form of prayer. We ask God for the things we need, but asking and praying for them are not necessarily the same. When we pray our petitions, we are asking God, who loves us very much, for something that we believe is good for ourselves or for others. When praying petitions, we are mindful of the needs of others as well as of our own needs. We are aware that God wants us to bring our problems and worries to prayer knowing that he will always hear and answer those prayers. God may answer our prayers in a different way and in a different timeframe than we are seeking but God will always give us what we need. Prayers of petition serve to remind us that God expects us to care for one another and for all his creation. We can pray about the ordinary experiences of life for people who are sick, for someone who needs a job, for help in our school work, for a safe trip. We pray for peace in our families and in our world. We can also express our sorrow and contrition to God in our prayer. Prayer of Intercession asking for what others need This form of prayer is prayer on behalf of others. This form of prayer can be a source of blessing upon others, the Church, and our world. Because we know that Our Lady and the saints intercede for us before God, the Church encourages us to pray to them for their intercession. Such prayer can bring us great strength and courage and also great peace of mind and heart. Prayer of Thanksgiving giving thanks for God s blessings and what he has done for us This form of prayer helps us to be grateful for God's many blessings, spiritual and temporal, and helps us to recognize and appreciate all the good things God gives to us. Reserving some time to praise and thank God for his gifts the gift of life; the gift of our families and friends; the gift of food, clothing, and shelter; and the numerous other gifts we often take for granted helps us to form a true spirit of gratitude. Sacred Space Daily Prayer Smart phone apps for prayer: imissal and Laudate 2 P a g e

3 Community Builders 1. Covenant prayer: Your class already has a prayer that they share as a community- your covenant prayer. Take the time to review your covenant prayer and pray it as a class. 2. One of the most familiar ways to pray is Intercessory prayer. Invite your teens to write an intercession on a note card. This can be something about them, or someone that needs prayer, or something that is going on in the world around them. Then have the teens read their card around the circle. After they read the card, have them pass it to the person to their right. The second person then reads their card and passes it. This continues until each person in the circle has read their card and given it to the person next to them. Each teen should take home a card that is not theirs to pray for over the next week. If you need notecards, ask Teen Faith to help provide them before Friday! Catholic Teaching/Insight Prayers we see more often. Teens may think of certain words when they think of prayer- the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. These are in the THO. Have teens read/pray these prayers. Ask them what they really mean to them. Read them slowly. Really let the words sink in. So many times, we just rush through these prayers without thinking about the meaning. Help the teens to really dig in to these prayers. Mass: the Mass is also a time when we can be on auto-pilot but is a great time to pray. How do you pray during Mass? How can we make this experience more intentional and pray during this time? Where do you see prayer in the Mass? Shared experiences by adults and teens A way you can pray as a class is through movement. During Mass we do several types of movement very purposefully, but it is different to think of prayer without speaking. St. Dominic developed a series of poses (like yoga!) to convey different moods and emotions without speaking. The first time you go through the poses, ask the teens what each pose could signify before giving them the background information on the next pages. Share about your experiences with these prayers. Maybe you pray them at home as a family? Maybe you have a fun story? Share those! Share your favorite part of Mass. This will helps teens to connect to the Mass and look out for that part the next week! 3 P a g e

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6 Mandalas: Another prayer activity 6 P a g e

7 Mandalas are a traditional art form from Asia. Art in many forms can be prayer! See the previous page on how to use your mandala and make it into a prayerful activity. Scripture & Prayer Read Scripture about prayer. These verses talk about prayer, why we need to pray, and how we can pray. Have teens use their Bibles (using prayer in prayer!) and dive into the Word. 2 Chronicles7:14 Matthew 6:5-6 John 16:23 1 Peter 5:6-7 Proverbs 16:3 James 5:13 This is also a great way to get teens to open up. While their hands are busy, they re more likely to share what s on their minds! Pick which verse you like best! This way, you ll be able to be passionate about the verse you re sharing. This is a great way to get peers involved and to get teens to speak! Putting Faith Into Action As a class, try to brainstorm ways to consistently pray. What are some strategies you can use to pray every day? Where in your day could you insert prayer? Where are you already praying? 7 P a g e

8 LESSON PREPARATION NOTES: Is there something I want to pick up or go over from last week s class? My community building activity this week will be What parts of the lesson will the Peer Ministers lead/facilitate? Do I need anything from the Faith Office prior to class? Other Things I will need for class this week: The Key Ideas/Objectives for this week are Things I need to consult Mel about 8 P a g e