PART FOUR
CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION ONE
PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
CHAPTER ONE
THE REVELATION OF PRAYER
ARTICLE 1
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
In the Old Testament, the revelation of prayer comes between the fall and the
restoration of man, that is, between God's sorrowful call to His first
children: "Where are you? . . . What is this that you have done?"(Genesis 3:9, 13) and the response of God's only Son on coming into the world: "Lo, I have come
to do your will, O God."(Hebrews 10:5-7)Prayer is bound up with human history, for it is the relationship with God in
historical events.
Creation -
source of prayer
Prayer is lived in the first place beginning with the realities of creation.
The first nine chapters of Genesis describe this relationship with God as an
offering of the first-born of Abel's flock, as the invocation of the divine
name at the time of Enosh, and as "walking with God.(Gen 4:4,26; (Genesis 4:4, 26; Genesis 5:24) Noah's offering is pleasing to God, who blesses him and through him all
creation, because his heart was upright and undivided; Noah, like Enoch before
him, "walks with God."(Genesis 6:9; Genesis 8:20-9:17). This kind of prayer is lived by many righteous people in all religions.
In his indefectible covenant with every living
creature (Genesis 9:8-16), God has always called people to prayer. But it is above all beginning with our
father Abraham that prayer is revealed in the Old Testament.
God's
promise and the prayer of Faith
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2570 When God calls Him, Abraham goes forth "as the Lord had told him"; (Genesis 12:4) Abraham's heart is entirely submissive to the Word and so he obeys. Such
attentiveness of the heart, whose decisions are made according to God's will,
is essential to prayer, while the words used count only in relation to it.
Abraham's prayer is expressed first by deeds: a man of silence, he constructs
an altar to the Lord at each stage of his journey. Only later does Abraham's
first prayer in words appear: a veiled complaint reminding God of his promises
which seem unfulfilled. (Genesis 15:2f) Thus one aspect of the drama of prayer appears from the beginning: the test of
faith in the fidelity of God.
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC2571 Because Abraham believed in God and walked in his presence and in covenant with
him, (Genesis 15:6;17:1) the patriarch is ready to welcome a mysterious Guest into his tent. Abraham's
remarkable hospitality at Mamre foreshadows the annunciation of the true Son of
the promise. (Genesis 18:1-15; Luke 1:26-38) After that, once God had confided his plan, Abraham's heart is attuned to his
Lord's compassion for men and he dares to intercede for them with bold
confidence (Genesis 18:16-33)
Catechism of the Catholic Catholic Church CCC2572 As a final stage in the purification of his faith, Abraham, "who had
received the promises," (Hebrew 11:17) is asked to sacrifice the son God had
given him. Abraham's faith does not weaken ("God himself will provide the
lamb for a burnt offering."), for he "considered that God was able to
raise men even from the dead." (Genesis 22:8 Hebrew 11:19) And so the father of believers is conformed to the likeness of the Father who
will not spare his own Son but will deliver him up for us all(Romans 8:32). Prayer restores man to God's likeness and enables him to share in the power of
God's love that saves the multitude. (Romans 8:16-21)
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2573 God renews his promise to Jacob, the ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel(Genesis 28:10-22) . Before confronting his elder brother Esau, Jacob wrestles all night with a
mysterious figure who refuses to reveal his name, but he blesses him before
leaving him at dawn. From this account, the spiritual tradition of the Church
has retained the symbol of prayer as a battle of faith and as the triumph of
perseverance (Genesis 32:24-30; Luke 18:1-8)
Moses and
the prayer of the mediator
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2574 mOnce the promise begins to be fulfilled (Passover, the Exodus, the gift of the
Law, and the ratification of the covenant), the prayer of Moses becomes the
most striking example of intercessory prayer, which will be fulfilled in
"the one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2575 Here again the initiative is God's. From the midst of the burning bush he calls
Moses (Exodus 3:1-10). This event will remain one of the primordial images of prayer in the spiritual
tradition of Jews and Christians alike. When "the God of Abraham, of
Isaac, and of Jacob" calls Moses to be his servant, it is because he is
the living God who wants men to live. God reveals himself in order to save them,
though he does not do this alone or despite them: he calls Moses to be his
messenger, an associate in his compassion, his work of salvation. There is
something of a divine plea in this mission, and only after long debate does
Moses attune his own will to that of the Savior God. But in the dialogue in
which God confides in him, Moses also learns how to pray: he balks, makes
excuses, above all questions: and it is in response to his question that the
Lord confides his ineffable name, which will be revealed through his mighty
deeds.
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2576 "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his
friend" (Exodus 33:11) . Moses' prayer is characteristic of contemplative prayer by which God's servant
remains faithful to his mission. Moses converses with God often and at length,
climbing the mountain to hear and entreat him and coming down to the people to
repeat the words of his God for their guidance. Moses "is entrusted with
all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly, not in riddles," for
"Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the
earth" (Numbers 12:3,7-8).
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2577 From this intimacy with the faithful God, slow to anger and abounding in
steadfast love, (Exodus 34:6) Moses drew strength and determination for his intercession. He does not pray
for himself but for the people whom God made his own. Moses already intercedes
for them during the battle with the Amalekites and prays to obtain healing for
Miriam (Exodus 17:8-12) ; Numbers 12:13-14). But it is chiefly after their apostasy that Moses "stands in the
breach" before God in order to save the people (Psalm 106:23 Exodus 32:1-34:9). The arguments of his prayer - for intercession is also a mysterious battle -
will inspire the boldness of the great intercessors among the Jewish people and
in the Church: God is love; he is therefore righteous and faithful; he cannot
contradict himself; he must remember his marvelous deeds, since his glory is at
stake, and he cannot forsake this people that bears his name.
David and
the prayer of the king
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2578 The prayer of the People of God flourishes in the shadow of God's dwelling
place, first the ark of the covenant and later the Temple. At first the leaders
of the people - the shepherds and the prophets - teach them to pray. The infant
Samuel must have learned from his mother Hannah how "to stand before the
LORD" and from the priest Eli how to listen to his word: "Speak,
LORD, for your servant is listening" 1 Samuel 3:9-10 cf. 1:9-18). Later, he will also know the cost and
consequence of intercession: "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that
I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct
you in the good and the right way" (1 Samuel 12:23) .
Catechims of the Catholic Church CCC 2579 David is par excellence the king "after God's own heart," the
shepherd who prays for his people and prays in their name. His submission to
the will of God, his praise, and his repentance, will be a model for the prayer
of the people. His prayer, the prayer of God's Anointed, is a faithful
adherence to the divine promise and expresses a loving and joyful trust in God,
the only King and Lord (2 Samuel 7:18-29) In the Psalms David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the first prophet of
Jewish and Christian prayer. The prayer of Christ, the true Messiah and Son of
David, will reveal and fulfill the meaning of this prayer.
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2580 The Temple of Jerusalem, the house of prayer that David wanted to build, will
be the work of his son, Solomon. The prayer at the dedication of the Temple
relies on God's promise and covenant, on the active presence of his name among
his People, recalling his mighty deeds at the Exodus (1 Kings 8:10-61) The king lifts his hands toward heaven and begs the Lord, on his own behalf, on
behalf of the entire people, and of the generations yet to come, for the
forgiveness of their sins and for their daily needs, so that the nations may
know that He is the only God and that the heart of his people may belong wholly
and entirely to him.
Elijah, the
prophets and conversion of heart
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2581 For the People of God, the Temple was to be the place of their education in
prayer: pilgrimages, feasts and sacrifices, the evening offering, the incense,
and the bread of the Presence ("shewbread") - all these signs of the
holiness and glory of God Most High and Most Near were appeals to and ways of
prayer. But ritualism often encouraged an excessively external worship. The
people needed education in faith and conversion of heart; this was the mission
of the prophets, both before and after the Exile.
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2582 Elijah is the "father" of the prophets, "the generation of those
who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob" (Psalm 24:6) .
Elijah's name, "The Lord is my God," foretells the people's cry in
response to his prayer on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:39) . St. James refers to Elijah in order to encourage us to pray: "The prayer
of the righteous is powerful and effective (James 5:16b-18).
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2583 After Elijah had learned mercy during his retreat at the Wadi Cherith, he
teaches the widow of Zarephath to believe in The Word of God and confirms her
faith by his urgent prayer: God brings the widow's child back to life (1Kings 17:7-24)
The sacrifice on Mount Carmel is a decisive test
for the faith of the People of God. In response to Elijah's plea, "Answer
me, O LORD, answer me," the Lord's fire consumes the holocaust, at the
time of the evening oblation. The Eastern liturgies repeat Elijah's plea in the
Eucharistic epiclesis.
Finally, taking the desert road that leads to the
place where the living and true God reveals himself to his people, Elijah, like
Moses before him, hides "in a cleft of the rock" until the mysterious
presence of God has passed by (1 Kings 19:1-14; Exodus 33:19-23) But only on the mountain of the Transfiguration will Moses and Elijah behold
the unveiled face of him whom they sought; "the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God [shines] in the face of Christ," crucified and risen (2 Corinthians 4:6; Luke 9:30-35).
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2584 In their "one to one" encounters with God, the prophets draw light
and strength for their mission. Their prayer is not flight from this unfaithful
world, but rather attentiveness to The Word of God. At times their prayer is an
argument or a complaint, but it is always an intercession that awaits and
prepares for the intervention of the Savior God, the Lord of history ( (Amos 7:2, 5; Isaiah 6:5,8,11; 1:6; 1:15-18; 2:7-18).
The Psalms,
the prayer of the assembly
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2585 From the time of David to the coming of the Messiah texts appearing in these
sacred books show a deepening in prayer for oneself and in prayer for others (Ezra 9:6-15; Nehemiah 1:4-11; Jonah 2:3-10; Tobit 3:11-16 ; Judith 9:2-14). Thus the psalms were gradually collected into the five books of the Psalter (or
"Praises"), the masterwork of prayer in the Old Testament.
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2586 The Psalms both nourished and expressed the prayer of the People of God
gathered during the great feasts at Jerusalem and each Sabbath in the
synagogues. Their prayer is inseparably personal and communal; it concerns both
those who are praying and all men. The Psalms arose from the communities of the
Holy Land and the Diaspora, but embrace all creation. Their prayer recalls the
saving events of the past, yet extends into the future, even to the end of
history; it commemorates the promises God has already kept, and awaits the
Messiah who will fulfill them definitively. Prayed by Christ and fulfilled in
him, the Psalms remain essential to the prayer of the Church (GILH, nn.
100-109)
Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 2587 The Psalter is the book in which The Word of God becomes man's prayer. In other
books of the Old Testament, "the words proclaim [God's] works and bring to
light the mystery they contain."(DV 2) The words of the Psalmist, sung for
God, both express and acclaim the Lord's saving works; the same Spirit inspires
both God's work and man's response. Christ will unite the two. In him, the
psalms continue to teach us how to pray.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2588 The Psalter's many forms of prayer take shape both in the liturgy of the Temple
and in the human heart. Whether hymns or prayers of lamentation or
thanksgiving, whether individual or communal, whether royal chants, songs of
pilgrimage or wisdom meditations, the Psalms are a mirror of God's marvelous
deeds in the history of his people, as well as reflections of the human
experiences of the Psalmist. Though a given psalm may reflect an event of the
past, it still possesses such direct simplicity that it can be prayed in truth
by men of all times and conditions.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2589 Certain constant characteristics appear throughout the Psalms: simplicity and
spontaneity of prayer; the desire for God himself through and with all that is
good in his creation; the distraught situation of the believer who, in his
preferential love for the Lord, is exposed to a host of enemies and
temptations, but who waits upon what the faithful God will do, in the certitude
of his love and in submission to his will. The prayer of the psalms is always
sustained by praise; that is why the title of this collection as handed down to
us is so fitting: "The Praises." Collected for the assembly's
worship, the Psalter both sounds the call to prayer and sings the response to
that call: Hallelu-Yah! ("Alleluia"), "Praise the Lord!"
What is more pleasing than a psalm? David expresses
it well: "Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good: let there be praise of our
God with gladness and grace!" Yes, a psalm is a blessing on the lips of
the people, praise of God, the assembly's homage, a general acclamation, a word
that speaks for all, the voice of the Church, a confession of faith in
song St. Ambrose, In psalmum 1
enarratio, 1,9:PL 14,924; LH, Saturday, wk 10, OR)
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