At-Home Lesson#4

The Way of Prayer

Topic 4: Vital Stats [1]

Behind YOUCAT

Your doctor may know a lot about you: your height, weight, birth date, immunization records, blood type, etc. The school office probably has filed away all your pertinent  information, as well. For all of that, no one at the doctor’s office or the school office knows you anywhere near as well as your best friend, even if your best friend doesn’t happen to know all of your vital stats.

With God, it’s no different. Some people take the time to learn a lot about him. They may read the Bible or YOUCAT or other religious works describing God. That’s an important beginning, but it’s not what satisfies. Interior meditation, savoring God’s presence, listening to his heartbeat of love for you, that’s what satisfies. Really getting to know God and getting to be his good friend is way more important than knowing some, or even a lot, of God’s vital stats.

Read YOUCAT

Read the content under YOUCAT# 500~503, 505, and 507~510 (numbers in yellow circle) from YOUCAT p.274~p.280. [2]

What Does YOUCAT Say?

1. What are the three ways of prayer, and what is presupposed by each of them (YOUCAT#500~503)?

2. Is prayer always easy or does it take effort (YOUCAT#505, 507~509, and St. Teresa of Calcutta on p.273 margin )?

3. How does prayer connect us with reality (YOUCAT#509)?

4. What is the most well-known formula of the ancient “Jesus prayer”, which can help us pray always and remember we are in his holy presence today (YOUCAT#510)?

Answer the above questions [Click Here]

YOU Reflect

Have you ever really asked yourself, “Where does my life come from? How did I get here?”

Although it’s obvious we didn’t make ourselves, often we act as if we did. We act like we own our lives. In reality, life “does not come from ourselves but from somewhere else” (Br. Roger Schutz on p. 275 margin). The many paths of prayer all have something in common. They are the ways we receive life from the Giver of all life: God.

1. How does prayer involve recognizing that we receive life as a gift, not as an accomplishment?

2. Are you ever afraid to think about God or matters of faith? Why or why not?

Answer the above questions [Click Here]

What Does the Bible Say?

1. Read James 4:2-3.  What two things does James 4:2-3 teach us?

2. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18.  Explain what St. Paul teaches us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 about how often and in what circumstances we should pray.

        Answer the above questions [Click Here]

YOU Chat

1. Why is it we can’t, or shouldn’t, read the Bible like we read a newspaper or magazine? How should we “read” the Bible?

2. What can we do if we feel like prayer doesn’t help?

3. What does a Christian accomplish through meditation? Would it be better if we were out there loving people rather than meditating?

Answer the above questions [Click Here]

YOU Challenge

Study:

Investigate the three ways of prayer described in YOUCAT. How are they alike, and how do they differ?

Answer the above questions [Click Here]

Meditate:

Try to meditate for ten minutes each day for a week, following the brief directions of YOUCAT#502.

Read:

Check out one of the many good books on prayer. You might start with Thomas Dubay’s Prayer Primer or Peter Kreeft’s Prayer for Beginners.

References / Citations

[1] Brumley, Mark, Kersting, Jack, and George, Paul . YOUCAT Study Guide. San Francisco, Calif: Ignatius Press, 2013, pp. 73-74.

[2] Miller, Michael J, and Benedict. Youcat English: Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church. San Francisco, Calif: Ignatius Press, 2011.

[3] BibleGateway (online bible). https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Good-News-Translation-GNT-Bible/