Living Prayer

My Credo on Prayer:

I believe in the passion of prayer in which I try to live my whole life as a living prayer; for prayer "ought to animate us at every moment" [1] of our life.  I am taking beginning steps towards a prayerful journey in life.

Reflections:

       By the grace of God, I affirm my belief in prayer by what holy Scriptures says in the Letter of James, "the fervent prayer of a...person is very powerful." [2]  I believe in a holy and eternal God who desires to nurture a personal relationship with us through prayer. 

       I believe God calls every soul to seek intimacy with God as we open our soul to allow God's love to flow in.  It is written in the First Letter of John, "We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.  God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him/{her}," (1 Jn 4:16).  Therefore, the fruition of God's love is manifested within our soul and each soul emulates God's love in and throughout his/her life as a living prayer; for it is only through prayer that we are able to be in a loving relationship with God.

       I believe in a Christocentric spirituality of detachment from self, by living life as a living prayer, as in the words of St. Paul to the Galatians, "yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me," (Gal 2:20).  To live a life of self-surrender, is to become detached from emotions and things that keeps us from placing the Kingdom of God first in our life.  St. John of the Cross said, "Anyone deeply in love instinctively wants to give everything to the beloved, and anything that is an obstacle to union with the loved one is gladly surrendered." [3]  I believe in emulating my life after the "kenosis" spirituality of "self-emptying," in order for my life to become a living prayer.

       I believe in the Triune God.  I believe that life is sacred for God's breath sustains all life.  I believe the Holy Spirit is the living breath within all and is our healer and comforter.  I believe the Holy Spirit draws us into prayer for a deeper relationship with God and who inspires us to do the will of God.  I believe through prayer the Holy Spirit will endow a person with "spiritual gifts."  In St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, he identifies the gifts of the Holy Spirit as wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, prophecy, discernment, varieties of tongues, and interpretation of tongues, (1 Cor 12:4, 8-10).  I believe through prayer an individual is called by the Holy Spirit to live a life of prayer and to be a blessing and to offer healing to others.

[1]  Catechism of the Catholic Church (New York; Doubleday, 1995), (#2697), 711.

[2]  The New American Bible, World Catholic Press, 1987.

[3]  Thomas Dubay, Fire Within; St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel-on Prayer (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989), 147.