Catechism of the Catholic Church
on Prayer

PART FOUR ― CHRISTIAN PRAYER

SECTION ONE:
PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

"Great is the mystery of the faith!"  The church professes this mystery in the Apostles' Creed (Part One) and celebrates it in the sacramental liturgy (Part Two), so that the life of the faithful may be conformed to Christ in the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father (Part Three).  This mystery, then, requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate it, and that they live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is prayer.

What is Prayer?

For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.  (Saint Therese of Lisieux, Manuscrits Autobiographiques, 25)

 

IN BRIEF

Article 1: In the Old Testament

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"Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God."  (Saint John Damascene, De Fide Orth. 3,24: PG 94, 1089C)

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God tirelessly calls each person to this mysterious encounter with himself.  Prayer unfolds throughout the whole history of salvation as a reciprocal call between God and man.

2592
The prayer of Abraham and Jacob is presented as a battle of faith marked by trust in God's faithfulness and by certitude in the victory promised to perseverance.

2593
The prayer of Moses responds to the living God's initiative for the salvation of his people. It foreshadows the prayer of intercession of the unique mediator, Christ Jesus.

2594
The prayer of the people of God flourished in the shadow of the dwelling place of God's presence on earth, the ark of the covenant and the temple, under the guidance of their shepherds, especially King David, and of the prophets.

2595
The prophets summoned the people to conversion of heart and, while zealously seeking the face of God, like Elijah, they interceded for the people.

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The psalms constitute the masterwork of prayer in the Old Testament.  They present two inseparable qualities: the personal, and the communal.  They extend to all dimensions of history, recalling God's promise already fulfilled and looking for the coming of the Messiah.

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Prayed and fulfilled in Christ, the psalms are an essential and permanent element of the prayer of the church.  They are suitable for people of every condition and time.

 

Article 2: In the Fullness of Time

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Jesus' filial prayer is the perfect model of prayer in the New Testament.  Often done in solitude and in secret, the prayer of Jesus involves a loving adherence to the will of the Father even to the cross and an absolute confidence in being heard.

2621
In his teaching, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray with a purified heart, with lively and persevering faith, with filial boldness.  He calls them to vigilance and invites them to present their petitions to God in his name.  Jesus Christ himself answers prayers addressed to him.

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The prayers of the Virgin Mary, in her Fiat and Magnificat, are characterized by the generous offering of her whole being in faith.

 

Article 3: In the Age of the Church

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The Holy Spirit who teaches the church and recalls to it all that Jesus said also instructs it in the life of prayer, inspiring new expressions of the same basic forms of prayer: blessing, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise.

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Because God blesses the human heart, it can in return bless him who is the source of every blessing.

2646
Forgiveness, the quest for the kingdom, and every true need are objects of the prayer of petition.

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Prayer of intercession consists in asking on behalf of another.  It knows no boundaries and extends to one's enemies.

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Every joy and suffering, every event and need can become the matter for thanksgiving which, sharing in that of Christ, should fill one's whole life: "Give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thes 5:18).

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Prayer of praise is entirely disinterested and rises to God, lauds him, and gives him glory for his own sake, quite beyond what he has done, but simply because he is.

 

SECTION TWO:
THE TRADITION OF PRAYER

Article 1: At the Wellspring of Prayer

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By a living transmission ― tradition ― the Holy Spirit in the church teaches the children of God to pray.

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The word of God, the liturgy of the church, and the virtues of faith, hope, and charity are sources of prayer.

 

Article 2: The Way of Prayer

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Prayer is primarily addressed to the Father; it can also be directed toward Jesus, particularly by the invocation of his holy name: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners."

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"No one can say 'Jesus is Lord', except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor 12:3).  The church invites us to invoke the Holy Spirit as the interior teacher of Christian prayer.

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Because Mary's singular cooperation with the action of the Holy Spirit, the church loves to pray in communion with the Virgin Mary, to magnify with her the great things the Lord has done for her, and to entrust supplications and praises to her.

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