Discovering the Richness of Catholic Devotion in Prayerful Life

In the sixth grade, my family moved from one suburb to another. This change meant transferring from a public school to a Catholic school, and the adjustment was striking.

At my old public school, there were expansive facilities, including three football fields, several baseball fields, fully-equipped science labs, and even a planetarium. The student body numbered in the hundreds. In contrast, my new Catholic school was much smaller. A simple parking lot served as our stickball and touch football field, and the science lab consisted of just a handful of test tubes and a Bunsen burner.

While both schools had their advantages, I found the smaller, more personal environment of the Catholic school to be beneficial. My sister, on the other hand, flourished in the larger, public school setting with its vast resources.

The Catholic School Difference: Prayer

One of the most noticeable differences between the two schools was prayer. At my Catholic school, we prayed at the beginning of the day, before lunch, and at the end of the day. My classmates recited the prayer by heart, while I mumbled along.

It wasn’t just about the familiar Our Father, Hail Mary, or Act of Contrition — there were so many other prayers: morning prayers, afternoon prayers, prayers for adoration, the Nicene Creed, Apostles’ Creed, the Angelus, Hail, Holy Queen, The Glory Be, and even a prayer for lost items (thank you, St. Anthony!).

In his book An Introduction to Prayer, Bishop Sheehan identifies eight different categories of prayer: Contrition, Adoration, Thanksgiving, Petition, Contemplative, Liturgical, Devotional and Scriptural.

While I never did memorize all these prayers, my eyes were opened to how integral prayer was to life and faith. Learning how to speak to God was important to me. These prayers that we recite teach us how to speak to God, Jesus, The Holy Spriit, Angels and Saints and when it is appropriate to do so.

Why Pray?

Does prayer change God’s will? It’s an interesting question.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked his apostles to pray that they would not have to undergo the test. But His apostles fell asleep and at the end of Jesus' prayer, He concluded by submitting to His Father's will.

There are a couple of things that stand out to me. Throughout the Bible, Jesus invites us to petition God, promising that our prayers will be heard. It’s possible that God’s existing plan aligns with our requests—or, perhaps, He may choose to alter His will in response to our prayers. But, in the end and always, it is God's will, not ours, that determine what will be.

The second thing that struck me about the Garden of Gethsemane is that the apostles fell asleep. They did not pray with Jesus and He was disappointed. Even Jesus places value on communal prayer.

The essential role of prayer has little to do with petition and everything to do with our transcendence into the Divine. On episode 144 of Bible in a Year, Bishop Cassen noted that a life of prayer in the liturgy allows us to enter into the Trinity, itself. According to Bishop Sheehan, one of the most fundamental Truths in the Bible is that the spiritual life is not our quest for God, but rather God's quest for us. Prayer opens the door to let God into our hearts. And when that door is open, our faith radiates like a candle in a dark room.

When we pray as the Body of Christ at Mass or reciting the rosary in a group, we illuminate God's presence into the world making it more brilliant, colorful and bright. (If you are not at Mass, you are making the world a bit darker.)

Creating the Setting for Prayer

In his book, Bishop Sheehan offers four essential rules for how we should pray:
1. Pray with Faith.
2. Pray with Forgiveness in Your Heart.
3. Pray with Persistence.
4. Pray in the Name of Jesus.

Our mindset and attitude matter when we approach prayer. In the Psalms we see David express his anger, fears and anxiety. Life’s pressures, tension, and anger can weigh us down, but through prayer, we can ask God to take these burdens from us or to grant us the wisdom to handle them.

For example, when I’m feeling anxious, I ask God for peace of mind and patience. Anxiety, often a tool of the devil, can be overwhelming, but I turn to God for strength to resist. The story of Job reminds me to remain steadfast. When we offer up our troubles for the suffering souls in purgatory, we are asking God to transform our suffering into good, and that often has the effect of calming our minds.

Praying as God Taught Us to Pray

The Gospel story about the apostles asking Jesus to teach them how to pray resonates with me. In response, Jesus taught them the Our Father. This prayer is more than just words to recite; it’s a roadmap for how to approach God:

1. Recognize Our Relationship with God

   The prayer begins with “Our Father,” highlighting the close, intimate relationship we have with God. We are His children, and He desires a bond with us. At the Last Supper, Jesus reminded His disciples, “Unless I am in you and you are in me, only then will you have salvation.” Prayer begins with acknowledging this connection. Bishop Sheehan calls our relationship with God “the Christian difference.” Acknowledging God as our Father is different from how other Faiths view their relationship with God. It’s why we start our prayers with the Sign of the Cross.

2. Praise God While Humbling Ourselves

   The lines “Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thine will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven” teach us to honor God’s holiness and submit ourselves to His will. Prayer is an act of humility, recognizing God’s ultimate authority.

3. Ask for God’s Mercy and Grace

   The petition “Give us this day our daily bread” expresses dependence on God for both physical and spiritual sustenance. We trust that He understands our needs better than we do.

4. Do Unto Others

   "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” reminds us of the importance of mercy—both receiving it from God and extending it to others. Love, charity, and forgiveness are central to the Catholic life. When we pray, we should also pray for others: family, friends, coworkers, the sick, the poor, the suffering souls in purgatory, the Church itself as well as those we disagree with or who may have wronged you.

5. Seek Strength to Resist Sin

   Finally, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” is a plea for God’s guidance and protection from sin and evil. It acknowledges our human frailty and our need for God’s strength.

The Our Father is simple yet profound. It can be recited in moments, but it also serves as a framework for deeper, personal conversations with God. I have come a long way since 6th grade, but I still have a ways to go. Keep me in your prayers.