Prayer for Beginners Book Discussion Guide

Suggestions for your book discussion group time:

You could begin some sessions with Lectio Divina (see How to Pray a Gospel Reflection on the Program Support page of Rediscover-faith.org) to help group members learn meditation. Read the Sunday Gospel and sit for 3 minutes in silence, then have each person share something briefly that strikes them. Then sit for 3 more minutes in silence and allow whoever desires to do so to offer a prayer based on what is striking them.

Each week, give the group members a chance to share experiences from their actual time of prayer. Did they encounter blessings? Struggles? Movements of the heart?

At the end of each session allow for 5 minutes of silence and invite every member of the group to reflect on one thing they are going to take away from the session. Some examples: a commitment they are making; a truth they want to remember; or an action they want to take. Invite group members to write down or otherwise record this “take away” (they could use the My Faith Life feature in the Rediscover: app) and refer to this daily in the next week.

Introductory notes:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to prayer (CCC 2558) as an offering of the heart to God. Consider the image on the front of the book. It is an image of a heart aflame; a heart which is a furnace of love. In the Christian tradition, the Lord's heart is often portrayed as the Sacred Heart. In what way is the image of the heart a descriptor of your heart - for what does your heart burn? What is the fuel of your heart’s desire?

On the dedication page, Peter Kreeft acknowledges a person (a wife, a friend?) who taught him to pray, who is teaching him Jesus Christ. What does that dedication suggest to you about prayer? What roles have others played in assisting you to pray: bringing you to hope, gratitude, praise?

Kreeft asserts that the book is for people who find it hard to pray - in part, perhaps, because they are busy and have little time to pray. He refers to Martha (Lk 10: 38) And yet, even Martha knew prayer was something important and worth her effort. Do believe prayer is worth your effort? Spend a moment considering how prayer - allowing God to be your heart’s fuel - will change your life.

Lesson 1

Theme:Necessity and motive for prayer

Pages: 11-27

Handout:

Develop and distribute a simple one- sheet that outlines the discussion group schedule and includes any necessary contact information

Objectives:

Understanding the necessity of and motive for prayer

Understanding that prayer is a natural human act

Questions:

1. Why is attention to our spiritual development necessarily more important than attention to things we do to improve or benefit ourselves physically?

2. Why is humility important in persevering in prayer?

3. Kreeft offers ten motives to pray. Which one seems most obvious to you and why?

4. What acknowledgement do we make when we take time and turn our hearts to God?

5. If God is real, and if communion with God is the foundation of all lasting happiness, then prayer is a right response to reality and the foundation of morality, sanctity and sanity. How is this so? How does prayer inform morality, sanctity, sanity?

6. Why does God permit us to taste and be unfulfilled in many things? How does our response to this inability to be fulfilled in our life experiences offer us a foretaste of heaven - or hell?

7. Prayer is the way to know God, not just facts or ideas about God - and knowing God is the way to come to the fullness of life. But why?

8. How is prayer different from other practices which re-center us, like meditation or a walk in the park?

9. How can you conquer the three “h” excuses of prayer: too hard, too high, too holy?

10. Do love and prayer have the same basic structure? Is to pray to love?

Actions:

Name your reasons to pray.

Name the impediments in your life to praying.

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Lesson 2

Theme: Words, silence and thoughts matter

Pages: 28-41

Handout:

How to Pray a Gospel Reflection (You can find this on the Program Support page of Rediscover-faith.org)

Objectives:

Understand that words matter

Understand that silence matters

Understand that thoughts matter

Understand that prayer both requires and helps us be intentional in choosing our words, cultivating silence, and ordering our thoughts

Understand the difference that faith makes

Questions:

1. Why is the gift of time so important (see page 32)? When have you been benefited by another's time? What is the advantage of stopping (or pausing) our crazy schedules? What is the risk of not doing so? Can any of us remain in a perpetual state of motion? Where do we turn for rest right now?

2. Our best conversations occur face to face, when we are looking at our loved ones and our loved ones are able to look at us. What does looking reveal? And what is the difference between "physical looking" and looking to understand - to contemplate?

3. Often we focus on talking, but listening is essential to communion - especially communion with God. Though it seems God doesn't speak - does he not speak to us in nature? In our life: in the lives of others and within our own hearts? In his word - a word he speaks now to us - the Word incarnate: his son Jesus Christ who throughout the Gospels and with his very life, death and resurrection illuminates our lives?

4. Perhaps the most memorable reference to listening to Christ is conveyed by Christ himself in a parable of the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:3). Why do the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd? Their listening is "conditioned" by their experience, the sheep know the shepherd's love - he protects, feeds, and guides them - so it is for us: listening to God is listening to God with love. What will you hear?

5. What we think often affects what we do. And we can love only what we know. So what we think about is important. What thoughts do you think about? How often do you turn your mind to God?

Actions:

Determine whether you control your thoughts or your thoughts control you.

Determine which thoughts you think are positive and which are negative.

Thank God for the life-giving thoughts grounded in faith.

Surrender to God those thoughts that destabilize your life and faith.

Rediscover-faith.org archspm.org

Lesson 3

Theme: Prerequisites for and types of prayer

Pages: 42-73

Objectives:

Understand why faith is a prerequisite for prayer

Understanding RAPT

Understanding the significance of the name of Jesus

Questions:

1. Faith is an act of entrustment. See, for example, the Catechism: faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that the Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself. By faith "man freely commits his entire self to God." (CCC 1814 ) Why do we need to entrust ourselves to God? How is “faith” active in our natural relationships with spouse, child, parent or friend? How is faith different from feelings - sometimes consistent with our feelings and at other times contrary to them?

2. Kreeft notes that we do not invoke the presence of the things we hate (see page 47). What does he mean?

3. Repentance, Adoration, Petition, and Thanksgiving (RAPT) are the four traditional themes of prayer (CCC 2623) What are examples in your life of each theme? Which type of prayer is your “favorite” right now?

4. Why is speaking the name of Jesus with love already a prayer? How is it a source of power (and weakness), presence and grace? How does praying Jesus bring new sight?

Actions:

Spend time clearing your mind, sitting in silence, and repeating the name of Jesus with love.

Bring to Jesus some situation or person you need to see in a new light.

Rediscover-faith.org archspm.org

Lesson 4

Theme: Pray constantly

Pages: 74-86

Handout: Rediscover:

faith Speakers Series talk four: Rediscover: The Way - Keeping God at the Center of My Life

Video/audio file: Rediscover:

faith Speakers Series talk four: Rediscover: The Way - Keeping God at the Center of My Life

(You can find all of the above posted on Rediscover-faith.org)

Objectives:

Understand how it is possible to pray constantly

Understand that distractions are natural and not a sign of failure

Understand why sin can be an impediment to prayer

Questions:

1. Is there anything that you do constantly? What is it you do most often? Is Jesus present in what you do? How do we bring Jesus into what we are doing?

2. In trying to be intentional, the greatest challenge after exhaustion is lack of mental focus. The challenge is not just to be physically whole but to bring focus to our thoughts, not only because of our sinful nature but also because of the culture we live in: the “culture of now”. Why do distractions happen? What can we do about distractions?

3. How are our sins both a reason for an evidence of our need to pray? How is this obstacle of sin different from the busy-ness, noisiness and distraction of our lives?

Actions:

Try praying the name of Jesus 1 minute at the beginning of every hour you are awake

When distractions come return to the name of Jesus and begin again

Make time for silence: no radio in the car; no TV on for background noise, etc.

Rediscover-faith.org archspm.org

Lesson 5

Theme: Simplicity, suffering and prayer

Pages: 87-108

Handout: Rediscover:

faith Speakers Series talk one: Rediscover: meaning Finding God’s Purpose for My Life

Video/audio file: Rediscover:

faith Speakers Series talk one: Rediscover: meaning Finding God’s Purpose for My Life

(You can find all of the above posted on Rediscover-faith.org)

Objectives:

Understand how saints are made and what role prayer has in that process

Understand how the via negative (renunciation) serves the via positive (sanctification)

Understand how, properly understood, suffering can be a value-add

Questions:

1. God is simple - all God does is love - while we are often complex. What is the advantage of simplicity? How can prayer help us become like God? How does the Blessed Virgin Mary reflect God? Why must we order our life if we want to be like God? (See the levels of happiness in Rediscover: meaning Finding God’s Purpose for My Life handout or video/audio file.)

2. Why don’t we like renunciation (self-denial)? What is the difference between renunciation and repression or oppression? What desires do you renounce every day? What is the most important thing to renounce every day (see page 96 regarding Brother Lawrence)?

3. Do you understand that God does not cause suffering? Why does suffering exist? Why is suffering a challenge to faith? It is proper for us to instinctively avoid suffering. As rational beings, however, we can understand its spiritual and physical role. As to the latter, consider the athlete whose body is sore the day after a rigorous practice. How can we make un-chosen suffering positive?

Actions:

Name two concrete things you can do to simplify your life.

Develop a plan to implement simplicity in your life.

Read the story of Job. How can Job’s story interpret your story?

Rediscover-faith.org archspm.org

Lesson 6

Theme: Self-forgiveness and grace

Pages: 109-125

Handout:

Additional Books on Prayer & Spirituality That You May Want to Explore (posted on the Rediscover: Catholic Book Club page of Rediscover-faith.org)

Objectives:

Understanding the need for self-forgiveness

Understanding the need for grace

Understanding the need for perseverance.

Questions:

1. What are the two parts of patience (see page 110)? Which one are you better at?

2. What is the test of your own experience that Brother Lawrence suggests?

3. Why is being “easy” with ourselves difficult? Is it because it is about accepting yourself as you are in God’s love and deciding to leave behind what keeps you from being your best self?

4. What is the relationship between the sacrament of reconciliation and self-forgiveness?

5. What is grace? How do you dispose yourself to the need for grace to be the best version of yourself? What is the relationship between humility and grace?

6. Why is realism important? Have you ever had an easy victory that fundamentally transformed your life? Consider the three points of Brother Lawrence (see page 123). What surprised you? What did you already know? What raises concerns for you? What gives you relief?

Actions:

Practice self-forgiveness.

Ask for the grace to be attentive to grace.

Create accountability steps to help you persevere.

Begin and end everything by, with, and in prayer.

Rediscover-faith.org archspm.org

Our theme for year 2 is PRAYERUpcoming FREE events in early 2014. No registration

necessary!

Two inspiring talks that highlight the beauty of prayer and offer insight on how to pray, gathered from two-thousand years of Church experience.  Discover how your life can change and grow in new and powerful ways by building a personal friendship with Jesus Christ.

February 3 & 10 – Holy Name of Jesus, WayzataFebruary 4 & 11 – St. John Neumann, EaganFebruary 24 & March 3 – Our Lady of Grace, EdinaFebruary 25 & March 4 – St. John the Baptist, New BrightonAll Rediscover: faith 2014 Speakers Series talks begin at 7 p.m. and run 90 minutes, including hospitality time.

These evenings are a unique opportunity to experience Cor Jesu, meaning "Heart of Jesus", as we worship Christ in community with the Church through Eucharistic adoration, confession, praise, benediction and fellowship. Attendees are invited to participate in whatever manner is most comfortable for them.

March 11 – Cathedral of Saint Paul, Saint PaulMarch 25 – St. Hubert, Chanhassen April 8 – All Saints, LakevilleAll Rediscover: prayer evenings begin at 7 p.m. and end around 9 p.m.

Check out Rediscover-faith.org for details on any of the above events!

Discussion guides and other support materials available on the Rediscover: Catholic Book Club page of Rediscover-faith.org.

SAVE THE DATE for the 2014 Rediscover: Catholic Celebration Friday evening and Saturday October 3&4, 2014 at the Minneapolis Convention Center

Spring 2014: A Biblical Walk through The Mass by Edward Sri

Discussion guide available by March 1

Watch and share the 3-part video on DVD or on RediscoverShare.org

The Power of Personal Witness

This inspiring talk will show you how to share your story to help others grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Find out how you can move from relating to others on their faith journey to revealing how God has changed your life to sharing how you are rejoicing in your new life in Christ.

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