Catholic Charismatic prayer groups

[Primrose_gill]

Hey folks,

I was thinking of joining a prayer group to help add a new dimension to my prayer life, and I quite like the idea of being able to pray collectively (in addition to mass) and meet some other Catholics of my age.

Has anyone tried a catholic charismatic group, and if so would you recommend?
Ive never been in a prayer group before and I’m excited / nervous in equal measures about trying it. Though I try every day to live out my faith, I don’t have any catholic friends to share it with and talk to about it. It would be great to praise together with friends.

Any insights or advice would be gratefully received.

gill

 

[DebChris]

Hey folks,

I was thinking of joining a prayer group to help add a new dimension to my prayer life, and I quite like the idea of being able to pray collectively (in addition to mass) and meet some other Catholics of my age.

Has anyone tried a catholic charismatic group, and if so would you recommend?
Ive never been in a prayer group before and I’m excited / nervous in equal measures about trying it. Though I try every day to live out my faith, I don’t have any catholic friends to share it with and talk to about it. It would be great to praise together with friends.

Any insights or advice would be gratefully received.

gill

You are going for the right reason. I don’t know your age. Charismatics come in all ages.
When you go, you should be comfortable, and never forced. Allow yourself to be open to how the Holy Spirit leads and guides you in prayer.
Be aware that you may read very negative things on this forum from those who know very little about the Renewal During a prayer group, you will see the gifts of the Holy Spirit (charisms) manifested in various ways. One of the gifts is praying in tongues (glossalia) as the Apostles did on Pentecost. Before going, I would recommend that you read the Acts of the Apostles. I like sharing a story I heard shortly after I become a part of the Renewal. A Carmalite nun questioned why she should accept this gift. After all she already had a very intimate relationship with our Lord. She submitted, “Lord, if this gift is from you, why should I refuse?” Afterward she found herself reaching a contemplative state faster than before receiving the gift.
During the prayer meeting, there should be time for praise, thanksgiving, and intercession. There will also be a time for sharing how God is working in your life. You need not share, but you will have an opportunity to hear other people witness to God’s greatness. Depending on the group, there may be time for fellowship before or after the prayer, a time to meet and get to know other Catholics who all share the same love of God.

 

[trials]

There are a million different paths to God, because He was good enough to make us all unique and individual. There’s no harm in trying this prayer group out a few times and seeing if it “fits” you spiritually - if it doesn’t, that isn’t a reflection on your spirituality or lack of either - no sweat. Or you might find it works for a while, a few years, and then you might find after a while you get nothing out of it, so then you can move on.For example, I used to go to Charismatic Masses, I absolutely loved them, and they were just what I needed a few years ago. Now I’m focusing more on quiet prayer for a while because it’s what I need right now, but I may well return to the Charismatic Mass if I feel I need to at some point in the future. I didn’t “grow out” of it, it was just what I needed for my faith there and then, and now I need something different.

St. John of the Cross actually advocated this approach in prayer - as in, if something “works” for a while, great, if it stops working, then move on, as long as we are continually trying to deepen our faith, progress in holiness and build our relationship with God, as long as that continues to be our aim, it doesn’t matter. So try it and see!

 

[Primrose_gill]

Thank you both for the encouragement. It’s helped me to see the risk isn’t that high, I might as well go in for it with an open mind and see how it goes.
I am looking forward to giving it a shot and if it turns out to be something that works well for me, fantastic. If I don’t get much out of it, theres not much to lose really except a few hours.
Thanks!

 

[Petersmate]

Hey folks,

I was thinking of joining a prayer group to help add a new dimension to my prayer life, and I quite like the idea of being able to pray collectively (in addition to mass) and meet some other Catholics of my age.

Has anyone tried a catholic charismatic group, and if so would you recommend?
Ive never been in a prayer group before and I’m excited / nervous in equal measures about trying it. Though I try every day to live out my faith, I don’t have any catholic friends to share it with and talk to about it. It would be great to praise together with friends.

Any insights or advice would be gratefully received.

gill

If you get a chance, attend a “Life In The Spirit Seminar” it is a great introduction to the charismatic movement.

 

[stanncie]

I’m glad you are giving it a go. There’s a very active charismatic prayer group in my parish. I have gone a couple of times and really enjoyed it. I would go more often but I’m already involved with so many other things it’s hard to make a commitment to it.

 

[DebChris]

I’m glad you are giving it a go. There’s a very active charismatic prayer group in my parish. I have gone a couple of times and really enjoyed it. I would go more often but I’m already involved with so many other things it’s hard to make a commitment to it.

Go when you have a chance. As Trials said, there are many different paths to God. You need not worry about making a commitment to a group. Simply go when you have a chance. Mix and match as you feel led by the Spirit. A rich spiritual life includes different forms of prayer. Yes, how we pray changes with life’s circumstances, needs, and inclinations.

 

[BluesPicker]

As long as there is a priest who is mature and holy at the helm guiding everyone, Praise God. What bothers me though is that some of these groups are interdenominational and I have seen & heard bad things. While history surely indicates there were saintly people who prayed in the Gift of Tongues, many saints never spoke one word in tongues.

   Some of these charasmatic prayer groups that had no priest guiding them began to be lead by  Evangelical Protestant groups.  Catholics here may loose their Catholic Faith. They may get into deep spiritual trouble.

BP