Living Prayer; a call to the Gospel

[blessedstar]

I believe each man, woman and child is called to be a Living Prayer.

The ‘Our Father’ tells us in short, how to be a Living Prayer, though the entire Sacred Scripture is Living Word and Living Prayer.

When asked how to pray Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer which is good to recite as a formal prayer but I believe He indicates what He means by the Lord’s Prayer when He said ‘Pray unceasingly’ and said not to use long speeches and go on and on with many words. I believe the Lord’s prayer ‘The Our Father’ deals with all of our lives and that all of our lives should be prayer.

We must progress spiritually from vocal prayer closer to union with God, this does not mean we abandon vocal prayer but we do not cling to it as though this is the summit of prayer because it is not, our life transformed is the summit of prayer and prayer becomes life and the summit of prayer and of life is Jesus.

Jesus tells us to put God first, to think of God the Father not far away but intimately close to us, ‘Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name, thy Kindgom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven’ This is the foremost of the Living Prayer of our life, to love God and to have Him at the forefront of everyday we live. We rise in the morning and hand the day to God and all that happens and all that we do. This joins our will with God’s and our day and all of it’s work and happenings will be led by Jesus to build up the Kingdom of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, though we may not actually see the fruits of this.

Continued

 

[blessedstar]

‘Give us this day our daily bread’ We start the day and commend it to God, then we can be assured of our spiritual needs and our bodily needs being met according to our need. I believe the word ‘bread’ has multiple meanings. The ‘bread’ we may well need may indeed be the cross and we must see this as spiritual food for our soul or for the soul of others united to the Cross of Christ Jesus. Of course there is the literal sense of food, and so ‘whether we eat or drink we do it for the glory of God’ (St Paul). Then there is the spiritual meaning of being able to receive the Eucharist and being in a state of grace to do so; the Eucharist is the centre of our Living Prayer of life without which we would not be sustained in this prayer.

‘And forgive us our tresspasses’ This calls us to continual conversion and repentance. This is the prayer of illumination and purgation that God does directly (infused prayer) and through others (primarily the example of other peoples lives wherein their life is a prayer and they are a living part of the Gospel proclaimed with their lives and how they love God and treat others and secondarily by their words, that is reprimands and the preaching of the Gospel) It is true that we would not know our sin unless the Holy Spirit convict us of it and illuminate the conscience, we pray for this for ourselves and for others in the ‘Our Father’, but more than this we pray with our lives for this by our striving, by reading spiritual books as well as Sacred Scripture, by being before the Blessed Sacrament etc. When we offer our life as a prayer to God, He will embrace this poor offering and make something great out of nothing, this is our conversion and repentance, our transformation to the image of God, Christ Jesus. We are called to the Sacrament of Love, Reconciliation and this filters through to reconciling with others by God’s grace as Love is not static but active and alive. When we see life as prayer we are conscious our every word and deed is a prayer before God and the fruits of this grace is to grow in love and to sin less and so the continual call to conversion is evidenced in the growth in holiness and the death of the ‘self’ which leads us into sin by it’s own volition or by being tempted.

‘As we forgive those who trespass against us’ This is the fruit of the grace of God’s forgiveness and no man, woman or child can forgive unless they first have been forgiven, as I said, Love is active and alive and so the grace of God’s fogiveness of us leads us to forgive others and so the living grace of the Gospel comes alive also within our lives and life is prayer where we too forgive others.

It is not good to only forgive out of fear as love knows no fear. If we only forgive because we are afraid of not being forgiven ourselves then we are only acting for ‘self’ and this is not the fruit nor the work of the Holy Spirit. True forgiveness is the Living work of the Holy Trinity and as Tabernacles of the Holy Trinity by Rite of Baptism we too are greatly gifted with the grace to forgive as without this grace no man could forgive as our broken nature is so driven by the ‘self’. The work of the Holy Trinity knows no ‘self’, it is purely and utterly selfless, it is Love. This is what we pray for in the ‘Our Father’ true forgiveness for ourself and for others by God’s grace and the grace is evidenced in the Living Prayer of our lives in the forgiving of others and the Peace of Christ.

‘And lead us not into temptation’. Temptation is a cross. This is the only cross Jesus has singled out and clearly said we can pray not to have. We are very weak and this can be fatal if we are tempted. The fact remains that we are constantly tempted, so what did Jesus mean? He did not mean that we would not be tempted but that we would be given the grace not to ‘be tempted’, these are two very different things. A beautiful prayer before God in the Living Prayer of our lives is a soul greatly tempted but does not fall into temptation though they have free will. This gives glory to God because it is by the grace of God that the soul does not fall into temptation and reverses the Garden of Eden. Jesus was tempted in all things just as we are, He faced every temptation we do, He never once fell into temptation and by His Cross won every grace and blessing for humanity. Man could not refrain from one single tiny sin unless God’s grace was embraced within him and operating. But God knowing our goodness as He created us and said ‘It is good’ desired to restore this goodness in Himself for us and so we are upheld in Him by grace. Here God’s work is evident in the Living Prayer of our lives though we remain weak we are able to do good works.

continued

 

[blessedstar]

‘And deliver us from evil. Amen’ This is Jesus’ Prayer of the Cross in our lives. It brings all of the former parts of the prayer together in conclusion as none of the aforementioned could take place unless Christ Jesus had died for us, rose again and won Victory for us over evil. All that formerly seperated us from God has been torn away and we may have a personal and united relationship with God by His grace. Jesus here also asks us to embrace our own cross united to His so that by this we may also work for Victory united to Him. This is the beginning, middle and end of the Living Prayer as all that we do is united to Christ Jesus in suffering and in thanksgiving. All elements of the ‘Our Father’ hinge around the Eucharist, the death and ressurection of Christ Jesus.

And so no longer must we seperate our life from our prayer nor must we think we have to make time for prayer making long speeches and saying many beautifully worded prayers but we pray unceasingly in the far exceedingly beautiful prayer of our life in our hearts and so love is increased, peace is increased and prayer is life and God dwells in every quarter of our existance; each day ending in thanksgiving to God.

Jesus is the foremost Living Prayer and we follow Him in this, but none more than our Blessed Virgin and Mother Mary followed Him more closely in being a Living Prayer. She is closest after His Heart, her heart being even of the same flesh as His and Her soul glorifying Him.

In being a Living Prayer we aspire to say with our Blessed Virgin and Mother Mary,

My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.

Amen

Thank you for reading and please post your thoughts.

In my prayer of life.

 

[blessedstar]

I am posting again because I really would like to know of peoples thoughts on Living Prayer.

Thank you

 

[blessedstar]

Bump

 

[ANGELIC_PEACE]

i have seen you mention your living prayer in a few posts…and i was wondering what it means…is it like a morning offering thing…
or is it like a life offering prayer where you offer your entire self to god for intentions…

is it something you came up with yourself or is there a website about it…

it does sound interesting:thumbsup:

ANGELIC PEACE

 

[blessedstar]

i have seen you mention your living prayer in a few posts…and i was wondering what it means…is it like a morning offering thing…
or is it like a life offering prayer where you offer your entire self to god for intentions…

is it something you came up with yourself or is there a website about it…

it does sound interesting:thumbsup:

ANGELIC PEACE

Angelic Peace, I am in the process of writing about Living Prayer (it’s taking some time). When I have done that I’ll send it to you if you like and are interested. It is something that has developed as my prayer life but it has its influences; Jesus, Our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary, St Therese, St Paul, and Elijah. There isn’t a website about it. The reason I am writing about Living Prayer is because the community I belong to have pursuaded me to do that. To be honest I don’t know where to start and I’m at a loss, so I’ve been praying about it and hope and pray I can actually string sentences together about it that make reason. God help me, I’m not the best person to be writing anything to do with God !

In the Living Prayer of my life

 

[TOP]

Blessedstar, Do you find living prayer hard, a conscience act of will or does it come easy when being mindful of God? Also, is it easier in familiar places like home , then out and about in the world? I have a fear of people, actually their sin, as a collective, not one on one. How would that affect living prayer? Thanks, Tim

 

[blessedstar]

Blessedstar, Do you find living prayer hard, a conscience act of will or does it come easy when being mindful of God? Also, is it easier in familiar places like home , then out and about in the world? I have a fear of people, actually their sin, as a collective, not one on one. How would that affect living prayer? Thanks, Tim

No Tim, I don’t find it easy at all. I find Living the Prayer of my life very difficult, but knowing my life is my foremost prayer to God after the Holy Mass, I strive to make it a good and pleasing prayer in His sight. However even if the Living Prayer of my life is poor and pitiful I am still striving and perseverance in Jesus despite my ‘self’ is everything. Just because I am a sinner and so is everyone else does not mean I should shy away from striving to live the Gospel in the Living Prayer of my life and offering all things to God for His will.

Living Prayer is an act of the will. The more I consciously strove to live the Living Prayer of my life I became more mindful of God’s Presence in which God has aided me in all situations wherever I am and whatever is happening.

Living Prayer has increased my love of the Cross and my Lord Jesus Crucified. I now have a very deep and penetrating love of Jesus Crucified and of His Cross which in turn has led to a deep love of my own cross united to Jesus.

The Eucharist is intrinsic to the Living Prayer, without which this Living Prayer would be impossible to live. The Eucharist sustains the prayer and is the source and summit of the Living Prayer of life.

Living Prayer is simple, but in its simplicity it has many complex layers. Living Prayer is simply the offering of all that we do, say and think to God united to His Eternal and Victorious Sacrifice upon the Cross, but in turn all we do, say and think (all we are, the ‘self’) is transformed/recreated by the Living of this Prayer in the grace of Christ Jesus and leads God willing to contemplation and the transforming union with Jesus. The offering is made daily and may be made for specific intentions or simply for God’s will. The end of the day is an examination of conscience, of repentance, of willingness to strive anew in Living Prayer, of praise and thanksgiving for the day of Living Prayer in Jesus. The day ends with commending ones spirit to God. Living Prayer is a prayer of living in the moment, it deals purely with the day and thanks God for all things in the day.

Living Prayer is an offering of ones life to God for \His glory and to lay ones life down for their brother and sister; a little daily hidden bloodless martyrdom.

I hope that is some use. If you are interested when I have written about it and if it is good enough I will send it to you. Let me know if you want it. Don’t hold your breathe though, you’ll turn blue I think it will take me some time to write it.

In the Living Prayer of my life

 

[TOP]

Yes, I’m interested. This reminds me of the monks who read one line of scripture in the morning and live that throughout the day. I can’t tell if I have done this or not. I try in everything I do , which isn’t much, to be mindful of the longterm consequences it will have with that soul and it’s creator, though I’m short sighted at times. This has been a slow relearning process for me and the amount of people I effect is limited, by no coincidence, thank God, but my stewardship is starting to expand to that beyond my family. I did the St. deMontfort consecration after realizing my offerings where lacking and recognizing the need for an intercessor of what I had to give. This living prayer also sounds like the consecrated life in a way. The consecration acknowledges that I can’t direct in what way the offerings are applied, but leaves it to Mary as she always does the will of God, which in turn is a humble and acceptable offering from a servent. A combination of living prayer and the consecration would be a challenge of complete servitude a layman would find difficult while operating in the world. I wish I could be a hermit That is if my understanding of living prayer is correct. Interested in hearing more, Thanks, Tim

 

[water]

There are two different meaning to “Living prayer”.

1. one is for a person who is prayerful.
2. the other meaning indicates that one prays like a machine that he/she doesn’t really pay attention to what he/she says. He becomes like a “living prayer” CD player which I can play back the prayers.
   (I hope I am not confusing anyone)

Many times, I myself fall into the second meaning. It is not easy to be focused when praying.

 

[LISA_Annette]

I am posting again because I really would like to know of peoples thoughts on Living Prayer.

Thank you

I want to be a living prayer—that means offering all I do—This means sanctifying your actions of the day by accepting God’s Will?? I wake up in the morning and offer this, and so when I encounter those things that normally aggravate me, I rectify it in peace or accept it calmly if it is something that can’t be changed. I try to practice peace (not easy with 3 children, 2 cats, a dog, and five hamsters that are like little “Houdinis”, i.e., always getting loose and having to chase them down)

In reference to the Living Will of God, I got this sense at one particular time, 10 yrs ago, that* living in His Will made every action a joyful prayer of praise*. Is this like what you mean?

I want to teach my kids about the Living Will of God or to be a Living Prayer as you say. I remember as a child “God’s Will” was only an afterthough, “Oh well, that was God’s Will…” in reference to missing a great campout I had been counting on… God’s Will also meant I had to wait for stuff—like a great campout ( I liked camping ). As a kid, God’s will was a “wet-blanket” (sorry God, just illustrating ) But that was because I was not taught that God’s will is Alive and Dynamic. It is to be LIVED IN, rather than just used as a phrase to placate me because things" didn’t go my way".

P.S. Send me a copy of that book too, Blessed Star—I want to give myself MORE. I want to become a Living Prayer too.

 

[blessedstar]

I want to be a living prayer—that means offering all I do—This means sanctifying your actions of the day by accepting God’s Will?? I wake up in the morning and offer this, and so when I encounter those things that normally aggravate me, I rectify it in peace or accept it calmly if it is something that can’t be changed. I try to practice peace (not easy with 3 children, 2 cats, a dog, and five hamsters that are like little “Houdinis”, i.e., always getting loose and having to chase them down)

In reference to the Living Will of God, I got this sense at one particular time, 10 yrs ago, that* living in His Will made every action a joyful prayer of praise*. Is this like what you mean?

I want to teach my kids about the Living Will of God or to be a Living Prayer as you say. I remember as a child “God’s Will” was only an afterthough, “Oh well, that was God’s Will…” in reference to missing a great campout I had been counting on… God’s Will also meant I had to wait for stuff—like a great campout ( I liked camping ). As a kid, God’s will was a “wet-blanket” (sorry God, just illustrating ) But that was because I was not taught that God’s will is Alive and Dynamic. It is to be LIVED IN, rather than just used as a phrase to placate me because things" didn’t go my way".

P.S. Send me a copy of that book too, Blessed Star—I want to give myself MORE. I want to become a Living Prayer too.

Beautiful, you have described aspects of Living Prayer better than I ever could. I really am not the candidate to write about this!

Anyway I will send it to you when I’ve done it, God willing.

Thank you Lisa, my heart leapt when I read your post, it gave me great joy to find your post. God Bless you and thank you and thank God.

In the Living Prayer of my life

 

[LISA_Annette]

Beautiful, you have described aspects of Living Prayer better than I ever could. I really am not the candidate to write about this!

Anyway I will send it to you when I’ve done it, God willing.

Thank you Lisa, my heart leapt when I read your post, it gave me great joy to find your post. God Bless you and thank you and thank God.

In the Living Prayer of my life

you should write this because we need things said in a style that can be grasped, with applications to real life. When I read about the different stages of prayer, I have to admit, I can’t even imagine it EVER applying to my life. I can’t even understand what "Illuminative prayer"and anything else beyond that means, or how (or if) they would even fit me.

Thanks for being a Living Prayer.
Thanks St. Therese for your Little Way!!

(I named one of my daughters—she is 14—Celine Therese----I was going to name her Therese Celine, but I thought she (St.Therese)would like it better that way )

 

[ANGELIC_PEACE]

Angelic Peace, I am in the process of writing about Living Prayer (it’s taking some time). When I have done that I’ll send it to you if you like and are interested. It is something that has developed as my prayer life but it has its influences; Jesus, Our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary, St Therese, St Paul, and Elijah. There isn’t a website about it. The reason I am writing about Living Prayer is because the community I belong to have pursuaded me to do that. To be honest I don’t know where to start and I’m at a loss, so I’ve been praying about it and hope and pray I can actually string sentences together about it that make reason. God help me, I’m not the best person to be writing anything to do with God !

In the Living Prayer of my life

thanks blessedstar…please will you send it to me when you are finished
ANGELIC PEACE

 

[littleone]

Angelic Peace, I am in the process of writing about Living Prayer (it’s taking some time). When I have done that I’ll send it to you if you like and are interested. It is something that has developed as my prayer life but it has its influences; Jesus, Our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary, St Therese, St Paul, and Elijah. There isn’t a website about it. The reason I am writing about Living Prayer is because the community I belong to have pursuaded me to do that. To be honest I don’t know where to start and I’m at a loss, so I’ve been praying about it and hope and pray I can actually string sentences together about it that make reason. God help me, I’m not the best person to be writing anything to do with God !

In the Living Prayer of my life

Hi blessedstar can I have a copy too I am interested in not so much your prayer but it all fitts in the Elijha line of the little way of Therese and that is your line so I love all there is to learn.

Thanks
God bless
littleone

 

[blessedstar]

Hi blessedstar can I have a copy too I am interested in not so much your prayer but it all fitts in the Elijha line of the little way of Therese and that is your line so I love all there is to learn.

Thanks
God bless
littleone

I don’t know what I can tell you! You are so little I cannot see you, I am seeing only Jesus.

Of course I will send it even if you only use it to line your bedroom drawers, then that would be my honour!

In the Living Prayer of my life

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Quoting BlessedStar:

I don’t know what I can tell you! You are so little I cannot see you, I am seeing only Jesus.

What a beautiful statement! From one little (humble) soul to another, it struck me. It reminded me of what St. Threse wrote: that from Heaven she would send forth a “whole legion of little souls”.

God’s Blessings, His Peace and His Joy…Barb

 

[Indyann]

I am posting again because I really would like to know of peoples thoughts on Living Prayer.

Thank you

Dear Blessed Star,

Whenever I read your posts, it brings to mind this song that I stumbled upon a couple of years ago. At that time, I was making my way back to the Church after a long absence, and it quickly became my favorite. (Which is odd in itself, because I am generally not a country music fan.)

I know this song is very simplistic, but it did help me in my journey and I think everyone’s life should be a living prayer.

youtube.com/watch?v=9upE_PGJVq8

 

[blessedstar]

Dear Blessed Star,

Whenever I read your posts, it brings to mind this song that I stumbled upon a couple of years ago. At that time, I was making my way back to the Church after a long absence, and it quickly became my favorite. (Which is odd in itself, because I am generally not a country music fan.)

I know this song is very simplistic, but it did help me in my journey and I think everyone’s life should be a living prayer.

youtube.com/watch?v=9upE_PGJVq8

Dear IndyAnn

Thank you for this very beautiful post.

The song is beautiful, I’ve never heard it before or heard of this singer with a beautiful voice and have saved it to my favourites.

‘Take my life and let me be a Living Prayer to Thee’, very simple, but it is very profound.

Thank you and I too believe we should all be Living Prayer.

Living prayer is not a spirituality, it is each person in their spirituality lived in their life in the faith and the whole person and everything of them and in their lives being a Living Prayer in Jesus. Jesus is the Living Prayer and we are gathered in Him as all things must be and in Living Prayer.

One of the inspirations for Living Prayer came to me from watching nature. There are other inspirations that developed this Living Prayer in my life, but nature was one of them. I knew that all creatures and even the earth praise and thank the Lord just by their state as being as a bird, a cat, or a deer, or tiger or whatever and I saw everything they did to praise the Lord as they cannot praise the Lord any other way, but we hum,ans who have a spiritual soul can make every action, word and thought a Living Prayer by our spiritual nature in Christ Jesus. I’m running out of time, but I’ll come back later and write more on this inspiration.

In the Living Prayer of my life