Private PrayerPrayer is more important than ever, especially prayer in church. As we are unable to attend Holy Mass in person, we can pray before the tabernacle in church. There we meet Jesus who longs for a friendship with us. Below are a few suggestions to help you to come to church and spend some time in prayer. |
From 5th November
The church will be open for private prayer on Sundays 10.30 a.m. - 11.30 a.m. |
Keep it SimpleThere is nothing complicated about praying. So when you pray, try to keep it simple and uncomplicated |
Keep it RealGod loves you. He is interested in your life, every part of it. Talk to God as a friend. He wants to share in your life, so that you can share in his life. |
Keep it UpDon't give up! Make a little commitment to keep coming back to church and make a little space each day to pray. |
Quick - A Visit to the Blessed Sacrament
Come into church, genuflect towards the tabernacle (or monstrance during Exposition) take a place in a bench and kneel down. In the presence of the Lord Jesus you can pray the following prayers.
In the name of the Father...
Say these next prayers three times. Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be to the Father... Spiritual Communion I wish, my Lord, to receive you with the purity, humility, and devotion with which your most holy Mother received you, with the spirit and fervour of the saints. Amen. |
With the three Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glory be to the Fathers, pray for different intentions. For the family, for those affected by the pandemic, for particular issues in your life, for the parish, for the Pope. For the Spiritual Communion, remember, Jesus is here and that you would like to receive him so much in Holy Communion. So ask him now to come now into your heart with the same love he entered the lives and hearts of Mary and all the saints. |
Make it Longer...
A quick visit to the Blessed Sacrament is just that, quick. A chance to pray in the Real Presence of Jesus as you go about your day. If you can spend a little more time here is a helpful suggestion.
Talk to Jesus
This might seem obvious. There are sometimes, however, we struggle to begin the conversation. Remember to be yourself, Jesus knows you and he loves you. He is interested in your life, and he is so pleased that you have come to spend time in his presence in church. Talk to Jesus, tell him about your day, about your week, about your family, your hopes, dreams. Tell Jesus about your struggles. Ask him for his help, ask him for his guidance, ask him for courage, for love, for generosity. Ask him to help you pray. Try and resist the urge to plan your day, or think about how your life might be better if... That is thinking about ourselves in Jesus presence. It is much better to tell Jesus. It is always good to set a time limit and stick to it. If you run out of things to say, just be still. If your time is up, it is better to carry on with your day and look forward to coming back to Jesus. |
The Holy Rosary
This is a wonderful prayer and help us to pray especially if we have wondering mind, or are really distracted. The gentle repetition of prayer helps us to settle and refocus our mind and heart away from ourself to asking Mary for her prayers as we contemplate the life of Jesus. If you search how to pray the rosary, you will find lots of resources to help. You can even find recordings which you can listen to with earphones. |
Keep it going...
If time allows, you can make a Holy Hour. An hour might seem a long time at first, so build up to it gently first. You can do it though! It is truly wonderful what God can do for your life if you let him have just one hour! Use the suggestions above but a time of reading and praying with the Scriptures. This often called Lectio divina which is holy reading.
Praying with the Scriptures
On the newsletter each week you will find the readings for Sundays Holy Mass. These are a great way of using readings from the Bible for prayer.
Read It
Start with the Gospel. Read it through slowly and carefully. Start to become familiar with the reading. Are there unfamiliar words or phrases that you like, or don't understand, images that come to mind. You might need to read it through a few times and perhaps more slowly each time.
Think on It
The Word of God is alive and active. God's word speaks to us. What might be the passage you are reading be speaking to you? If there are words, phrases, or images, and even thoughts that spring from the passage. Now is the time to ponder them gently. Use them as a way of speaking with God. Use them as a way of listening to God. The goal is not to be seeking answers or working out what does Jesus mean by this or that passage. Sometimes we might not know for a few days what the Lord might be saying to us, but it is good to rest with what God might be saying.
Pray with It
Let the reading lead you to prayer. These might be praying for particular people who have come to mind as you have spent time with the Lord listening to his Word. The passage might inspire you to pray about areas of your own life, put that prayer to words and speak with the Lord. You might feel like praying for things taking place in the world. It is not just about asking, we can pray for forgiveness. We can pray in thanksgiving for the blessings we have received.
Be with It
This last part is about resting with God. After a lovely meal in good company, there is often a moment of silence where everyone around the table is full and truly content. In God's presence, that is prayer. To be content to be still and quiet in his presence. We have read his word, thought about it, prayed with it, now offers us a time of stillness, and perhaps let God speak into the depths of our heart so that we can know his presence as we go back to our homes.
Always end a time of prayer with thanks and for the grace to know the Lord throughout the day.
On the newsletter each week you will find the readings for Sundays Holy Mass. These are a great way of using readings from the Bible for prayer.
Read It
Start with the Gospel. Read it through slowly and carefully. Start to become familiar with the reading. Are there unfamiliar words or phrases that you like, or don't understand, images that come to mind. You might need to read it through a few times and perhaps more slowly each time.
Think on It
The Word of God is alive and active. God's word speaks to us. What might be the passage you are reading be speaking to you? If there are words, phrases, or images, and even thoughts that spring from the passage. Now is the time to ponder them gently. Use them as a way of speaking with God. Use them as a way of listening to God. The goal is not to be seeking answers or working out what does Jesus mean by this or that passage. Sometimes we might not know for a few days what the Lord might be saying to us, but it is good to rest with what God might be saying.
Pray with It
Let the reading lead you to prayer. These might be praying for particular people who have come to mind as you have spent time with the Lord listening to his Word. The passage might inspire you to pray about areas of your own life, put that prayer to words and speak with the Lord. You might feel like praying for things taking place in the world. It is not just about asking, we can pray for forgiveness. We can pray in thanksgiving for the blessings we have received.
Be with It
This last part is about resting with God. After a lovely meal in good company, there is often a moment of silence where everyone around the table is full and truly content. In God's presence, that is prayer. To be content to be still and quiet in his presence. We have read his word, thought about it, prayed with it, now offers us a time of stillness, and perhaps let God speak into the depths of our heart so that we can know his presence as we go back to our homes.
Always end a time of prayer with thanks and for the grace to know the Lord throughout the day.