1. How Do We Pray?
Liturgical Prayer

2. Introduction
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 3.16
This quote from John 3:16 – you see it on signs all the time – is really at the base of anything we have to say about prayer.
Prayer is
Gift
God has given us the ability to reflect, to express ourselves and so to pray
God had given thousands of examples of prayer in nature, in the Old Testament
Jesus is the prayer of God in human form
When God gave us the Son we received the perfect example of prayer
Belief
Prayer is one expression of the gift of faith
God believes in us and so seeks us
We believe in God and so seek God in prayer
Love – as long as we have been:
God has been seeking us for
God has loved us
We have loved God’s creation
Love – proofs of God’s love
The Flood
The Exodus from Egypt
The 10 Commandments of Life
The Prophets
The Scriptures
The community in which we live
And above all this – Jesus
Discussion Questions:
How would you describe prayer?
Are there better and more difficult times of the day and places in the world for you to pray?
How does your prayer express your love of God and neighbor?

3. Part One:
Understanding Prayer

4. What is Prayer? There are many ways of describing prayer:
Lifting up mind and heart to God;
Encounter or union with God;
Talking and listening to God;
Pouring out our heart to God;
Offering our life to God.
Here are several ways of describing prayer:
What is common to all the descriptions?
God, of course – prayer is always about God
Communication – prayer is about being heard in the courts of our God, to be able to speak our truths, to make our case, to say what is most important to us and what is deepest in our souls
Dialogue – prayer is always seen as being a conversation with God. Let’s think about that some more.
Discussions Questions:
We know that God hears us in prayer. How do you experience this?
How do you know that God wants to hear all that is in our hearts?
What do you do when you feel that God is not hearing your prayers?

5. Prayer as Dialogue Two essential elements of dialogue:
God talks – we listen;
We respond – God hears.
Why doesn’t everyone pray?
God talks to all people;
Not all can hear or respond.
God takes the initiative in love by inviting us into a covenant relationship. God gives us the means to be in a covenant as a free gift.
Prayer forms and deepens that relationship;
God’s Spirit prays within us and allows us to transcend earth and commune with God.
We respond to the invitation from God in prayer – that is the essence of belief.
Prayer expresses our love for God
We pray in response to God’s invitation;
We pray because it is right and just to give thanks to God;
We pray to draw closer to God.
We express our dependency on God;
We should ask for the specific things we need: healing, forgiveness, guidance or assistance;
We confess and ask forgiveness for our sins;
We express our deepest thoughts or emotions.
What about those without faith? Why doesn’t everyone believe and pray?
We believe in the universal saving will of God. God wants us all to believe and we teach that God invites everyone to this relationship. God is speaking to everyone, each in their own way
Some people cannot hear – the troubles of their lives, evil in the world, any one of a thousand things can make so much noise that people can’t hear God
Some people choose not to hear – this is more difficult to understand, but it is possible. The reasons people give for not responding to God
The problem of evil in the world – wars in the name of religion – why does God allow evil, especially when carried out in God’s own name?
The hypocrisy of believers – why don’t we act the way we talk
Personal experiences – they have been treated poorly by members of a faith community
Discussion Questions
Do you talk to people about prayer? What reasons do you hear from people who don’t pray?

6. Two Types of Prayer Devotional Prayer Liturgical Prayer
When we think about prayer, we know almost instinctively that there are two different types of prayer experience.
One seems more spontaneous, flowing from the personal experience of the believer – it is the cry of desperation from the bottom of the pit of life or the shout of joy from the mountaintop.
The other is more formal, it is the prayer of daily life, the ongoing response of all Christians, and as such is often done in common.
But these are generalizations, and as we will see, each form has elements of the other.
Discussion Questions
What are the main forms of devotional prayer? Of Liturgical prayer?
How would you distinguish the two?

7. Devotional Prayer
Praying to Christ, the Holy Spirit, Mary or the saints;
For personal intentions and concerns;
Examples: Rosary, Stations of the Cross, novenas, etc.);
Is always prayer for God’s free and merciful action in the world.
Devotional prayer nourishes our relationship with Christ and the Communion of Saints; allows us to enter more deeply into the mystery of the mystical Body of Christ;
It allows us to focus our prayer around personal concerns and can help energize us for work in the world;
These types of prayer – see examples - call us deeper into liturgical participation.
Needs to avoid any magical claims – there is no validity to claims that a certain devotion results in God acting a certain way. We do not ever believe that we can control God’s will.
Discussion Questions
What is the importance of devotional prayer? Why do we need it?
What do you do when you receive prayers that have promises associated with them (or threats of bad things happening if you don’t use them)?

8. Liturgical Prayer
Praying together to the Father in union with Christ through the Holy Spirit;
For the glory of God and the mission of Christ;
Examples: Sacraments, Eucharist, Funeral, Morning and Evening Prayer, etc.
“Liturgy” means “public work” so liturgical prayer is always the prayer of the whole Church, even if no one else if physically present when you pray.
It is always Trinitarian prayer.
It is the public worship the Church gives and owes to God; it is the means by which the work of Christ is celebrated and perpetuated in the world.
It involves ritual, the combination of:
Words (prayers, chants and readings, etc.)
Actions (processions, sprinkling with holy Water, sign of the cross, singing…)
Gestures (genuflections, bows, standing, sitting, kneeling, etc.)
Silence
Discussion Questions
What is the importance of liturgical prayer? Why do we need it?
What is the role of the Priest in all of this?

9. Liturgical and Devotional Prayer
Liturgical prayer builds on devotional prayer;
Devotions lead to liturgy
Devotional prayer strengthens our bond with Christ, so that we may pray in union with Christ in liturgical prayer.
Devotional prayer flows into the liturgy and can bring us to a deeper understanding of the connection between liturgy and daily life.
Devotions lead to liturgy
Stations of the Cross – Lenten observance
Angelus – Mystery of the Incarnation
Rosary – Paschal Mystery
Scripture reading – All Liturgical Seasons
And all devotion ultimately needs to lead to Eucharist – if it does not it is not truly a Christian devotion
Discussion Questions
How does going to Mass help you pray the rosary?
How could your devotional prayer (rossary, etc.) change during different liturgical seasons?

10. Essential Differences
Liturgical Prayer
Devotional Prayer
Is normally directed to God the Father;
Is the prayer of the “totus Chistus”, the whole Christ, Head (Christ) and Body (church) offered to the Father.
Is for the glory of God and the sanctification of all people.
Is directed to Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary or one of the saints;
Is the prayer of one member of the Body of Christ to another;
Is for personal intentions and concerns or for the concerns of friends and community.
The difference between devotional and liturgical prayer might be explained by the difference between eating and dining.
Eating is for nourishment, whether eating alone or with others.
Dining is also for nourishment, but recognizes the necessity and importance of social interaction that takes place among those at table.
The diagram on the next page shows these differences graphically.
Discussion Questions – see next slide

11. Prayer of the Body of Christ to God the Father
Mary
Saints
Christ
Mary Saints
BODY OF CHRIST
Brothers and Sisters
MEMBER OF THE BODY
Discussion Questions
What is the appeal of praying “within the Body of Christ”?
What do you have to give up in order to have the support of the body in approaching God the Father?
Brothers and Sisters
Liturgical Prayer
Prayer of the Body of Christ to God the Father
Devotion
Prayer within the
Body of Christ

12. Liturgical Prayer Recognizes the 2 bars that forms the Cross.
The vertical bar symbolizes our relationship with God.
The horizontal bar recognizes our relationship with one another in the Body of Christ.
This symbolic relation to the cross is also a theological one. All liturgical prayer is the prayer of the cross:
Imitates Christ on the Cross
Begs for the saving power of the Cross
Takes on our own sufferings
Focuses our attention on the paschal mystery of Christ’s saving acts: his life, death, resurrection, ascension and sending of the Holy Spirit
All prayer is directed to and through the sacrifice of the Cross, and so to the altar which is the altar of the cross in our churches. All prayer, all liturgy should therefore have the altar as its focus.
Discussion Questions
When someone is baptized, how is this related to the two arms of the cross? To the mystery of Christ’s life and saving acts?
How do we see them mystery of the Cross included in the liturgy of the Mass?

13. Discussion Questions
1. What is most appealing about devotional prayer?
2. What is your favourite way of praying?
3. How can we emphasize praising and giving thanks to God in prayer?
4. How can we promote silence in prayer?
5. List some personal and universal intentions for prayer.
6. Can you list some prayers that glorify God? ...that pray for the salvation of the world?

14. The Eucharistic Prayer
Part Two:
The Eucharistic Prayer

15. Form of Eucharistic Prayers
Comes from our Jewish heritage;
Scriptural;
Based in Tradition.
Jesus used the traditional Jewish Prayer of Blessing at the Last Supper.
Since all knew the “Prayer,” the Gospels only record the new element Jesus added.
Adding a narrative was a common element to Jewish meal prayers on special occasions, that gave a focused meaning to the feast and prayer.
Discussion Questions
How does the prayer at Eucharist sound like prayers you would use at table in your home?
What makes this prayer a special occasion?

16. Origins of the Eucharistic Prayer
Jewish Prayers of Thanksgiving:
Bless, remember, ask, acclaim;
Used to thank God for the gifts of creation, revelation and salvation;
Added a remembrance of God’s specific acts related to high holy days;
Gave the structure to Eucharistic Prayer.
included 4 elements:
Blessing God, that is, giving thanks for what God has done;
Remembering/naming some of God’s saving deeds;
Petitions that flow from thanking God;
An acclamation by all the people present.
A Narrative of the Feast was added on special occasions
Like Jewish Prayers we thank God for the gifts of creation, revelation and salvation, now seen in light of Christ.
All things were created through Christ.
Christ is the revelation of the Father by the Holy Spirit.
Christ is our salvation, the Way, the Truth and the Light.
Discussion Questions
Design a prayer based on the bless/remember/ask/acclaim model for use at your table this week.
What kinds of things can we remember when we are praying in this style? What can we ask for?

17. Christian Liturgical Prayers
You – Addressed to the Father;
Who – celebrate what God has done, often in Christ;
Do – Asks God to act through the power of the Holy Spirit;
Through Christ our Lord – who is our intercessor and mediator;
Liturgical prayer is Trinitarian prayer.
Trinitarian in nature.
Are addressed to God the Father.
Are Christological, about the mighty deeds of God done through Christ and mediated through Christ.
Invoke and make present God’s saving action among us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Discussion Questions
What other prayers do you know that involve all the members of the Trinity?
When would we not pray to all three members of the Trinity?

18. The Eucharistic Prayer
Follows similar pattern as Jewish prayer:
Invite all to pray; and bless and give thanks to God with added acclamation;
Remembering God’s saving deeds through Christ; added remembrance of Last Supper in place of high holy day remembrance
Offering in the Spirit the petitions for the Church and the mission of Christ
Final Acclamation
The basic structure of the Eucharistic Prayer in the Roman Rite includes the following:
The invitation to prayer is expanded to name the prayer as a prayer of thanksgiving (of eucharist)
Especially in the preface there is a focus on the many reasons why we should be giving thanks – those praying should be so filled with gratitude that they can’t control themselves and so there is the added acclamation – the Holy, Holy, Holy.
The recollection of God’s saving acts finds its high point in the Last Supper. The words of consecration are therefore an integral part of the remembrance of God’s mighty deeds – in a way, they sum up all that God has ever done. The words of Institution of the Eucharist make sense as a prayer when they are inserted in the larger context. They are the consecratory part of a consecratory prayer.
The prayer has two invocations of the Holy Spirit – both are prayers for us – that the elements be changed for us and that we be changed in order to worthily receive them. The rest of the intercessions are for the dead, the living, and in particular for the Church in its mission.
At the end, the elements, now Christ’s own body and blood are presented to God the Father as a sign that God is in fact worthy of all praise, honour and glory for all times and in all places. To those words of praise, the only response we have left is, “Amen!”
Discussion Questions
What do you find most rewarding and most challenging about the Eucharistic Prayer?
How would knowing the structure of the Eucharistic Prayer help you to pray it?

19. Thanksgiving — The Preface
The Preface Dialogue - Invitation to prayer and thanksgiving:
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
V. Lift up your hearts.
R. We lift them up to the Lord.
V. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
R. It is right and just.
This dialogue begins as any prayer dialogue – its origins are in the cultural life of Israel. The greeting finds its parallel in the Old Testament when Ruth and Boaz greet each other in the fields of Israel (Ruth 2 is The Lord be with you. The Lord bless you.) It is also in several greetings of the Apostle Paul –
Galatians 6.18:May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
Philippians 4.23:The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5.23:May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 4.22:The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
Philemon 1.25:The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.*
Joseph Jungman, in his work, The Mass of the Roman Rite speaks of it as a normal greeting of mutual recognition.
The second dialogue names the activity – we are praying, lifting up our hearts – The response in Latin - Habemus is not the verb to lift – it means we have them – as in our hearts are already with God, wherever that might be.
The third names this prayer – it is a great prayer of thanksgiving to God, and as we shall see, above all it is a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the gift of Jesus, present with us even now by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Discussion Questions
What is the normal greeting that you use when you meet or say goodbye to someone you know well?
How do your normal greetings affirm other people?
What special greetings do you use during the course of the year?
Does the Preface Dialogue help you to see the importance of what comes next?

20. Thanksgiving – The Preface
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, (through Christ, our Lord…)
Other starting sentences for:
Easter;
Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph;
Angels.
The standard beginning reads as follows:
“It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, (through Christ, our Lord)…
In all cases the preface leads from the dialogue that – the people say it is right and just and the priest agrees. Note that it is the Father that is being praised. If some aspect of Christ’s life is the reason for the thanks, then “through Christ our Lord” is added.
The priest then goes on to name the specific reasons for thanksgiving (eucharistia) on this day, in this season. The people should be thinking of their own reasons for thanking God – and as this list of reasons for praising God comes to a crescendo, the Holy, Holy, Holy is the logical conclusion. We are so filled with thanks and praise that all we can do is to acclaim God’s holiness.
There are alternates to this first sentence for special seasons and persons:
Easter
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
at all times to acclaim you, O Lord,
but in this time above all to laud you yet more gloriously,
when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.
Some celebrations of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
and to praise, bless, and glorify your name
(on the feast day / in veneration)
of the Blessed ever-Virgin Mary.
to praise your mighty deeds in the exaltation of all the Saints,
and especially, as we celebrate the memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
to proclaim your kindness as we echo her thankful hymn of praise.
and to proclaim your greatness with due praise,
as we honour the Blessed Virgin Mary.
St. Joseph
and on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph
to give you fitting praise,
to glorify you and bless you.
Angels
and to praise you without end
in your Archangels and Angels.
Discussion Questions
Why is it our duty to give thanks to the Father?
Why would there be a special beginning to this prayer for Easter, for Mary and Joseph, and for the Angels?

21. Thanksgiving — Holy, Holy, Holy
“And so, with Angels and Archangels, with Thrones and Dominions, and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven, we sing the hymn of your glory, as without end we acclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
There Holy, Holy, Holy is an acclamation of praise growing out of the Preface. While the Preface ends in many ways, this is the most common form. It refers to five of the nine ranks of angels, specifically those listed in the new testament. The Seraphim, Cherubim, Virtues and Principalities are the other four. It does match the hierarch of St. Jerome, again with the exception of Seraphim and Cherubim, who appear exclusively in the Old Testament.
New Testament references:
Ephesians 1:21: far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
Colossians 1:16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—
The Holy, Holy, Holy itself is really a conflation of several passages of praise from the Scriptures:
Isaiah 6.3:
And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.’
Psalm :
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
   We bless you from the house of the Lord.
Matthew 21.9:
The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!    Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
Matthew :
‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate.* For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’
Mark 11.9:
Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna!    Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Luke 13.35:
See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when* you say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” ’
Luke 19.38:
saying, ‘Blessed is the king    who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven,    and glory in the highest heaven!’
The term “hosts” here does not refer to the Eucharist, rather it refers to all the company of heaven, it is a translation of the Hebrew word, “Sabaoth” which was not translated in the Latin.
Discussion Questions
How does the list of the choirs of heaven help us to acclaim God in the Holy, Holy, Holy?
What do we mean when we say, “Blessed is he who comes….”?

22. The Narrative — What Jesus Did
“At the time he was betrayed and entered willingly into his Passion, he took bread and, giving thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: TAKE THIS…”
“In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice and, once more giving thanks, he gave it to his disciples, saying: TAKE THIS…”
This passage is the core memorial and consecration of the elements.
It is scriptural, but makes use of other moments in the life of Jesus.
Eucharistic Prayer I
On the day before he was to suffer,
he took bread in his holy and venerable hands,
and with eyes raised to heaven
to you, O God, his almighty Father,
giving you thanks, he said the blessing,
broke the bread
and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
for this is my Body,
which will be given up for you.
Matthew 26.26:
While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’
Mark 14.22:
While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take; this is my body.’
Luke 22.19:
Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’
1 Corinthians :
the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’
There is no reference to the hands of Jesus in any of the Last Supper accounts. But his hands are mentioned often in the accounts of healing and blessing throughout his ministry.
The action of Jesus raising his eyes is not mentioned at the institution narrative, but is mentioned in the miracle of the loaves and fishes - Matthew 14:19, Mark 6:41, Luke 9:16, at the raising of Lazarus - John 11:41, and during the Last Supper discourse John 17:1
In a similar way, when supper was ended,
he took this precious chalice
in his holy and venerable hands,
and once more giving you thanks, he said the blessing
and gave the chalice to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
for this is the chalice of my Blood,
the Blood of the new and eternal covenant,
which will be poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.
Matthew 26:27-28 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Mark 14:23-24 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
Luke 22:20-21 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table.
1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’
The English translators indicated that the reference to “chalice,” as opposed to “cup,” was to indicate that the vessel used was a chalice to be shared, not an individual cup.
Some have wondered what the words “the many” mean. Didn’t Jesus die for all people? Yes, he did, and so here “the many” must be understood to mean the multitudes, that is for the whole world.
Discussion Questions
What aspect of this part of the prayer surprises you the most? Why?
What importance is there in the details like Jesus looking up to heaven?
What do we learn from the differences between the Gospel accounts of the Last Supper?
EP II

23. Remembering — Memorial Acclamation
The Mystery of Faith:
We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again.
Save us, Saviour of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection, you have set us free.
The Memorial Acclamation is in anticipation of the words that are about to follow. Once we have remembered the events of the Last Supper and have the consecrated elements before us, we have something worthy of offering to God. The next section of the prayer will be the twin actions of memorial and offering. Remembering what God has done in Christ, we offer Christ to God.
There are three acclamations as opposed to the four we used to have. Christ has died, the first one in the former Missal, was never in the Latin, but was approved for use at this moment. There is nothing wrong with saying that Christ has died, is risen and will come again, but since it was an addition it is not present in the current Missal.
#1 in the current Missal replaces “Dying, you destroyed….” And #3 replaces “Lord, by your cross….”
Discussion Questions
What is the “Mystery of Faith”?
What would your personal Memorial Acclamation of Jesus be?

24. Memorial/Offering
“Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the saving Passion of your Son, his wondrous Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, and as we look forward to his second coming, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice.
EP III
This is the Memorial we just introduced by the Memorial Acclamation.
What are we remembering? The paschal mystery:
The Passion
The Resurrection
The Ascension
The second coming
Somehow, as part of the memorial, we are able remember a future event. Because all time is present to God, this makes sense, and because of our faith, the second coming is a fact, not a hope, and so we can recall that it is already a reality in God’s eyes.
What do we offer God? The sacrifice of Jesus – it is the only worthy thing we have.
Discussion Questions
What are the most important elements that would sum up your own life?
With Jesus, what else are we offering to God?
What does the second coming mean to you?

25. Acceptance of the Offering
“Look, we pray, upon the oblation of your Church and, recognizing the sacrificial Victim by whose death you willed to reconcile us to yourself,….”
EP III
This is the prayer for acceptance of the offering. We ask God to see what we see: the sacrifice of Jesus.
What we ask for here, then, is that God see in our Eucharist an action of the whole Church, almost reminding God of the promised salvation that comes through the paschal mystery.
Discussion Questions
Could God choose not to accept our offering of the Mass? Why or why not?

26. Invocation of the Spirit
“Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
EP II
“Humbly we pray that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.”
In the Eucharistic Prayer there are two requests for something to happen during the celebration.
The first comes before the Institution Narrative, asking that the gifts be consecrated, that they become the Body and Blood of Jesus.
The second comes afterwards and asks that through communion we might become one.
In Eucharistic Prayers II, III IV, and other modern prayers, both of these requests are made for the action of the Holy Spirit.
In both requests, the action is to affect us – the change in the elements is so that they “become for us” – this does not mean that faith is required for the presence to be real, it does mean that the presence is real in order to feed our faith.
In Eucharistic Prayer I the first request asks the Father to act directly, but in a spiritual way:
Be pleased, O God, we pray,
to bless, acknowledge,
and approve this offering in every respect;
make it spiritual and acceptable,
so that it may become for us
the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ.
The second request asks for the agency of the Angel of God:
In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God:
command that these gifts be borne
by the hands of your holy Angel
to your altar on high
in the sight of your divine majesty,
so that all of us, who through this participation at the altar
receive the most holy Body and Blood of your Son,
may be filled with every grace and heavenly blessing.
In all these cases, whenever these prayers of invocation are said, the faithful should make an internal prayer, asking that the Holy Spirit descend upon them in a particular way.
Discussion Questions
What does the presence of the Holy Spirit accomplish in our lives?
What does it mean to have the Holy Spirit come like the dew?

27. The Petitions for the Church
“Remember, Lord, your Church, spread throughout the world, and bring her to the fullness of charity, together with N. our Pope and N. our Bishop and all the clergy.
“Remember also our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy: welcome them into the light of your face….”
EP II
With Christ present on the altar, in the priest, in the word, in the assembly, and with God already listening and the Spirit acting, it seems like an especially good time to be praying for the needs of the Church.
We pray first of all for the Church alive and well in the world, but then we also pray for those members of the Church who have died, whether or not they were explicit members of our Catholic community. This is an important ecumenical and interfaith gesture; it is also a recollection that we do not judge, we do not know who has died in God’s mercy.
As the priest says these words, the faithful should be recalling and praying for the Church, and for those among the departed that they would like to recall, whether they are family or friends, few or many, long dead or recently deceased.
Discussion Questions
What does the light of God’s face mean?
What should we pray for when these intercessions are being prayed?

28. Petitions for the Future
“Have mercy on us all, we pray, that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with the blessed Apostles, and all the Saints who have pleased you throughout the ages, we may merit to be coheirs to eternal life, and may praise and glorify you through your Son, Jesus Christ.”
EP II
Then we pray for ourselves, members of the Church, and for our ultimate hope, life forever in God.
As these words are said, all those things in our lives that are causing us grief, all those things that are getting in the way of living the life of grace, these should be on our minds and brought to the altar of God.
Discussion Questions
Why do we invoke Mary, the Apostles and the Saints when we pray about eternal life?
When else do we invoke Mary’s name in this way?
What will be our main job in heaven?

29. Doxology and Amen “Through him, and with him, and in him,
O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honour is yours,
for ever and ever.
Amen.”
In the end, this great prayer of thanks becomes a prayer of praise: the Priest and Deacon lift the elements, and recalling the Preface Dialogue, we lift our hearts too in praise of the God who comes to us today, who comes to nourish our faith and to help us as we walk the pilgrim road. The Amen at the conclusion of this prayer should sum up all that has come before, and so should be truly a “Great Amen.”
Discussion Questions
Who is the him in this prayer? How do we know this?
This doxology summarizes the prayer – how would you summarize your own life to this point?

30. Discussion Questions
1. Look at the Lord’s Prayer in terms of the parts of liturgical prayer, (that is, praising, remembering and asking).
2. Which is your favourite Eucharistic Prayer and why?
3. What do the words “living sacrifice” refer to in Eucharistic Prayer III?

31. Part Three:
How we Pray

32. Prayer on Earth – Prayer in Heaven
In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God: command that these gifts be borne by the hands of your holy Angel to your altar on high.
EP I
Even at Mass we stay in our bodies firmly planted here on earth, and it is with these bodies that pray to God in the liturgy and serve God with our lives.
Therefore the Eucharistic Prayer is rightly the prayer of a human body. We know this because of the number of directives for physical actions given to the priest, and some for the people, that occur during the prayer.
Discussion Questions
Does our body matter when we are praying? Why? How?
How do we use our body to pray?

33. Prayer of the Body
Prayer is a human activity in response to God’s loving action;
We pray with our body, soul and mind;
Through our body we express what is in our heart;
What we see, hear, smell, taste and touch engages us in the mystery of God’s presence.
Discussion Questions
What parts of our body do we use when we pray? What is special about these parts?
How do we use our senses to know of God’s presence?

34. Actions of Prayer
Prayer expresses itself in our speaking, singing, listening, processing, and acclaiming;
These rituals express and make visible our love for God;
They affirm our common faith;
They integrate body and soul in worship;
They unite the Body of Christ in one action.
Discussion Questions
What difference does singing make in our worship?
When do we go in a procession? How does this add to our prayer?
How do common actions help us to be one body?

35. Postures and Gestures of Prayer
Prayer involves our posture: standing, sitting, bowing, genuflecting, kneeling, etc.
It uses gestures and actions, such as, the sign of the cross, the way we hold our hands, processions, presenting gifts, processing and receiving Communion, eating and drinking the Body and Blood of Christ, etc.
Discussion Questions
What do the various postures of prayer mean:
Sitting?
Standing?
Kneeling?
Bowing?
What other postures are used in prayer and what do they mean?
Are postures effective even if you don’t know what they mean?

36. Silence
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
Romans 8:26
Why Silence?
We listen to God;
We reflect on what God said;
We prepare to do what God requests;
We allow the Holy Spirit to help us formulate our thoughts and prayers.
Discussion Questions
Do you have enough silence in your life? Why or why not?
Do you feel the presence of God in your silent prayer?
If so, how long do you have to be silent before you feel the presence of God?
Is silence necessary in order to know God is near?

37. Entrance into Mystery
Through the prayers and rites, God invites us to immerse ourselves in the mystery of the Trinity and Christ’s new life;
In prayer, God enters into dialogue with us;
The goal of prayer is intimate union with God:
through Christ, who shared our humanity, we share his divinity.
Discussion Questions
What will be the main difference in your attitude the next time you go to Church?
How will your devotional life change?

38. We end as we began Slide 38 “For God so loved the world
that He gave His only Son
so that everyone who believes in Him
may not perish
but may have eternal life.”2
2 John 3.16 (NRSV translation)

39. Discussion Questions Slide 39
1. List some of the actions of the Eucharist that appeal to you? ...That don’t? Why?
2. How do we pray with our body?
3. List some ways that the Mass can appeal to our senses?
4. Which is the most difficult way or ways to participate in the Eucharist? ..Which
are the easiest?

40. Copyright © 2010, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, (Concacan, Inc)
2500 Don Reid Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 2J2 Canada
This material has been prepared by the National Liturgical Office of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
It may be freely used to prepare for the Implementation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) and new translation the Roman Missal (RM).
It may not be changed or altered without prior permission of the National Liturgical Office.
Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); All rights reserved. 40