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WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4028 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2020-05-20 14:21:54 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-05-20 14:21:54 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#approaching-prayer-for-kids">How to Approach Prayer for Kids</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#morning-prayer-for-kids">Morning Prayer for Kids</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#nighttime-prayer-for-children">Nighttime Prayer for Children</a><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#childrens-bedtime-prayers">Children's Bedtime Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#simple-childrens-prayers">Simple Children's Prayers - Anytime and Meals</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#hallow-kids">Hallow Kids</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Figuring out how to pray with kids can sometimes be difficult.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">However, instilling the habit of prayer into children at a young age can have a lifelong impact. The <a href="https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/who-we-teach/children">USCCB reminds us</a> that “Parents are also the most effective catechists of prayer for their young children.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p id="approaching-prayer-for-kids" class="">Hallow can help. We’re sharing a few tips and resources–like Hallow Kids–to make this family time more manageable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Prayer for Kids: How to Approach It</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":10876,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/How-to-Pray-1500-x-900-1-1024x614.png" alt="What to consider when praying with kids: Hallow" class="wp-image-10876"/></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Praying as a family is a hard habit to build in normal circumstances, let alone a global pandemic. Many of us have been home with more family time than usual. While this presents many challenges, it also brings with it the opportunity to pray together as we navigate this time.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We reached out to a number of families of all sizes and ages and asked for their wisdom in <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/">how to pray</a> together, with kids. Overwhelmingly they emphasized the importance of:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Praying Consistently</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s helpful to be consistent in both how <em>and</em> when you pray, so kids know what to expect every day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Introducing Creative Prayers</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Focus on saying prayers that ignite children’s imaginations and show them how to be quiet with God. This could be sharing gratitudes in a fun way, drawing a picture for God, or any other ways that work for your kids.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Making Prayers for Kids Approachable</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Praying within a manageable time frame of prayer is important to keep kids engaged. For younger children, this is likely less than 5 minutes. For older children, 10-15 minutes of prayer might work. As you know that you might have to work to build up the length of time kiddos can stay engaged, we recommend starting with 1 minute of prayer and gradually adding more time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Being Open With Your Faith</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s crucial to be open about your faith — both the peace it brings you and the struggles you have. They might ask you some questions, so be patient and do your best.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The home is the first place kids experience the love of God, and there is no better way for them to witness God’s love than through your example. The best way for children to get to know their heavenly Father and Holy Mother can be through the love and forgiveness of their parental figures on earth.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Even if you aim to be consistent, approachable, creative and open in the prayer life that you share with your children, the logistics of it can still be challenging.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Anchoring your prayer around the existing structure of the day–and the natural opportunities for prayer that it provides–can be one way to build prayer with your children into busy schedules.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p id="morning-prayer-for-kids" class="">Here are ideas for different ways of praying throughout your day, but know that this is not supposed to be overwhelming; life is hard enough right now, without adding more to your plate. So, <strong>choose just one time of day and one type of prayer</strong>, and see what works best for your family.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Morning Prayer for Kids</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":10877,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"custom","className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://hallow.app.link/blogdownload"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/How-to-Pray-1500-x-900-2-1024x614.png" alt="Morning prayer with children | Hallow" class="wp-image-10877"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Start your day with the Hallow’s Family Prayer Morning session, which includes a song, psalm, and time for you to talk about the day ahead.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Pray together a simple “Come, Holy Spirit.”&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul id="nighttime-prayer-for-children" class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Begin your meal time with grace and share how your day is going so far.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>If you have quiet time after lunch, encourage your kids to spend some time with Jesus. Give them religious <a href="https://www.christianbook.com/found-psalm-23-sally-lloyd-jones/9780310757504/pd/757504?en=google&amp;event=SHOP&amp;kw=childrens-books-0-20%7C757504&amp;p=1179710&amp;dv=c&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMItquiu6Wi6wIVEdvACh2RSgjOEAQYAiABEgJdOPD_BwE">books</a>, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/AlmondRodToys">saint blocks</a> to play with, or have them journal if they are older.&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Nighttime Prayer for Children</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The evening can be a great opportunity to weave in prayer with your children, starting with dinner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul id="childrens-bedtime-prayers" class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Try Hallow’s Family Prayer Dinner session: includes grace and fun discussion questions to talk about together.&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Make your own Litany of Saints: have each member of your family choose their favorite saints, write them down, and pray together “St. (fill in name), pray for us.”&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Children’s Bedtime Prayers</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Pray this simple prayer: <em>Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; Thy angels watch me through the night, and keep me safe till morning’s light. Amen.&nbsp;</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Consider this short prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours: <em>Lord, give our bodies restful sleep and let the work we have done today bear fruit in eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. — Amen.</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Read Bible Bedtime Stories with Hallow Kids.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Choose a Hallow challenge to work through such as <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-with-saints/">Saints</a> (really popular with kids!) or <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-our-father/">Our Father</a>.&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Choose a passage from the Bible to pray with imaginative prayer. The Nativity (Luke 2), Jesus walking on water (Matthew 14:22), and Jesus healing the paralytic (Mark 2) are all great ones to try. Read the passage a few times, ask kids to imagine themselves in the story, and talk about what it would have been like to be there.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Try Hallow’s Family Prayer Evening session, which includes Scripture, time to share intentions, and closes with the Salve Regina.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Check out Hallow’s sleep section! There are Sleep Bible Stories, Saint prayers, the Hail Mary quietly prayed on repeat, and other meditations. Start with the shortest lengths and pray together with your kids as you tuck them in.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:image {"id":10878,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"custom","className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://hallow.app.link/blogdownload"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/How-to-Pray-1500-x-900-3-1024x614.png" alt="" class="wp-image-10878"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="simple-childrens-prayers">Simple Children’s Prayers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If you’re looking for an “anytime” children’s prayer, we’ve got you covered. Consider the following simple children’s prayers that children can embrace regardless of the time of day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This prayer <a href="https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/childrens-prayer-image.pdf">from the USCCB</a> helps teach children the beauty of God’s creation:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Loving Father,</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Thank you for the many beautiful colors</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>and languages of the world</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>and for making all your children unique.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Thank you for creating me in your image.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Thank you for loving me and making me wonderful.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Help me to love like you.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Help me to share your love</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>with all the children you have made,</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>for they are unique and wonderful.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Amen.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>~ USCCB</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This short <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/thanksgiving-prayer/">prayer of thanksgiving</a> is easy for kids to remember and can work for any meal:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote" id="hallow-kids"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Thank you, God, for this delicious food, Thank you, God, for all that’s good! Amen.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hallow Kids–Your One-Stop Resource for Catholic Children’s Prayers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow is excited now to offer Hallow Kids–prayers and sessions designed specifically for children.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Highlighting our Hallow Kids prayers are our Bible Bedtime stories featuring, prominent Catholic actor Mario Lopez and Catholic comedian Jennifer Fulwiler.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We hope that you and your children are able to feel peace, deepen your relationship with God, and sleep soundly every night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If you're looking for how to pray for your kids, check out our guide on <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-children-how-to-pray-for-your-child/">how to pray for your child (prayers for your children.)</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Related Prayers</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/7-sorrows/">How to Pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-our-father/">How to Pray the Lord's Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-st-therese-novena/">How to Pray the St. Thérèse&nbsp;Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-mary-undoer-of-knots-novena/">How to Pray the Mary, Undoer of Knots Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/">How to Pray the Divine Mercy Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-week-for-kids/">Holy Week for Kids</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/blogdownload">Download the Hallow app</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> [post_title] => How to Pray With Kids - A Guide to Catholic Children’s Prayers [post_excerpt] => Learn how to pray together as a family. 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WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4016 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2020-05-01 13:58:32 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-05-01 13:58:32 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">A novena is a method of prayer in which we pray for the same petition or devotion for nine consecutive days. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Acts 1:14</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-novena">What is a novena? </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-origin">Origin</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This Catholic prayer practice likely originated from the "first novena" shared in the Acts of the Apostles. Before <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/feast-of-the-ascension-of-the-lord/">Jesus ascended</a> into Heaven, the disciples gathered together to ask him about the restoration of Israel. Jesus said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.^&nbsp;But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,&nbsp;and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1: 7-8). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">So the disciples and Mary waited together, praying for the <a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/14/prayer-to-the-holy-spirit-and-other-holy-spirit-prayers/">Holy Spirit</a> to guide them. Finally, <strong>nine days later</strong>, the Holy Spirit came down on them. "When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together" (Acts 2:1). When the disciples prayed together for nine days for the coming of the Holy Spirit, they modeled the novena prayer method that is so popular today. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-authorship">Authorship</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Many saints and other holy people have had novenas revealed to them by Christ or the Virgin Mary. For example, Christ revealed the <a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/21/how-to-pray-the-surrender-novena/">Surrender Novena</a> to Father Dolindo Ruotolo (1882 - 1970), now a candidate for <a href="https://www.usccb.org/offices/public-affairs/saints" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">beatification</a>, to guide us in growing our <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-litany-of-trust/">trust</a> in God — to surrender to Him. Mary revealed the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-54-day-novena/">54 Day Novena</a> to a young girl suffering from an illness thought to be incurable; this 54-day prayer is actually comprised of 6 novenas. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Other novenas have been prayed for centuries with no author attributed to them, such as the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-spirit-novena-pentecost-novena/">Holy Spirit Novena</a>. This Novena is traditionally prayed for the nine days before Pentecost, praying for the descent of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: holy fear, piety, fortitude, knowledge, understanding, counsel, wisdom, and the Fruits of the Spirit. You can pray the Holy Spirit Novena with <a href="https://www.chika.church" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chika Anyanwu</a>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":8075,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"custom","className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Copy-of-Night-Pray-Blog-2-1024x536.png" alt="" class="wp-image-8075"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">You can find the Holy Spirit Novena in the Challenges tab on Hallow.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">There is a wide variety of novenas to pray: <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-with-saints/">with saints</a>, to grow closer to God, or for a particular intention on your heart. So whether you're looking to grow your trust in God or get to know a saint better, we promise you'll find one that works for you!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/PrayNovena">Pray the Holy Spirit Novena</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-types-of-novenas"><strong>Types of novenas</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-anticipation">Anticipation</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We pray novenas in anticipation before or after a funeral, praying for the soul of the person who has passed away and asking God to be close to those who mourn them. This could be a saint's novena that they were close to or a novena to Christ, such as the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-sacred-heart-novena/">Sacred Heart Novena</a>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preparation">Preparation</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We hope to prepare ourselves for the nine days leading up to a sacrament or another important day with these novenas. For example, some couples might pray a novena before their wedding day, or you might pray the <a href="https://www.praymorenovenas.com/st-andrew-christmas-novena" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St. Andrew </a><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-st-andrew-christmas-novena/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Christmas </a><a href="https://www.praymorenovenas.com/st-andrew-christmas-novena" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Novena</a> leading up to the Birth of Jesus. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-petition">Petition</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Novenas in petition ask God to answer a prayer or ask a specific saint for their intercession. First, identify your petition or intention for prayer. Then, select a saint associated with the subject matter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">For example, you might pray the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-st-joseph-worker-novena">St. Joseph the Worker Novena</a> if you're praying about employment; we offer this novena in Hallow. If you are praying for peace and joy, the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/infant-jesus-of-prague-novena/">Infant Jesus of Prague Novena</a> helps us reflect on the Infant Jesus' words to Fr. Cyril: "“The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-penance">Penance</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">These novenas are prayed as an act of penitence; we pray for nine days asking God for His mercy. They are often given as a penance after the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-go-to-confession-the-sacrament-of-penance-reconciliation/">sacrament of confession</a>. In Hallow, you can pray the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-divine-mercy-chaplet/">Divine Mercy Novena</a> with Jonathan Roumie, the actor who plays Jesus in The Chosen. The <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/">St. Lucy Novena</a> is also great for those struggling with repentance and strength in their faith.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-pray-a-novena"><strong>Why pray a novena?</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We pray for novenas for a specific intention or grace, such as for a loved one, healing, forgiveness, clarity with a big decision, etc. However, they aren't magic. We cannot assume that our prayers will be answered immediately. And, sometimes, what we pray for isn't exactly what we need. Rather, we pray novenas to grow in <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/patience/">patience</a> and place our trust in God, just as the Apostles prayed in anticipation of the Holy Spirit coming to them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We pray novenas to become disciples, growing in discipline and opening our hearts to God’s will. Whether our intention is answered or not, we finish the nine days in gratitude for God’s presence in our lives.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-do-you-pray-a-novena"><strong>When do you pray a novena?</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Some novenas are prayed during specific times, such as the Divine Mercy Novena that begins on Good Friday. Traditionally, many people choose to pray novenas asking for a saint’s intercession on the nine days leading up to that saint’s feast day. If you're praying before a sacrament or event, you'll pray the novena for nine days before or after it. In truth, you really can pray a novena at any time. Novenas guide us to grow our trust in God — and that's something we need in all seasons of life. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-pray-a-novena"><strong>How to pray: A Novena</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-identify-your-intention">Identify your intention.</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Before you commit to praying for nine days, take some time to consider what your intention is for prayer. Are you looking to prepare yourself for an event spiritually? Or pray for a loved one that is struggling? Maybe you're simply looking for encouragement to develop a strong prayer habit. Remember: asking the Holy Spirit for guidance is never a bad idea! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-choose-a-novena">Choose a novena.</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">After you've taken some time to prepare yourself for prayer, select a novena that matches your intention. This might be a prayer for that specific intention, or it might be a novena to a saint who is known and loved in the subject you're struggling with or feeling gratitude for in this season of your life. Know that it doesn't have to be a "perfect" fit; by taking time each day to pray for a special intention will hopefully bring you clarity, peace and guide you to put your trust in God. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dedicate-nine-days"><strong>Dedicate nine days</strong>.</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Once you start a novena, dedicate time each day to being present with God and pray it with Him. Sometimes staying on track is difficult. We recommend setting aside a specific time and setting a reminder on your phone (or in Hallow) or adding it to your calendar for the nine days. You might also consider asking someone to pray the novena with you to hold each other accountable. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-embrace-the-novena">Embrace the novena.</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When you set out on this prayer journey, try to embrace it each day fully. Each day might look a little different for you, but try to accompany your time in prayer with other acts of faith. This might be fasting from social media or gossip, or it could be doing a kind thing for someone else each day. Let these nine days of prayer transform you in more ways than just devoting the time to pray each day. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-be-patient">Be patient. </h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Remember, novenas aren’t magic. If you come to the end of your novena and your prayers appear to be unanswered, know that God hears your prayers and loves you. And often, our prayers are not answered in the way we hoped. Ask for God’s help in trusting in Him and in desiring that His will be done.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"opacity":"css","className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In Hallow, you’ll find the Surrender Novena, <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-novena-for-life/">Novena for Life</a>, <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-family-novena/">Holy Family Novena</a>, the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-54-day-novena/">54 Day Novena</a>, the St. Joseph Novena, and the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/">Divine Mercy Novena</a>, and the Sacred Heart Novena with Jonathan Roumie, the actor who plays Jesus in The Chosen. As we continue to add more novenas to the app, we hope you'll start praying with us! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/PrayNovena">Download Hallow to Pray a Novena</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> [post_title] => How to Pray a Novena [post_excerpt] => Learn this traditional prayer method taking place over 9 days. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => how-to-pray-novenas [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2020/08/23/how-to-pray-54-day-novena/ https://hallow.com/2021/04/06/how-to-pray-with-saints/ https://hallow.com/2019/10/17/patience/ https://hallow.com/2020/03/08/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/ [post_modified] => 2024-05-22 15:26:15 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-05-22 15:26:15 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=4016 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2633 [post_author] => 13 [post_date] => 2020-04-06 02:58:19 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-04-06 02:58:19 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>~5.6 min read </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-week-schedule/">Holy Week</a> begins, many of us are facing yet another week of not being able to attend Mass in person. <a href="https://hallow.com/lent/">Lent</a> feels extra heavy this year, and as we turn the corner into this holy week, we are struck with the sadness of no grand <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/easter-vigil/">Easter Vigil</a>, no glorious Easter morning mass, no get together with family and friends. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We as a Hallow team wanted to offer some ideas for how you can still intentionally enter into this week, even if from home. We offer these knowing that this is a particularly stressful season of life for everyone, so this is not meant to be a guilt trip, but instead a fun list of ideas to set next week apart:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Participate in services online</strong><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Though not a perfect substitute for the sights, sounds, and smells that fill our churches during Holy Week, participating in the Mass online can still help us enter into the incredible story of Christ’s love.&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Not all parishes or dioceses are able to offer their Holy Week services online, so if your church is not doing so, here are some other options: <a href="http://catholictv.org">catholictv.org</a>, <a href="http://livemass.net">livemass.net</a> (for extraordinary form), and Mass with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVdGX3N-WIJ5nUvklBTNhAw">Fr. Mike Schmitz</a> on the Ascension Presents YouTube channel. If you miss them live, you can often watch them later in the day.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Spend time in prayer each day</strong><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If you aren’t able to watch services online, or in addition to them, try to spend time in prayer each day. This can look different for each person, from 5 minutes to a full hour of prayer.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow will be releasing a collection of prayers for <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/palm-sunday/">Palm Sunday</a>, <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-thursday/">Holy Thursday</a>, <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/good-friday-the-passion-of-christ/">Good Friday</a>, <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-stations-of-the-cross/">Stations of the Cross</a>, Holy Saturday, Easter Vigil, and <a href="https://hallow.com/easter/">Easter Sunday</a>. There will be holy hours, taizes, spiritual communion, and <em>lectio divina</em> meditations on the Gospel passages from each service.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">There is a lot to pray for these days, so no matter how your Lenten promises have gone so far, we’re here to journey with you towards Jesus’ cross and resurrection.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Bring physical reminders of the Triduum into your day</strong>&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Church calls the 3 days between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday the “Paschal Triduum”. During these days, every action Jesus took came together for the purpose of opening wide the gates of heaven through his death and resurrection.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Since the liturgies of the Triduum are so rich and memorable (Washing of the Feet, Venerating the Cross, the lighting of the Paschal Candle at the Easter Vigil, to name a few!), here are a few ways to bring those moments from the Gospel into our lived experience at home:&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Wash another person’s feet (while practicing good social distancing) and have a meal together (virtually for some of us) on Holy Thursday. On Good Friday, turn off all lights and electronics from noon until three in the afternoon (or for the rest of the evening!) in honor of the darkness that covered the land as Jesus hung on the cross. On Holy Saturday, have a quiet day of reflection and take even 5 minutes to write down your thoughts about all that has taken place during Holy Week and this unique Lent we have lived through.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We’ll also be praying a 24-hour rosary as a Hallow community, starting on Holy Saturday until Easter. We’ve asked medical professionals, Catholic speakers, and some of the Hallow team to help lead rosaries, and we would love to pray with you! We’ll be releasing a full schedule soon.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>And on Easter… celebrate!</strong>&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">No matter what our individual celebrations will look like this week, by the end, Jesus Christ will be risen. Watch a Vigil service on Saturday night and then have a party at midnight (again, while practicing social distancing!) Or on Sunday morning call friends and family, make a fun meal even just for yourself, go outside and give thanks for creation. Play music and dance, wear bright colors, make yourself an Easter egg hunt. It doesn’t need to be big or creative, just something that brings you and those around you joy.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Know that we at Hallow are praying for you as we celebrate Jesus’ coming into Jerusalem today and all that is to come throughout this Holy Week.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We look forward to the day (very soon) when we can shout “Alleluia!” in praise of our Risen King, even in the midst of the hardships in our lives.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => Holy Week at Home [post_excerpt] => Creative ways to pray while at home during Holy Week [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => holy-week-at-home [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-04-04 01:07:02 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-04-04 01:07:02 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=2633 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4002 [post_author] => 18 [post_date] => 2020-03-17 13:46:21 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-03-17 13:46:21 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross and the Way of Sorrow (<em>Via Crucis</em> in Latin), detail fourteen different moments on the day Jesus died. This prayer pilgrimage is a powerful way to grow closer to Jesus at any time of the year, though it is most popular during the <a href="https://hallow.com/lent/">Lenten season</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>The cross of Christ, embraced with love, never brings sadness with it, but joy, the joy of being saved and doing a little of what he did on the day of his death.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Pope Francis</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-stations-of-the-cross">What are the Stations of the Cross?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brief-origin">Brief Origin</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Tradition holds that after Christ's death and resurrection, the Blessed Mother retraced Jesus' last day every day. Over the centuries following Christ's Resurrection, this practice transformed into what we know as the Stations of the Cross today. To put it simply, the Good News continued to spread, and so did the popularity of following in the footsteps of Christ, either in the Holy Land or with the stations elsewhere. However, it wasn't until 1462 that the word "stations" was associated with this pilgrimage, either a replicated one or through the original sites; historians <a href="https://aleteia.org/2019/03/08/who-invented-the-stations-of-the-cross/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">credit</a> William Wey with the term "stations."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-franciscans-and-the-stations-of-the-cross">Franciscans and the Stations of the Cross</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In the early thirteenth century, St. Francis of Assisi made the pilgrimage to the Holy Land. However, he had to get special permission to visit because the Crusades were still occurring. So, while Jerusalem was still under Muslim rule, St. Francis founded the Custody of the Holy Land in 1217 with permission of his Franciscan order. In 1342, the Vatican recognized the Franciscans as the official custodians of holy places (including monasteries, churches, hospitals, and other holy sites). The Franciscans continue to take care of the physical and original holy places we recognize in the Stations of the Cross. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">After this recognition, the Franciscans began <a href="https://aleteia.org/2017/03/17/why-are-there-stations-of-the-cross-in-almost-every-catholic-church/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">replicating</a> these sacred moments and sites around Europe. While this movement started with building the shrines outside, the Franciscans also built stations indoors — in churches around Europe. This wasn't approved by the Vatican at the time, but the Franciscans continued to request that the replication of holy places be approved by the Church. Finally, Pope Innocent XI approved this request in <a href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15569a.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1686</a>. Nowadays, most churches have the Stations of the Cross in the interior or an outdoor area for walking meditation. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-original-and-scriptural-stations">Original and Scriptural Stations</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The original Stations of the Cross were passed down through tradition, following the footsteps of Christ's last day on earth, as we read the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-gospels/">Gospels</a>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">On <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/good-friday-the-passion-of-christ/">Good Friday</a> in 1991, St. John Paul II (who was the Pope at the time) celebrated the Stations of the Cross with an <a href="https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/stations-of-the-cross/scriptural-stations-of-the-cross" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">alternative</a> to the original Stations of the Cross. These alternative Stations of the Cross lead us back to the Scriptural moments leading up to Christ's passion. Because of this, we call them the "Scriptural Stations of the Cross." </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Below, you can read the fourteen Stations of the Cross in their original and Scriptural forms. Both devotions are beautiful to pray with as you look to grow closer to Christ. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-14-stations">14 Stations</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-first-station">The first station</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Jesus is condemned to death. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26: 36-41)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-second-station">The second station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Jesus is given His cross.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested (Mk. 14: 43-46). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-third-station">The third station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Jesus falls down for the first time.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin (Lk. 22: 66-71). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-fourth-station">The fourth station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Jesus meets His mother Mary.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus is denied by Peter (Matt. 26: 69-75)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-fifth-station">The fifth station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Simon of Cyrene helps carry the cross.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus is judged by Pontius Pilate (Mk. 15: 1-5, 15). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-sixth-station">The sixth station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Veronica wipes Jesus’ face.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus is scourged at the pillar and crowned with thorns. (Jn. 19: 1-3)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-seventh-station">The seventh station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Jesus falls down for the second time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus bears the cross (Jn. 19: 6, 15-7)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-eighth-station">The eighth station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus is helped by Simon the Cyrenian to carry the cross (Mk. 15: 21). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-ninth-station">The ninth station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Jesus falls down for the third time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem (Lk. 23: 27-31). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-tenth-station">The tenth station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Jesus is stripped of His clothing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus is crucified (Lk. 23: 33-34). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-eleventh-station">The eleventh station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Jesus is nailed to the cross.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus promises his Kingdom to the repentant thief (Lk. 23: 39-43). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-twelfth-station">The twelfth station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Jesus dies on the cross. <em>(Optional but appropriate to remain kneeling for this station)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus speaks to his mother and the Beloved Disciple (Jn. 19: 25-27). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-thirteenth-station">The thirteenth station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Jesus’ body is removed from the cross.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus dies on the cross (Lk. 23: 44-46). <em>(Optional but appropriate to remain kneeling for this station)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-fourteenth-station">The fourteenth station </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Original: Jesus’ body is placed in the tomb.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Scriptural: Jesus is placed in the tomb (Matt. 27: 57-60). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-we-pray-the-stations-of-the-cross">Why do we pray the Stations of the Cross?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>The Way of the Cross is…a school for the examination of conscience, for conversion, for inner transformation and compassion -- not as sentimentality, as a mere feeling, but as a disturbing experience that knocks on the door of my heart, that obliges me to know myself and to become a better person.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Following Jesus as he makes the way to his death is disturbing; this is not a comfortable prayer. But by remembering the Stations of the Cross, walking with Jesus, and taking up our own crosses as Jesus calls us to do, we are pulled out of our selfishness. We become more willing to be patient, love, and sacrifice. We become more like the people God created us to be when we remember Christ's sacrifice.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-do-we-pray-the-stations-of-the-cross">When do we pray the Stations of the Cross?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Stations of the Cross are commonly prayed during the Lenten season. Tradition holds that Christ died on a Friday at 3 p.m. Because of this, many parishes offer Stations of the Cross services at this time on Fridays during Lent. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">However, you can pray the Stations of the Cross at any time of the day, and you're not limited to Lent when it comes to this devotion to Christ. On Hallow, you can pray with the Stations of the Cross in a condensed "daily" format (up to 20 minutes), or you can pray the longer Stations Challenge, which guides you in Lectio Divina for each station (10 - 20 minutes each). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/iPhdeRjCupb">Pray the Stations of the Cross</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-pray-stations-of-the-cross"><strong>How to pray: Stations of the Cross</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:columns --> <div class="wp-block-columns"><!-- wp:column {"width":"33.33%"} --> <div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:33.33%"><!-- wp:image {"id":8043,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Copy-of-6-16-2021_story-8-576x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-8043"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pray the Stations of the Cross on Hallow, in the Challenges section of the Meditate tab.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --></div> <!-- /wp:column --> <!-- wp:column {"verticalAlignment":"center","width":"66.66%"} --> <div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center" style="flex-basis:66.66%"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The most common way of praying the Stations of the Cross is in a church or at an outdoor shrine, letting the images of each station in the sanctuary guide you. But you can also pray with the stations at home! For example, you might look up images of stations, sit before a crucifix, or close your eyes and imagine yourself in each moment.&nbsp;Praying with Hallow is a great way to let yourself focus on each station and moment Christ endured. Rather than making sure you're going in the right order, we will guide you. Hallow has three different versions of the stations to guide you including one exclusive session from Bishop Barron of <a href="https://www.wordonfire.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Word on Fire Ministries</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Below you'll find a few steps to help you start praying the Stations of the Cross. If you're praying all fourteen stations, you can repeat these steps for each station.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></div> <!-- /wp:column --></div> <!-- /wp:columns --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prepare-for-the-first-station">Prepare for the first station. </h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Before you begin, choose which set of stations you plan to pray with, the original or Scriptural. Then, as you prepare yourself for prayer, ask yourself how to make this time in <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-christian-meditation/">meditation</a> peaceful. For example, you might want to close your eyes or take a few deep breaths before you begin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Next, make the Sign of the Cross and walk to, look at, or lead your thoughts to the scene of the first station. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-name-the-station">Name the station. </h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Kneel or genuflect before the station. Then, take a moment to quiet your heart and mind to be present with Christ at this moment. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If you're praying with the original stations, Christ has just been condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. If you're praying with the Scriptural stations, Christ is praying with his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pray">Pray. </h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>We adore you oh Christ and we praise you, for by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-alphonsus-liguori">St. Alphonsus de Liguori</a> wrote this prayer, along with a popular series of meditations on the stations. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meditate"><strong>Meditate</strong>. </h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Spend some time contemplating this station. You may kneel, look at an image of the station, close your eyes and imagine being in the moment with Christ. When you're ready, you might read the verse associated, or listen to your guide on Hallow as you begin to pray. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pray-0"><strong>Pray</strong>. </h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Close your time before each station with a prayer, such as the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-our-father/">Lord's Prayer</a>. Focus on speaking honestly with God. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-repeat"><strong>Repeat. </strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Repeat this pattern for all 14 stations. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"opacity":"css","className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We hope you will join us in praying the 14-Day Stations of the Cross Challenge in Hallow, in which we walk you through each station at a time.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/iPhdeRjCupb">Download Hallow to Start Praying</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-prayer-resources">More Prayer Resources</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-divine-mercy-chaplet/">Divine Mercy Chaplet</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/lent-fasting-rules">Lent Fasting Rules</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/what-to-give-up-for-lent/">Things to Give Up for Lent</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/lent-prayers/">Lent Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/7-sorrows/">How to Pray 7 Sorrows Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => How to Pray the Stations of the Cross [post_excerpt] => Reflect on this challenging prayer following Jesus on the day he died. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => how-to-pray-stations-of-the-cross [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2019/09/07/how-to-pray-christian-meditation/ https://hallow.com/2020/02/12/how-to-pray-our-father/ https://hallow.com/2021/06/30/how-to-pray-the-gospels/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ https://hallow.com/2020/03/08/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/ https://hallow.com/2022/02/05/lent-prayers/ https://hallow.com/2021/02/10/7-sorrows/ [post_modified] => 2024-02-16 21:47:10 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-02-16 21:47:10 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=4002 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4019 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2020-01-10 14:01:24 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-01-10 14:01:24 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Ahoy, Mate! Did you know you can pray like a pirate? Learn the acronym behind the pirate prayer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>Let us pray and God will do the rest.</p><cite>St. Josephine Bakhita</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="">What is pirate prayer?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Pirate Prayer gets its name from the acronym “ARRR.” (Like a pirate, get it?!) This acronym is a helpful guide in learning <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/">how to pray</a>. You can pray this at any time and can do it over just a few minutes or a longer period of prayer.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="">Why should we pray the pirate prayer?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Praying like a pirate (A-R-R-R) is helpful if you're not sure how to begin your conservation with God. You might add this type of prayer into your time with God after praying <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-lectio-divina/">Lectio Divina</a>, the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">Rosary</a>, or the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-the-examen/">Examen</a>. Or, you might find this is a helpful acronym to pray with when you're on the go and struggling to find time to sit still and rest with God. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="">When should we pray the pirate prayer?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You can pray with this acronym at any time! We offer pirate prayer in Hallow, but you can also pray with the A-R-R-R method anytime you feel like it. This prayer is particularly helpful if you're struggling to find the "right" words as you talk with God. However, what matters is that you turn your mind towards Him and be honest with what's on your heart and mind. God is always present — you just have to call on him!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="">How to pray: pirate prayer</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"center","id":8503,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","className":""} --> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Copy-of-how-to-pray-with-saints-wordpress-1024x536.png" alt="Hallow App - How to Pray - Pirate Prayer " class="wp-image-8503"/></figure></div> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>A – Acknowledge</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Take a breath and acknowledge that God is with you and that you desire to grow closer to Him. Take stock of how you’re feeling, your thoughts, what is on your heart and mind.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>R – Relate</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Share with God everything that came to mind. Be completely real with Him and don't hold anything back, even things that might be hard to share.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>R – Receive</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Now, quiet yourself and try to be open to what God says back to you. Maybe He speaks to you through a Scripture verse that comes to mind or a thought or feeling. Maybe you don’t hear anything, and that’s okay! God speaks even in silence and loves when you rest with Him there.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>R – Respond</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Lastly, commit to responding to what this time of prayer revealed to you. You could feel called to continue to pray about something that came up; you could decide to take some type of action. Lastly, ask God to help you see what concrete steps you can take with His help.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You can close your prayer with more time in silence, with an <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-our-father/">Our Father</a>, or any prayer on your heart.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We’d love to pray the Pirate Prayer with you on Hallow! You can find this method in Minute Reflections (2-minutes) and Sleep Meditations (for 5, 10, &amp; 15-minute options). We also offer a guest session on pirate prayer from Christina Jaloway, author of <a href="https://www.theevangelista.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Evangelista</a>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"contentJustification":"center"} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link" href="https://hallow.app.link/blogdownload">Pray like a Pirate on Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We look forward to "ARRR" - ing with you!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => How to Pray the Pirate Prayer [post_excerpt] => Learn the "ARRR" acronym to guide you in prayer for any amount of time. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => how-to-pray-pirate-prayer [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2021/07/02/how-to-pray/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ https://hallow.com/2020/01/09/how-to-pray-lectio-divina/ [post_modified] => 2022-08-09 00:56:09 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-08-09 00:56:09 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=4019 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2126 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2020-01-09 22:06:05 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-01-09 22:06:05 [post_content] => <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Luke 10:26</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#What-is-Lectio-Divina">What is Lectio Divina?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Why-pray-Lectio-Divina">Why do we pray with Lectio Divina?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#when-to-pray-lectio-divina">When do we pray with Lectio Divina?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#How-to-pray-Lectio-Divina">How to pray Lectio Divina</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Related-prayers">Related prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="What-is-Lectio-Divina">What is Lectio Divina?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Latin translation: "Divine Reading"</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Lectio Divina means “divine reading” in Latin. It's a meditative way of reading the Bible in which we let go of our own agendas and open ourselves to what God is trying to say to us. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When I was first introduced to Lectio Divina, I chose the passage from the Gospel where Jesus teaches the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-our-father/">Our Father</a>. What stuck out to me during this first attempt at Lectio Divina became the name of our app – the word “hallow,” which means “to make holy.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/LectioDivina">Enhance Your Prayer Life with Lectio Divina</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Origin</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Many historians and theologians credit <a href="https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=556">St. Benedict of Nursia</a> as the first teacher of Lectio Divina. St. Benedict <a href="https://e-benedictine.com/lectio-divina/">spoke</a> to the importance of divine reading in his <em>Rule of St. Benedict</em>, encouraging readers to live a life devoted to work and prayer (especially through reading). However, this method of prayer likely originated even earlier than the time of St. Benedict, who passed away during the 6th century. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It wasn't until a few centuries ago that you could find a Bible in homes, hotels, and churches around the world with the invention of the printing press in the 15th century. It also wasn't the norm that entire communities had the ability to read or write. Unlike today, with most Christians having Bibles in their homes or access to a digital Bible, communities shared physical Bibles and even relied on certain individuals to read scripture aloud. This practice of listening to Scripture read aloud was very popular in monastic communities — prompting them to <a href="https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-what-how-why-of-prayer/praying-with-scripture/">"listen with their hearts."</a> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">The modern resurgence of this ancient technique</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While Lectio Divina has long been a technique prayed with, there was a resurgence in its popularity following the publishing of <a href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html"><em>Dei Verbum</em></a>, Vatican II's <em>Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation</em>. Promulgated by Pope Paul VI, <em>Dei Verbum </em>encourages us to continue renewing the Church through the Word of God. Similarly, Lectio Divina calls on us to see prayer as a renewal of our relationship with God through the Word. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">God, who through the Word creates all things (see John 1:3) and keeps them in existence, gives men an enduring witness to Himself in created realities (see Rom. 1:19-20).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite><em>Dei Verbum</em>, Ch. I, 3. </cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">It's not the same as Bible study</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While Lectio Divina is a great way to study the Bible, it isn't the same thing as a Bible study. Lectio Divina offers something more specific, more personal to you, in the moment you are praying. Bible studies lead us to interpret the Bible by asking questions and at times, doing research, and looking at the Bible as a whole. Lectio Divina, on the other hand, asks us to intentionally focus on a short section of Scripture. This prayerful focus could be one passage, one verse, or even just one word. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Why-pray-Lectio-Divina">Why do we pray with Lectio Divina?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">To become better listeners </h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">There are countless ways to sit with God and grow closer to Him. From the Examen to the Rosary and everything in between, Christians might feel like their prayer toolbox is already full. However, Lectio Divina might become your favorite way to pray. Lectio Divina becomes more about divine listening than divine reading when we take the time to do it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a> | <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-examen/">How to Pray the Daily Examen</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This is why we pray Lectio Divina — to become better listeners of the Lord. When it feels like we can't say the right thing in prayer, turn to Lectio Divina. Simply open the Bible to a passage, or select a meditation in Hallow, and try to listen well. In doing this, we might hear more clearly what God is asking of us — opening ourselves to peace, gratitude, and living rooted in Christ.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">To remember the vitality of the Word</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In September of 2005, the Vatican <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2005/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20050916_40-dei-verbum.html">celebrated</a> the 40th anniversary of <em>Dei Verbum</em>. Reminding us of the wisdom of the Word, Pope Benedict XVI explained that it is because of the Gospel that the Church lives. Therefore, it is through the Word that we, too, live. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It should never be forgotten that the Word of God is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Pope Benedict XVI</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="when-to-pray-lectio-divina">When do we pray with Lectio Divina?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This prayer method is one of the most accessible types available to all of us. You can pray with the Word with Hallow, with a physical Bible, or even with a passage of Scripture you have memorized. God is with you and in Scripture at all times — whether it's before you go to sleep or on your commute to work.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/LectioDivina">Download Hallow to Pray Lectio Divina</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="How-to-pray-Lectio-Divina">How to pray Lectio Divina</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:yoast/how-to-block {"hasDuration":true,"days":"0","hours":"0","minutes":"20","jsonDescription":"","steps":[{"id":"how-to-step-1638841992424","name":["Read"],"text":["Or when using Hallow, ",{"type":"strong","props":{"children":[{"type":"em","props":{"children":["listen"]}}]}},". 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For example, you could pray with an excerpt from any of the Psalms, Jesus' visit to Mary and Martha (",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A38-42\u0026version=NRSV","children":["Luke 10:38-42"]}},"), the story of the Woman at the Well (",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4\u0026version=NRSV","children":["John 4"]}},"), or the Beatitudes (",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5\u0026version=NRSV","children":["Matthew 5:3-12"]}},").",{"type":"img","key":"10585","ref":null,"props":{"alt":"Lectio Divina","src":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/beads-bible-blur-236339-1-1.jpg"},"_owner":null}],"jsonName":"Read","jsonText":"Or when using Hallow, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003elisten\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e. Take a short passage from the Bible and listen to it carefully. Let it soak in.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIf you're not sure which verse or meditation to pray with first, we recommend starting with Hallow's Introduction to Prayer Challenge.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eIf you're praying with a Bible, maybe start with a passage you've heard before. For example, you could pray with an excerpt from any of the Psalms, Jesus' visit to Mary and Martha (\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A38-42\u0026amp;version=NRSV\u0022\u003eLuke 10:38-42\u003c/a\u003e), the story of the Woman at the Well (\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4\u0026amp;version=NRSV\u0022\u003eJohn 4\u003c/a\u003e), or the Beatitudes (\u003ca href=\u0022https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5\u0026amp;version=NRSV\u0022\u003eMatthew 5:3-12\u003c/a\u003e).\u003cimg alt=\u0022Lectio Divina\u0022 src=\u0022https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/beads-bible-blur-236339-1-1.jpg\u0022/\u003e","jsonImageSrc":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/beads-bible-blur-236339-1-1.jpg"},{"id":"how-to-step-1638842192508","name":["Meditate"],"text":["Then, after reading or listening for a second time, consider: What sticks out to you? Perhaps it’s a particular image, phrase, or single word. Let that be your focus, meditating on what might God be trying to show you through what stands out. ",{"type":"img","key":"10587","ref":null,"props":{"alt":"Taize Prayer","src":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Taize-Illustration-1.png"},"_owner":null}],"jsonName":"Meditate","jsonText":"Then, after reading or listening for a second time, consider: What sticks out to you? Perhaps it’s a particular image, phrase, or single word. Let that be your focus, meditating on what might God be trying to show you through what stands out. \u003cimg alt=\u0022Taize Prayer\u0022 src=\u0022https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Taize-Illustration-1.png\u0022/\u003e","jsonImageSrc":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Taize-Illustration-1.png"},{"id":"how-to-step-1638842235672","name":["Pray"],"text":["Respond to the text and to God. Ask God to show you what He wants you to take from it. This could lead you to offer thanks, ask forgiveness, or simply talk with God about what the passage brought to your heart.  ",{"type":"img","key":"10588","ref":null,"props":{"alt":"Hands Praying","src":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/31_l.png"},"_owner":null}],"jsonName":"Pray","jsonText":"Respond to the text and to God. Ask God to show you what He wants you to take from it. This could lead you to offer thanks, ask forgiveness, or simply talk with God about what the passage brought to your heart.  \u003cimg alt=\u0022Hands Praying\u0022 src=\u0022https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/31_l.png\u0022/\u003e","jsonImageSrc":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/31_l.png"},{"id":"how-to-step-1638842258335","name":["Contemplate"],"text":["Rest with God. Be aware of God’s presence with you. Listen for His voice. ",{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},{"type":"br","props":{"children":[]}},"At the end of the Lectio Divina sessions in Hallow, we close with the ",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-our-father/","children":["Our Father"]}}," and the Sign of the Cross. ",{"type":"img","key":"10589","ref":null,"props":{"alt":"Contemplation","src":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/95_l-copy.png"},"_owner":null}],"jsonName":"Contemplate","jsonText":"Rest with God. Be aware of God’s presence with you. Listen for His voice. \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eAt the end of the Lectio Divina sessions in Hallow, we close with the \u003ca href=\u0022https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-our-father/\u0022\u003eOur Father\u003c/a\u003e and the Sign of the Cross. \u003cimg alt=\u0022Contemplation\u0022 src=\u0022https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/95_l-copy.png\u0022/\u003e","jsonImageSrc":"https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/95_l-copy.png"}],"durationText":"The time you spend praying the Lectio Divina is entirely up to you and varies by person.","defaultDurationText":"Time needed:"} --> <div class="schema-how-to wp-block-yoast-how-to-block"><p class="schema-how-to-total-time"><span class="schema-how-to-duration-time-text">The time you spend praying the Lectio Divina is entirely up to you and varies by person. </span>20 minutes. </p><p class="schema-how-to-description"></p> <ol class="schema-how-to-steps"><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638841992424"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Read</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">Or when using Hallow, <strong><em>listen</em></strong>. Take a short passage from the Bible and listen to it carefully. Let it soak in.<br/><br/>If you're not sure which verse or meditation to pray with first, we recommend starting with Hallow's Introduction to Prayer Challenge.<br/><br/>If you're praying with a Bible, maybe start with a passage you've heard before. For example, you could pray with an excerpt from any of the Psalms, Jesus' visit to Mary and Martha (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A38-42&amp;version=NRSV">Luke 10:38-42</a>), the story of the Woman at the Well (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4&amp;version=NRSV">John 4</a>), or the Beatitudes (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5&amp;version=NRSV">Matthew 5:3-12</a>).<img alt="Lectio Divina" src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/beads-bible-blur-236339-1-1.jpg"/></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638842192508"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Meditate</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">Then, after reading or listening for a second time, consider: What sticks out to you? Perhaps it’s a particular image, phrase, or single word. Let that be your focus, meditating on what might God be trying to show you through what stands out. <img alt="Taize Prayer" src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Taize-Illustration-1.png"/></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638842235672"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Pray</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">Respond to the text and to God. Ask God to show you what He wants you to take from it. This could lead you to offer thanks, ask forgiveness, or simply talk with God about what the passage brought to your heart.  <img alt="Hands Praying" src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/31_l.png"/></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638842258335"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Contemplate</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">Rest with God. Be aware of God’s presence with you. Listen for His voice. <br/><br/>At the end of the Lectio Divina sessions in Hallow, we close with the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-our-father/">Our Father</a> and the Sign of the Cross. <img alt="Contemplation" src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/95_l-copy.png"/></p> </li></ol></div> <!-- /wp:yoast/how-to-block --> <!-- wp:separator {"opacity":"css","className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In the app, we have Scripture passages that have different themes and questions for reflection in praylists (such as ones related to love, humility, or sleep), and you can always pray Lectio Divina with the daily Gospel.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We hope to pray with you soon!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Related-prayers">Related prayers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/">How to Pray the Hail Mary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-our-father/">How to Pray the Our Father</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-gospels/">How to Pray With the Gospels</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/contemplative-prayer-imaginative-prayer/">Contemplative Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Prepare for Lent</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/ash-wednesday/">Ash Wednesday 2025</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/lent/">Lent 2025</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => How to Pray With Lectio Divina [post_excerpt] => Encounter the Bible more profoundly. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => how-to-pray-lectio-divina [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2020/02/12/how-to-pray-our-father/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/13/how-to-pray-the-examen/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ https://hallow.com/2021/06/30/how-to-pray-the-gospels/ https://hallow.com/2022/01/19/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/ [post_modified] => 2024-09-30 20:09:08 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-09-30 20:09:08 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=2126 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1424 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2019-09-25 04:11:30 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-09-25 04:11:30 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Liturgy of the Hours, also called the Divine Office or the Breviary, helps us live out the call to “pray without ceasing.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Rejoice always,pray without ceasing,&nbsp;give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>1 Thessalonians 5:16-18</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Table of Contents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="##my-introduction">My Introduction to Liturgy of the Hours</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#background-Liturgy-of-the-Hours">Background: Liturgy of the Hours</a><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#historical-roots">Historical Roots</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Vatican-II-Revision">Vatican II Revision</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Hours-of-Liturgy-of-the-Hours">Hours of Liturgy of the Hours</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Office-of-the-Readings">Office of the Readings </a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#Night-Prayer">Liturgy of the Hours at Night</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#how-to-pray-night-prayer">How to Pray Liturgy of the Hours: Night Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#more-prayer-resources">More Prayer Resources</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="my-introduction">My Introduction to the Liturgy of the Hours</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When I was in college, one of my friends discerned to step out of the seminary. While adjusting back to normal college life, the biggest thing he missed was prayer. Specifically, he missed how prayer structured his days through the <a href="https://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Resources/Rites/GILH.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Liturgy of the Hours</a>, as seminarians pray this together each day. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Liturgy of the Hours is a form of prayer that follows the rhythm of each day through psalms, Scripture, and prayers. Morning Prayer begins the day. Then, Daytime Prayers are said at mid-morning, noon, and in the afternoon. Evening Prayer is said at the end of the day’s work. Lastly, Night Prayer is said before going to sleep to offer up the day to God.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Priests and religious pray these prayers every day, but all of us are invited to do so as well! I was introduced to the Liturgy of the Hours when the above-mentioned friend started getting a group together to pray Night Prayer. We fumbled through thick and confusing books (there are so many prayers to keep track of!) and sang the <em>Hail, Holy Queen</em> off-key, but we made it through, and the beauty of the Liturgy of the Hours was made known to us.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="background-Liturgy-of-the-Hours">Background: Liturgy of the Hours</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="historical-roots">Historical Roots</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Praying at select hours of the day, multiple times a day, has <a href="https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=264">roots</a> in the Jewish tradition. The <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-psalms/">Psalms</a>, in particular, were prayed throughout the day. We even know that Jesus prayed with the Psalms, as he most famously prayed Psalm 22 on Cross:<em> “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”</em>&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Divine Office, which draws from the Old and New Testaments as well as hymns and Catholic prayers, likely originated out of this practice among the early Church.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“In the early days of the Church, the first Christians were Jewish, and the Acts of the Apostles depicts them not only participating in the breaking of the bread, but also going to the synagogue and Temple to worship. This included traditional prayer services at the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day, our 9 o'clock in the morning, noon and 3 o'clock in the afternoon.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Mary Bazzett for <a href="https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=264">Catholic Culture</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The growth of monasticism brought about various traditions in daily prayer, with many relying on the Divine Office framework. St. Benedict of Nursia famously instructed people to pray all 150 Psalms each week in <em>The Rule</em>. For this reason, the Benedictines call the Divine Office <em>Opus Dei</em>, Latin for the “Work of God.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This disciplined prayer tradition supports St. Benedict’s desire to pray regularly, pray with Scripture, and pray throughout the day while working. The Rule of St. Benedict famously begins,&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","className":""} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><strong><em>“Listen, my son, to the Master’s instructions and attend to them with the ear of your heart.”</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="Vatican-II-Revision">Vatican II Revision</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">During <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-10/vatican-ii-council-60th-anniversary-video-history-background.html">Vatican II</a>, the Church revised the traditional Divine Office into what we know as the Liturgy of the Hours for greater use in public and among lay persons. Learn more about this revision in <a href="https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html"><em>Sacrosanctum Concilium</em></a>, promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1963.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This led to a lengthening of the cycle, thus shortening the time in daily prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. The original Divine Office cycled through all 150 Psalms in one week, whereas the Liturgy of the Hours today cycles through all 150 Psalms in four weeks (one month). There are other differences as well, though this was the most prominent transition.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="http://hallow.app.link/NightPrayer">Pray the Psalms with Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Hours-of-Liturgy-of-the-Hours">Hours of Liturgy of the Hours</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong><em>Seven times a day</em></strong><em> I praise you because your judgments are righteous. Lovers of your law have much peace; for them there is no stumbling block.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite><em>Psalms 119:164-165</em></cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s incredible to think that around the world, thousands of people are praying the same prayers, offering up their work and days to God. And these prayers have been prayed over and over again for years, and yet they still pertain to our lives today. As you pray, at once, you are connected in the present to those praying around the world, and you are connected to the past, to the people who lived before us, who loved and struggled and prayed just as we do today.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Pre-Vatican II Breviary or Divine Office&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3 a.m. –&nbsp; <em>Lauds&nbsp;</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>6 a.m. – <em>Prime</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>9 a.m. – <em>Terce</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Noon – <em>Sext</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3 p.m. – <em>None</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>6 p.m. (Evening Prayer) – <em>Vespers</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>9 p.m. (Night Prayer) – <em>Compline</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Midnight – <em>Matins&nbsp;</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Post-Vatican II Liturgy of the Hours</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Office of Readings</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Morning Prayer</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Daytime Prayer</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Evening Prayer</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Night Prayer</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Office-of-the-Readings">Office of the Readings</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Office of the Readings includes a reading from the Psalms with Antiphons, various prayers, a reading from the Old or New Testament, and a reading from the tradition of the Church, such as the writing of a saint, pope, or Doctor of the Church. A few authors you might be familiar with are St. Pope John Paul II, <a href="https://hallow.com/saints/augustine-of-hippo/">St. Augustine</a>, or <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/st-teresa-of-avila-prayers-quotes-feast-day/">St. Teresa of Ávila</a>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Night-Prayer">Night Prayer</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>For the Lord is your shelter and refuge; you have made the Most High your dwelling-place.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite><em>Psalm 91</em></cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Formally, Night Prayer is called “Compline,” which comes from the Latin verb <em>complete</em>, meaning to “fill up.” Based on its formal etymology, Compline allows you to “fill your vessel” with prayer before you sleep. It generally takes about 8 – 10 minutes to pray in full. Night prayer follows a seven-day sequence, one for each day of the week, with a consistent structure; the Psalms and other Scripture passages change throughout the cycle. It is always the last prayer of the day, traditionally prayed right before sleep.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Night prayer is the last prayer of the day, said before retiring, even if that is after midnight."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>The General Instructions on the Liturgy of the Hours</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>So, why pray Night Prayer?&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">First, <strong>to rest easy with the Lord</strong>; ending your day in prayer with God helps you to rest in His presence before you fall asleep. Second, <strong>to call on God</strong>; you can discover a sense of calm, examine your conscience, meditate on Scripture, and grow closer to Mary. And third, <strong>to relieve your burdens</strong>; this time in prayer might help relieve any worries on your heart and mind before you fall asleep, whether you’re thinking about today or tomorrow. This prayerful act reminds you that today was a gift from God, and tomorrow is, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="hallow.app.link/NightPrayer">Pray with Hallow Tonight</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Here’s an outline to get you started with Night Prayer and help you follow along. The italicized parts should be said together as you pray. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="how-to-pray-night-prayer">How to Pray: The Liturgy of the Hours - Night Prayer</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:image {"id":7814,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none","className":""} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://hallow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Add-a-heading-1-1024x536.png" alt="" class="wp-image-7814"/></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:yoast/how-to-block {"hasDuration":true,"days":"0","hours":"0","minutes":"15","jsonDescription":"How to Pray The Liturgy of the Hours: Night Prayer","steps":[{"id":"how-to-step-1638753098272","name":["Begin the Prayer (Introduction)"],"text":[{"type":"em","props":{"children":["God, come to my assistance. 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Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.\u003c/em\u003e"}],"defaultDurationText":"Time needed:"} --> <div class="schema-how-to wp-block-yoast-how-to-block"><p class="schema-how-to-total-time"><span class="schema-how-to-duration-time-text">Time needed: </span>15 minutes. </p><p class="schema-how-to-description">How to Pray The Liturgy of the Hours: Night Prayer</p> <ol class="schema-how-to-steps"><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638753098272"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Begin the Prayer (Introduction)</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text"><em>God, come to my assistance. </em>(Make the Sign of the Cross)<br/><em>Lord, make haste to help me.</em><br/><em>Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the <a href="https://hallow.com/2022/09/14/prayer-to-the-holy-spirit-and-other-holy-spirit-prayers/">Holy Spirit</a></em>,<br/><em>As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.</em></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638754499006"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">The Examination of Conscience</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">Take a few moments to examine your conscience from the day. This is similar to the Ignatian practice of the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-the-examen/">Daily Examen</a>.<br/><br/>Let’s ask God for forgiveness as we pray.<br/><br/><em>I confess to almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I ask the blessed Mary ever-virgin, and all the angels and saints, and you my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.</em></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638754571692"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Recite the Daily Psalmody</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">Antiphon (a short phrase taken from the Psalm)<br/>Psalm (changes each day)<br/>Pray - <em>Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever, Amen</em>. Repeat antiphon</p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638754841768"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Read the Daily Scripture</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">Read the daily Scripture passage for the day. This will change daily. The Responsory and Gospel Canticle follow.<br/><br/><strong>Responsory</strong><br/><em>Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.</em><br/><br/><em>Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.</em><br/><br/><em>You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.</em><br/><br/><em>I commend my spirit.</em><br/><br/><em>Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.</em><br/><br/><em>Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.</em><br/><br/><strong>Gospel Canticle</strong><br/>This is from the Song of Simeon in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A29-32&amp;version=NRSV">Luke Ch. 2</a> (often sung).<br/><br/>Antiphon - <em>Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep; that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.</em><br/><br/>Pray - <em>Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people. A light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people, Isr</em>ae<em>l.</em><br/><br/>Pray - <em>Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen.</em><br/><br/>Repeat antiphon - <br/><em>Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep; that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.</em></p> </li><li class="schema-how-to-step" id="how-to-step-1638755349287"><strong class="schema-how-to-step-name">Say (or Sing) a song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary</strong> <p class="schema-how-to-step-text">You can choose other prayers, such as the Hail Mary, and this is often sung.<br/><br/><em>Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.</em><br/><br/><em>In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.</em></p> </li></ol></div> <!-- /wp:yoast/how-to-block --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoqDt-AEQR8","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoqDt-AEQR8 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:separator {"opacity":"css","className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow offers Morning Psalms with Bishop Robert Barron and Night Prayer with Hallow Guides for every day of the week. Consider setting up a Routine when you wake up and before bed to begin and end the day with God (Me Tab &gt; Routines &gt; + &gt; Add Content). We look forward to praying with you!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We look forward to praying with you!&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/NightPrayer">Pray Night Prayer on Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="more-prayer-resources">More Prayer Resources</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/fall-asleep-with-7-new-bible-stories/">Bible Bedtime Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/night-prayer-bedtime/">Night Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/7-sorrows/">Seven Sorrows Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/daily-prayer-prayers-for-today/">Complete Guide to Daily Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/">Hail Mary Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-our-father/">Our Father Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => How to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours [post_excerpt] => Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) helps us live out the call to "pray without ceasing." [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => liturgy-of-the-hours [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2019/09/13/how-to-pray-the-examen/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ https://hallow.com/2021/02/10/7-sorrows/ https://hallow.com/2021/01/11/fall-asleep-with-7-new-bible-stories/ [post_modified] => 2024-08-27 18:13:10 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-08-27 18:13:10 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=1424 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1345 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2019-09-07 21:44:42 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-09-07 21:44:42 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Christian meditation is a method of prayer to help us set our eyes on God in silence and grow closer to Him with gratitude and love.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Psalm 19:14</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-christian-meditation">What is Christian Meditation? </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Meditation is above all a quest ...To the extent that we are humble and faithful, we discover in meditation the movements that stir the heart and we are able to discern them. It is a question of acting truthfully in order to come into the light: "Lord, what do you want me to do?" </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Catechism of the Catholic Church</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biblical-origin">Biblical origin</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Meditation has been a part of the Christian tradition since its origin. We can also recall countless moments in the Old Testament in which the faithful spent time in silent, intentional prayer to grow closer to God. For example, think about Moses at Mount Sinai, where God appeared in the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%203&amp;version=NRSV">burning bush</a>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-psalms/" rel="sponsored nofollow">Psalms</a> also mention meditation close to 20 times and emphasize resting in God's presence. This book has some of the best meditations for Christians to pray with God. Consider David's <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+139&amp;version=NRSV">Psalm 139</a> as an example.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">O Lord, you have searched me and known me.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Psalm 139: 1</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Old Testament is rich with written meditations for Christians, but we can also meditate on the life of Christ in the New Testament. We don't have to use Scripture directly when praying, but it should certainly be the source of our prayer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When we look at the life of Christ, there are several moments in which he set off alone to rest with the Lord in silence. The most prominent example was at the beginning of Christ's ministry: the <a href="https://media.ascensionpress.com/2020/03/13/the-reason-jesus-went-into-the-desert-a-lenten-commentary/">40 days in the desert</a>. While the devil tempted him, Jesus relied on God for strength. We know Christ prayed, and he continued to meditate on the truth he knew. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In our own prayer and meditation time, we, too, learn to rely on God. When we set time aside to go out alone into the wilderness or be in silence, we open ourselves to meet God in prayer. It is in this space and time that meditation can help us grow closer to God. Through this type of prayer, we discover who we are, what God desires for us, and continually discover just how mysterious and incredible God is.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-christian-meditation-is-different-than-secular-meditation">How Christian meditation is different than secular meditation</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Secular meditation is rooted in "mindfulness" — finding the quiet within yourself. This practice aims to increase your self-understanding as you empty your mind of all thoughts to find peace. Christian meditation, on the other hand, allows us to enter into silence with God to fill our hearts with His presence. We learn how to listen for God's voice.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While we do "let go" of things while practicing Christian meditation, the primary purpose of this prayer method is always to grow closer with God. By offering up our sorrows or worries to God, we let Him take control. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>1 Peter 5:6-7</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hallow-s-story">Hallow's Story</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Christian meditation is actually the type of prayer that started us on our journey with Hallow — we desired mindfulness meditation that didn't stop with us, but instead led us closer to God. We feel so blessed that people who pray with Hallow have found themselves growing their relationships with God!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>"Hallow is a centerpiece of my day and I know the miracle of my now being cancer-free is in part due to the renewed love I developed for prayer because I enjoyed the app so much." </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>"My faith really faltered during the pandemic</em> ...<em> I stumbled across this wonderful app by accident (or was it?) and it has helped to completely rejuvenate my prayer life. I am once again experiencing the joy of the Lord."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>"This app is so soothing and really centers my thoughts on God. I enjoy listening in the morning, while doing chores during the day, and at night. It is an easy way to constantly spiritually grow and do what Jesus did: pray constantly."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-we-pray-with-christian-meditation-methods">Why do we pray with Christian meditation methods?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We pray in the form of meditation as Christians not to stay within ourselves but instead to lead us closer to God. To put it simply, our meditation helps us release control to God. Through this intentional silence, we learn to better understand and love God through various ways of talking with Him. We work to develop a consistent meditation and prayer practice so that we can better embrace God's peace throughout each day. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">One way we meditate as Christians is through the practice of <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-lectio-divina/">Lectio Divina</a>, meditating on scripture to have a fruitful conversation with God. You can also meditate on sacred art through the practice of <a href="https://www.theyoungcatholicwoman.com/archivescollection/2019/1/7/visio-divina-praying-with-sacred-art">Visio Divina,</a> or meditate on moments of Jesus' life while praying the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">Rosary</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-do-we-meditate-as-christians">When do we meditate as Christians?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven ... </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Ecclesiastes 3:1</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Whether you're on your way to work, getting ready for the day, or taking some time to reflect at the end of your day, you can meditate at any time. Some days your meditation might be for one minute. Other days, you might want to meditate for a full <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-holy-hour/">Holy Hour</a>. At the heart of it, Christian meditation is truly about being intentional with God, whether you're reading Scripture or praying with the Rosary.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/blogdownload">Start meditating on Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">So, how do you prayerfully meditate?&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-pray-christian-meditation">How to Pray: Christian Meditation</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-find-a-comfortable-place-to-pray-nbsp">1. Find a comfortable place to pray.&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While some might prefer to pray while sitting on the floor or kneeling besides their bed, these are not your only options for meditation. If you are easily distracted while sitting still, you might want to practice meditation while walking or while sipping <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayer-as-a-morning-cup-of-coffee/">coffee</a>. God meets us where we are — it doesn't have to be perfect. Just make sure you feel like you can be yourself with God in this place, whether you're alone or in public</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2-prepare-your-mind-and-heart-for-prayer-nbsp">2. Prepare your mind and heart for prayer.&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-think-about-your-prayer-before-you-start-praying">Think about your prayer before you start praying.</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Sometimes it helps to think about prayer before you actually start praying. Ask yourself a couple of questions before choosing what you'd like to meditate with or on:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Is there something on my mind that I want to offer to God in prayer?</strong> This will probably look different for you every day, and that's totally okay! Think about your relationships, work, and anything that's causing you anxiety or you feel grateful for — God wants to hear it all! If your mind wanders in prayer, don't be afraid to return to this offering to God. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Are there any distractions preventing me from resting with God?</strong> It could be a physical distraction like dirty dishes or something on your <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-prayer-helped-me-with-my-to-do-list-anxiety%EF%BB%BF/">to-do list</a>. However, sometimes prayer makes the tasks in front of us seem less daunting. Discern how you can best set yourself up to rest in God's presence and listen to Him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4,"className":""} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-create-calm-in-preparation">Create calm in preparation.</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Take some time to calm your heart, mind, and body before starting prayer. You might take a few deep breaths, silence your phone's notifications, or dim the lights if you're inside. Remember why you are settling into your Christian meditation practice — to grow closer with God in this prayer time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-select-a-prayer-verse-or-word-to-meditate-with">3. Select a prayer, verse, or word to meditate with.</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In Christian meditation, we always meditate with something holy that will fill our hearts and bring us closer to God. You could choose a particular Scripture passage to meditate with and or try a guided Lectio Divina.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If you're just getting started with prayer, it might be helpful to choose a short prayer or even just one word to meditate with. On Hallow, we have a few short minute meditations for when you're on the go, crunched for time, or it's all you can do that day. It's amazing what repeating "Jesus, I trust in You," or just one decade of the Rosary can do for your day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-5-let-god-fill-your-heart-nbsp">5. Let God fill your heart.&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Remember: it's not as much about what we say in prayer but how well we prepare ourselves to listen to God's voice in the silence. It might take a few, or many, tries before it becomes clear. However, even spending just one minute resting with God can fill our hearts with grace, with gratitude, and with goodness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If your mind starts to wander, think of the verse or image you selected at the beginning of your meditation and turn back to it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-6-end-your-meditation-with-gratitude">6. End your meditation with gratitude.</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Conclude your time in prayer by thanking God for this time with you. You could end with an Our Father, Hail Mary, or simply just say thank you to God. You can stay in this moment of peace as long as you want — don't rush yourself to end your time with God. If something stuck out to you in prayer, be sure and jot it down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Most importantly, remember this peaceful moment with God is always available to you — at any time of the day, and in any place.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"opacity":"css","className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow is full of meditations for you to pray with.&nbsp;If you're completely new to prayer or meditation, you might enjoy starting with our Intro Challenge. We'll introduce you the various methods of Christian meditation, and you can find which method resonates with you the best.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow has a variety of <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-with-music/">music</a> and <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-novenas/">novenas</a> to meditate with, as well as different praylists to focus your time in prayer on, such as Hope, Patience, and Gratitude. We hope you'll join us in prayer!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/blogdownload">Download the Hallow App </a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-prayers">More Prayers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-divine-mercy-chaplet/">Divine Mercy Chaplet</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/">Hail Mary Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/7-sorrows/">7 Sorrows Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => How to Pray Christian Meditation [post_excerpt] => Find God's peace in silence. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => how-to-pray-christian-meditation [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2020/01/09/how-to-pray-lectio-divina/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ https://hallow.com/2020/09/24/how-to-pray-holy-hour/ https://hallow.com/2020/09/02/prayer-as-a-morning-cup-of-coffee/ https://hallow.com/2022/01/19/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/ https://psalm91.com/2020/07/23/best-psalms-for-meditation/ https://hallow.com/2019/08/05/how-prayer-helped-me-with-my-to-do-list-anxiety%EF%BB%BF/ [post_modified] => 2024-09-18 21:16:53 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-09-18 21:16:53 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=1345 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 1185 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2019-08-06 01:38:12 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-08-06 01:38:12 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Do you have a hard time falling asleep? We're sharing a few ways to pray before sleep that can make your transition into rest more peaceful. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>“In peace I will lie down and sleep,</p><p>for you alone, Lord,</p><p>make me dwell in safety."</p><cite>Psalm 4:8</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="">My struggle to fall asleep</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Sometimes, I hate going to sleep. With the threat that my seven-month-old could wake at any moment, the pressure is on to go to sleep as fast as possible.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">But often, no matter how tired I am, the moment my head hits the pillow, my mind starts buzzing: to-do lists for work, reliving moments from the day, nonsensically thinking of Christmas presents months in advance.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I know I’m not alone in this struggle. In fact, the team at Hallow all shared how difficult it is for all of us to find peace at night. So we decided to create an entire Sleep Section — a collection of prayers that quiet our hearts and minds as we prepare to sleep.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="">Here are a few ways to pray: </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>You can find all of these prayer methods in Hallow's Sleep Section. </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>Listen to a Sleep Bible Story</strong> </h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">These are so calming! They help you take a breath and focus your mind on the Word of God rather than on your <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-prayer-helped-me-with-my-to-do-list-anxiety%EF%BB%BF/">to-do list</a>. Hallow has a variety of <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/fall-asleep-with-7-new-bible-stories/">bedtime Bible stories</a>, all taken directly from Scripture. Hear Jonathan Roumie (from <em>The Chosen</em>) read the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205-7&amp;version=NABRE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sermon on the Mount</a>, Fr. Mike Schmitz prayerfully read <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+1&amp;version=NABRE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John 1</a>, and more. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>Try an Examen</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As I mentioned above, a struggle of mine is re-living the day in a not productive way. I find myself remembering times when I wasn’t at my best or should have done something differently. But through the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-the-examen/">Examen</a>, I can re-live my day and see it through God’s eyes. I can give thanks and ask forgiveness. I can let go of anything I’m holding onto and leave the day in God’s hands. And I can look forward to the next day with newfound hope and peace because I am reminded that God is always with me through prayer.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>Meditate</strong> with the Rosary or a saint prayer</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This type of prayer comes in many forms — I find it comforting to pray the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">Rosary</a> or simply sit with a prayer that a <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-with-saints/">Saint</a> has written, such as "Be at Peace" by St. Francis de Sales.&nbsp;The Sleep Meditation section has a list of beautiful meditations that re-focus my mind away from busy or negative thoughts and instead fills my mind with prayer. Some of my favorites are "Rest in God's love" and "Communion of Saints."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class=""><strong>Falling asleep with Scripture</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">My personal favorite prayers to listen to before I fall asleep are Hallow's Sleep <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray/-lectio-divina/">Lectio Divinas</a>. Hear God reminding you to "Be still," or imagine God leading you beside still waters through <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+23&amp;version=NABRE">Psalm 23</a>. After you've prayed with the session, you can hold the word, phrase, or image that stood out to you in your mind as you fall asleep. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In Hallow's Sleep Section, you'll find all these prayers, plus Night Prayer and more! We hope that these prayers are a source of comfort for you as you find rest and peace with God.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"contentJustification":"center"} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link" href="https://hallow.app.link/blogdownload">Fall Asleep With Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> [post_title] => How to Pray Before Falling Asleep [post_excerpt] => Learn tips to help you fall asleep in prayer. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => falling-asleep-with-god [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2019/08/05/how-prayer-helped-me-with-my-to-do-list-anxiety%EF%BB%BF/ https://hallow.com/2021/01/11/fall-asleep-with-7-new-bible-stories/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/13/how-to-pray-the-examen/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ https://hallow.com/2021/04/06/how-to-pray-with-saints/ [post_modified] => 2022-09-09 13:12:45 [post_modified_gmt] => 2022-09-09 13:12:45 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=1185 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 205 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2019-03-06 02:43:20 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-03-06 02:43:20 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Did you know that Ash Wednesday is the most attended mass for all Catholics in the United States? And it’s not even a required mass to go to, in the way Sunday masses and Christmas and Easter are.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">There are a few theories on why this mass is so heavily attended, but whatever the reason, we go, in droves, to have our foreheads marked and to hear the words, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s ironic that we flock to this mass in particular - <strong>because isn’t it uncomfortable?</strong> Shouldn’t we avoid this mass in favor of the joyful Easter and Christmas celebrations?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Remember you are dust. Remember you are nothing. You are speck of dirt in the grand scheme of eternity.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>And to dust you shall return. One day you will die; we all will. And our bodies will be buried and absorbed by the earth, and then one day, we will be forgotten from all memory.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Our faith is full of uncomfortable notions: God becoming a baby. Being born of a young, poor, virgin woman. Living as a carpenter who became a preacher who was killed as a criminal. The first shall be last. Love your enemies. Bread and wine becoming body and blood.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Ash Wednesday reminds us that we are supposed to be uncomfortable.</strong> Jesus never promised us good feelings. He never promised that we wouldn’t have any suffering. In fact, He promised the opposite - He promised that if we decided to follow Him, we would have to carry heavy crosses, we would be challenged to live lives of radical forgiveness, justice, self-giving love.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">But, Jesus also promised that He would journey with us. He would help carry our burdens, would offer us healing and forgiveness when we failed, would fill us with His Spirit and give us strength.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">So, my theory for why Ash Wednesday is so popular is that in a world that encourages us to take the easy route, to streamline our lives, to get rid of anything that is uncomfortable - <em>we long to be challenged.</em> We long to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We long to be uncomfortable, because when we are uncomfortable, we are more likely to work to change.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>For me, prayer is a time when I am often challenged to be uncomfortable.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">I’m one of those people who secretly likes being upset -&nbsp; I often hold grudges, I enjoy being a little dramatic, I stubbornly stand my ground, even when I know I’m wrong.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">But prayer makes me get over myself. If I’m honest in prayer, I see myself clearly, and see that the way I’m acting is a bit ridiculous. Prayer makes me admit my weakness and ask forgiveness. It doesn’t let me hold grudges. It pushes me to resolve disagreements, to focus on the good from the day instead of the hard things. It reminds me that I’m not the center of the universe, but rather that I am here to love, serve, give. And it’s in that state of being uncomfortable where I am pushed to be better.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Today we are reminded that we are dust and to dust we will return. So I’m going to challenge myself to lean into being uncomfortable. To enter into these 40 days of <a href="https://hallow.com/lent/">Lent</a> with the hope that by being honest in prayer, I will lean on God. That as I am made more aware of my imperfection, I will in turn be reminded that I need only reach out, and the God who loves us so much that He gave everything is right there beside me.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>How are you hoping to be challenged this Lent?</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => On Ashes and Prayer: How Being Uncomfortable Challenges Us [post_excerpt] => The unexpected reason we flock to Ash Wednesday mass [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => on-ashes-and-prayer-how-being-uncomfortable-challenges-us [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-02-13 21:08:41 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-02-13 21:08:41 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://hallow.local/?p=158 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 206 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2019-02-26 03:03:47 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-02-26 03:03:47 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">With the rise of Headspace, Calm, and all of the other mindfulness meditation apps, those of us coming from a Christian background can have a lot of very good questions: are these methods okay to use? Are they bad or evil? Are they Buddhist? Are they in line with Church teaching? I, myself, was an avid Headspace user for 3 years and at the time, I loved it. It helped me to focus and to learn to sit in silence without my mind constantly racing through my to-do list, but I always kept questioning how it fit in with my faith.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The good news, I found, is these are not new questions, and this is not a new problem. To find the answer, it turns out, we have to look no further than Cardinal Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict. He wrote a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19891015_meditazione-cristiana_en.html">letter</a>&nbsp;30 years ago addressing exactly these same questions*. He starts by acknowledging the deep spiritual need that underlies these questions:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“The spiritual restlessness arising from a life subjected to the driving pace of a technologically advanced society … brings a certain number of Christians to seek in these methods of prayer a path to interior peace and psychic balance.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">and,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“Without doubt, a Christian needs certain periods of retreat into solitude to be recollected and, in God's presence, rediscover his path.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">He also encourages us not to reject these ways ‘out of hand simply because they are not Christian, but that the Church recognizes what is true and holy in the other world religions because they 'reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men.'</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">All that being said, he raises some serious concerns about these methods of meditation as they relate to the conception of Christian prayer:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"className":""} --> <ol class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>What is the core?&nbsp;</strong>The center and core of all Christian prayer and meditation must always be God and striving to engage in a real living dialogue with Him.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>What are the consequences?</strong>&nbsp;Spending too much time focused on our bodily sensations and experiences (e.g., breathing exercises, body scans) can potentially lead to a number of dicey consequences. One is misinterpreting feelings of calm and relaxation as spiritual consolations and thus ignoring the interconnection with our moral condition. Another is the lack of focus on humility and the potential for an increase of self-centeredness.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Where is the focus?</strong> Many of the meditation practices common today are associated with an internal focus (e.g., on the breath, body or mind) whereas the aim of Christian prayer is always to “flee from impersonal techniques or from concentrating on oneself.” The future Pope cites <a href="https://hallow.com/saints/augustine-of-hippo/">St. Augustine</a> to help bring home this point:</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>"On this topic St. Augustine is an excellent teacher: if you want to find God, he says, abandon the exterior world and re-enter into yourself. However, he continues, do not remain in yourself, but go beyond yourself because you are not God: He is deeper and greater than you...."To remain in oneself": this is the real danger.“</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">So where do we go from here? What are we supposed to do with all of these caveats and warnings? Should we use these mindfulness apps to meditate or not?&nbsp;<strong>The great news is that there’s another option: Christian meditation.</strong>&nbsp;It’s a method of meditation that incorporates the calming recollection that we’re all seeking with the beauty of the Christian faith. It lets us find our center, while ensuring that the center that we find always ends up being God.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This is why we built the Hallow app, to try and help us discover and grow in this form of prayer and recollection (we also hit on many other beautiful methods of Catholic contemplative prayer and meditation including the Examen, Lectio Divina on the daily Gospel, and the Rosary). The app leads you through easy-to-follow guided sessions on each of these methods, lets you pick across themes of humility, calm, gratitude, joy etc. or dive into traditional Catholic prayers and content (e.g., Our Father, Stations of the Cross, Saints) to re-discover and meditate on their beauty and depth. The short answer is, if you’re interested in learning more, I recommend you download and try it out! If you’re interested in finding out more about Christian meditation, though, just keep reading.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">So what exactly is different about Christian meditation? Well, at the core there are 3 big differences:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>1. Why we do it</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The first difference comes down to why we’re doing it in the first place. When I was meditating using the mindfulness apps, I felt like I was trying to exercise my mind into building the ability to be more present and to better myself. There’s nothing inherently wrong or right with that, but Christian meditation and prayer is distinctively different.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The point of Christian prayer and meditation is to grow deeper in a relationship and friendship with God. Sure, through this relationship you are challenged to become a better person and be more mindful, but that is not the primary goal. The primary goal is to sit with and spend time with a friend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>2. How we do it</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The ‘how’ is the second biggest difference. The eastern and secular mindfulness meditation methods I had exposure to were focused largely inward: on your body, your breath, and your mind.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Christian meditation may seem like it starts off somewhat similarly. It often begins with much of the similar deep breathing exercises in order to re-collect and ground ourselves. As Cardinal Ratzinger writes:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>“[All of these dangers do] not mean that genuine practices of meditation which come from the Christian East and from the great non-Christian religions, which prove attractive to the man of today who is divided and disoriented, cannot constitute a suitable means of helping the person who prays to come before God with an interior peace, even in the midst of external pressures.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">But this is where the similarities stop. The focus of the sessions must always turn from ourselves to something…or rather Someone, who is at the same time both separate from ourselves and deeper within. To humble ourselves with the realization that we’re sitting in the presence of God. And through this new kind of mindfulness, to become closer to, and more like, God.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The last big difference in terms of the ‘how’ is who really is in control. In eastern practices, the more you practice letting your thoughts pass by, the better you get at it. You’re not supposed to try to force anything, but in the end, it’s you who is doing the work to improve. In Christian prayer, this isn’t the case. Our work is simply to put ourselves in the position to let God take over.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>3. What you get out of it</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The rewards of mindfulness meditation are often described as finding calm, escaping stress, relieving anxiety, becoming happier etc. But this is essentially the opposite for Christian meditation. While it is calming, peaceful and joyful in many ways, the Christian life isn’t a stress-free one, but rather one of finding meaning and purpose in deep struggles, heavy burdens, and intense suffering. Our aim is not to discover a beach and sit watching the waves come and go, but instead to bend down, pick up our cross and give our lives to God. And when we do, we find a friend, our cross becomes lighter, and we find a Love and Peace deeper than anything a beach could offer us.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;This post was originally published on Catholic Gentleman's blog. Check it out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.catholicgentleman.net/2019/02/is-it-okay-to-meditate-as-a-catholic/">here</a>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>*All quotes in this article are from this letter: LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON SOME ASPECTS OF CHRISTIAN MEDITATION* October 15, 1989</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => Is it Okay to Meditate as a Catholic? 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