Catechism of the Catholic Church · Part Four › Section One › Chapter One · Article 1 (§§2568–2597)
Paragraphs · 30
The Catechism's text is under copyright, so each paragraph is quoted briefly here with a link to the full text at vatican.va.
In the Old Testament
- §2568 — In the Old Testament, the revelation of prayer comes between the fall and the restoration of man, that is, between God's sorrowful call to his first children: "Where are you?vatican.va
- §2569 — Prayer is lived in the first place beginning with the realities of creation. the first nine chapters of Genesis describe this relationship with God as an offering of the first-born of Abel's flock, as the invocation of the divine name at the time of Enosh, and as "walking with God.vatican.va
- §2570 — When God calls him, Abraham goes forth "as the Lord had told him"; Abraham's heart is entirely submissive to the Word and so he obeys.vatican.va
- §2571 — Because Abraham believed in God and walked in his presence and in covenant with him, The patriarch is ready to welcome a mysterious Guest into his tent.vatican.va
- §2572 — As a final stage in the purification of his faith, Abraham, "who had received the promises," is asked to sacrifice the son God had given him.vatican.va
- §2573 — God renews his promise to Jacob, the ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel. Before confronting his elder brother Esau, Jacob wrestles all night with a mysterious figure who refuses to reveal his name, but he blesses him before leaving him at dawn.vatican.va
- §2574 — Once the promise begins to be fulfilled (Passover, the Exodus, the gift of the Law, and the ratification of the covenant), the prayer of Moses becomes the most striking example of intercessory prayer, which will be fulfilled in "the one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."vatican.va
- §2575 — Here again the initiative is God's. From the midst of the burning bush he calls Moses. This event will remain one of the primordial images of prayer in the spiritual tradition of Jews and Christians alike.vatican.va
- §2576 — "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." Moses' prayer is characteristic of contemplative prayer by which God's servant remains faithful to his mission.vatican.va
- §2577 — From this intimacy with the faithful God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, Moses drew strength and determination for his intercession. He does not pray for himself but for the people whom God made his own.vatican.va
- §2578 — The prayer of the People of God flourishes in the shadow of God's dwelling place, first the ark of the covenant and later the Temple.vatican.va
- §2579 — David is par excellence the king "after God's own heart," the shepherd who prays for his people and prays in their name. His submission to the will of God, his praise, and his repentance, will be a model for the prayer of the people.vatican.va
- §2580 — The Temple of Jerusalem, the house of prayer that David wanted to build, will be the work of his son, Solomon. the prayer at the dedication of the Temple relies on God's promise and covenant, on the active presence of his name among his People, recalling his mighty deeds at the Exodus.vatican.va
- §2581 — For the People of God, the Temple was to be the place of their education in prayer: pilgrimages, feasts and sacrifices, the evening offering, the incense, and the bread of the Presence (“shewbread") - all these signs of the holiness and glory of God Most…vatican.va
- §2582 — Elijah is the "father" of the prophets, "the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob." Elijah's name, "The Lord is my God," foretells the people's cry in response to his prayer on Mount Carmel.vatican.va
- §2583 — After Elijah had learned mercy during his retreat at the Wadi Cherith, he teaches the widow of Zarephath to believe in the Word of God and confirms her faith by his urgent prayer: God brings the widow's child back to life.vatican.va
- §2584 — In their "one to one" encounters with God, the prophets draw light and strength for their mission. Their prayer is not flight from this unfaithful world, but rather attentiveness to the Word of God.vatican.va
- §2585 — From the time of David to the coming of the Messiah texts appearing in these sacred books show a deepening in prayer for oneself and in prayer for others.vatican.va
- §2586 — The Psalms both nourished and expressed the prayer of the People of God gathered during the great feasts at Jerusalem and each Sabbath in the synagogues.vatican.va
- §2587 — The Psalter is the book in which the Word of God becomes man's prayer. In other books of the Old Testament, "the words proclaim [God's] works and bring to light the mystery they contain."vatican.va
- §2588 — The Psalter's many forms of prayer take shape both in the liturgy of the Temple and in the human heart. Whether hymns or prayers of lamentation or thanksgiving, whether individual or communal, whether royal chants, songs of pilgrimage or wisdom meditations, the Psalms are a…vatican.va
- §2589 — Certain constant characteristics appear throughout the Psalms: simplicity and spontaneity of prayer; the desire for God himself through and with all that is good in his creation; the distraught situation of the believer who, in his preferential love for the Lord, is exposed to a…vatican.va
In Brief
- §2590 — "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God" (St. John Damascene, Defide orth. 3, 24: PG 94, 1089C).vatican.va
- §2591 — God tirelessly calls each person to this mysterious encounter with Himself. Prayer unfolds throughout the whole history of salvation as a reciprocal call between God and man.vatican.va
- §2592 — The prayer of Abraham and Jacob is presented as a battle of faith marked by trust in God's faithfulness and by certitude in the victory promised to perseverance.vatican.va
- §2593 — The prayer of Moses responds to the living God's initiative for the salvation of his people. It foreshadows the prayer of intercession of the unique mediator, Christ Jesus.vatican.va
- §2594 — The prayer of the People of God flourished in the shadow of the dwelling place of God's presence on earth, the ark of the covenant and the Temple, under the guidance of their shepherds, especially King David, and of the prophets.vatican.va
- §2595 — The prophets summoned the people to conversion of heart and, while zealously seeking the face of God, like Elijah, they interceded for the people.vatican.va
- §2596 — The Psalms constitute the masterwork of prayer in the Old Testament. They present two inseparable qualities: the personal, and the communal. They extend to all dimensions of history, recalling God's promises already fulfilled and looking for the coming of the Messiah.vatican.va
- §2597 — Prayed and fulfilled in Christ, the Psalms are an essential and permanent element of the prayer of the Church. They are suitable for men of every condition and time.vatican.va
Scripture cited · 341 verses
Genesis 3:9 · Genesis 3:13 · Genesis 4:4 · Genesis 4:26 · Genesis 5:24 · Genesis 6:9 · Genesis 8:20 · Genesis 8:21 · Genesis 8:22 · Genesis 9:1 · Genesis 9:2 · Genesis 9:3 · Genesis 9:4 · Genesis 9:5 · Genesis 9:6 · Genesis 9:7 · Genesis 9:8 · Genesis 9:9 · Genesis 9:10 · Genesis 9:11 · Genesis 9:12 · Genesis 9:13 · Genesis 9:14 · Genesis 9:15 · Genesis 9:16 · Genesis 9:17 · Genesis 12:4 · Genesis 15:2 · Genesis 15:6 · Genesis 17:1 · Genesis 18:1 · Genesis 18:2 · Genesis 18:3 · Genesis 18:4 · Genesis 18:5 · Genesis 18:6 · Genesis 18:7 · Genesis 18:8 · Genesis 18:9 · Genesis 18:10 · Genesis 18:11 · Genesis 18:12 · Genesis 18:13 · Genesis 18:14 · Genesis 18:15 · Genesis 22:8 · Genesis 28:10 · Genesis 28:11 · Genesis 28:12 · Genesis 28:13 · Genesis 28:14 · Genesis 28:15 · Genesis 28:16 · Genesis 28:17 · Genesis 28:18 · Genesis 28:19 · Genesis 28:20 · Genesis 28:21 · Genesis 28:22 · Genesis 32:24 · Genesis 32:25 · Genesis 32:26 · Genesis 32:27 · Genesis 32:28 · Genesis 32:29 · Genesis 32:30 · Exodus 3:1 · Exodus 3:2 · Exodus 3:3 · Exodus 3:4 · Exodus 3:5 · Exodus 3:6 · Exodus 3:7 · Exodus 3:8 · Exodus 3:9 · Exodus 3:10 · Exodus 17:8 · Exodus 17:9 · Exodus 17:10 · Exodus 17:11 · Exodus 17:12 · Exodus 32:1 · Exodus 32:2 · Exodus 32:3 · Exodus 32:4 · Exodus 32:5 · Exodus 32:6 · Exodus 32:7 · Exodus 32:8 · Exodus 32:9 · Exodus 32:10 · Exodus 32:11 · Exodus 32:12 · Exodus 32:13 · Exodus 32:14 · Exodus 32:15 · Exodus 32:16 · Exodus 32:17 · Exodus 32:18 · Exodus 32:19 · Exodus 32:20 · Exodus 32:21 · Exodus 32:22 · Exodus 32:23 · Exodus 32:24 · Exodus 32:25 · Exodus 32:26 · Exodus 32:27 · Exodus 32:28 · Exodus 32:29 · Exodus 32:30 · Exodus 32:31 · Exodus 32:32 · Exodus 32:33 · Exodus 32:34 · Exodus 32:35 · Exodus 33:1 · Exodus 33:2 · Exodus 33:3 · Exodus 33:4 · Exodus 33:5 · Exodus 33:11 · Exodus 33:19 · Exodus 33:20 · Exodus 33:21 · Exodus 33:22 · Exodus 33:23 · Exodus 34:6 · Numbers 12:3 · Numbers 12:7 · Numbers 12:8 · Numbers 12:13 · Numbers 12:14 · 1 Samuel 1:9 · 1 Samuel 1:10 · 1 Samuel 1:11 · 1 Samuel 1:12 · 1 Samuel 1:13 · 1 Samuel 1:14 · 1 Samuel 1:15 · 1 Samuel 1:16 · 1 Samuel 1:17 · 1 Samuel 1:18 · 1 Samuel 3:9 · 1 Samuel 3:10 · 1 Samuel 12:23 · 2 Samuel 7:18 · 2 Samuel 7:19 · 2 Samuel 7:20 · 2 Samuel 7:21 · 2 Samuel 7:22 · 2 Samuel 7:23 · 2 Samuel 7:24 · 2 Samuel 7:25 · 2 Samuel 7:26 · 2 Samuel 7:27 · 2 Samuel 7:28 · 2 Samuel 7:29 · 1 Kings 8:10 · 1 Kings 8:11 · and 181 more