Catechism of the Catholic Church · Part Four › Section One › Chapter Two · Article 1 (§§2652–2662)
Paragraphs · 11
The Catechism's text is under copyright, so each paragraph is quoted briefly here with a link to the full text at vatican.va.
At the Wellsprings of Prayer
- §2652 — The Holy Spirit is the living water "welling up to eternal life" in the heart that prays. It is he who teaches us to accept it at its source: Christ.vatican.va
- §2653 — The Church "forcefully and specially exhorts all the Christian faithful . . to learn 'the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ' (⇒ Phil 3:8) by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures....vatican.va
- §2654 — The spiritual writers, paraphrasing Matthew 7:7, summarize in this way the dispositions of the heart nourished by the word of God in prayer "Seek in reading and you will find in meditating; knock in mental prayer and it will be opened to you by contemplation."vatican.va
- §2655 — In the sacramental liturgy of the Church, the mission of Christ and of the Holy Spirit proclaims, makes present, and communicates the mystery of salvation, which is continued in the heart that prays.vatican.va
- §2656 — One enters into prayer as one enters into liturgy: by the narrow gate of faith. Through the signs of his presence, it is the Face of the Lord that we seek and desire; it is his Word that we want to hear and keep.vatican.va
- §2657 — The Holy Spirit, who instructs us to celebrate the liturgy in expectation of Christ's return, teaches us - to pray in hope. Conversely, the prayer of the Church and personal prayer nourish hope in us.vatican.va
- §2658 — "Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Prayer, formed by the liturgical life, draws everything into the love by which we are loved in Christ and which enables…vatican.va
- §2659 — We learn to pray at certain moments by hearing the Word of the Lord and sharing in his Paschal mystery, but his Spirit is offered us at all times, in the events of each day, to make prayer spring up from us.vatican.va
- §2660 — Prayer in the events of each day and each moment is one of the secrets of the kingdom revealed to "little children," to the servants of Christ, to the poor of the Beatitudes.vatican.va
In Brief
- §2661 — By a living transmission -Tradition - the Holy Spirit in the Church teaches the children of God to pray.vatican.va
- §2662 — The Word of God, the liturgy of the Church, and the virtues of faith, hope, and charity are sources of prayer.vatican.va
Scripture cited · 12 verses
Psalm 40:2 · Psalm 95:7 · Psalm 95:8 · Matthew 6:6 · Matthew 6:11 · Matthew 6:34 · Luke 13:20 · Luke 13:21 · John 4:14 · Romans 5:5 · Romans 15:13 · Philippians 3:8