Catechism of the Catholic Church · Part Four › Section One › Chapter Three · Article 2 (§§2725–2745)
Paragraphs · 21
The Catechism's text is under copyright, so each paragraph is quoted briefly here with a link to the full text at vatican.va.
The Battle of Prayer
- §2725 — Prayer is both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part. It always presupposes effort. the great figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the saints, and he himself, all teach us this: prayer is a battle.vatican.va
I. Objections to Prayer
- §2726 — In the battle of prayer, we must face in ourselves and around us erroneous notions of prayer. Some people view prayer as a simple psychological activity, others as an effort of concentration to reach a mental void.vatican.va
- §2727 — We must also face the fact that certain attitudes deriving from the mentality of "this present world" can penetrate our lives if we are not vigilant.vatican.va
- §2728 — Finally, our battle has to confront what we experience as failure in prayer: discouragement during periods of dryness; sadness that, because we have "great possessions," we have not given all to the Lord; disappointment over not being heard according to our own will; wounded pride,…vatican.va
Facing difficulties in prayer
- §2729 — The habitual difficulty in prayer is distraction. It can affect words and their meaning in vocal prayer; it can concern, more profoundly, him to whom we are praying, in vocal prayer (liturgical or personal), meditation, and contemplative prayer.vatican.va
- §2730 — In positive terms, the battle against the possessive and dominating self requires vigilance, sobriety of heart. When Jesus insists on vigilance, he always relates it to himself, to his coming on the last day and every day: today.vatican.va
- §2731 — Another difficulty, especially for those who sincerely want to pray, is dryness. Dryness belongs to contemplative prayer when the heart is separated from God, with no taste for thoughts, memories, and feelings, even spiritual ones.vatican.va
- §2732 — The most common yet most hidden temptation is our lack of faith. It expresses itself less by declared incredulity than by our actual preferences. When we begin to pray, a thousand labors or cares thought to be urgent vie for priority; once again, it is…vatican.va
- §2733 — Another temptation, to which presumption opens the gate, is acedia. the spiritual writers understand by this a form of depression due to lax ascetical practice, decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart.vatican.va
III. Filial Trust
- §2734 — Filial trust is tested - it proves itself - in tribulation. The principal difficulty concerns the prayer of petition, for oneself or for others in intercession.vatican.va
- §2735 — In the first place, we ought to be astonished by this fact: when we praise God or give him thanks for his benefits in general, we are not particularly concerned whether or not our prayer is acceptable to him.vatican.va
- §2736 — Are we convinced that "we do not know how to pray as we ought"? Are we asking God for "what is good for us"? Our Father knows what we need before we ask him, but he awaits our petition because the dignity of his children lies in their freedom.vatican.va
- §2737 — "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." If we ask with a divided heart, we are "adulterers"; God cannot answer us, for he desires our well-being, our life.vatican.va
- §2738 — The revelation of prayer in the economy of salvation teaches us that faith rests on God's action in history. Our filial trust is enkindled by his supreme act: the Passion and Resurrection of his Son.vatican.va
- §2739 — For St. Paul, this trust is bold, founded on the prayer of the Spirit in us and on the faithful love of the Father who has given us his only Son.vatican.va
- §2740 — The prayer of Jesus makes Christian prayer an efficacious petition. He is its model, he prays in us and with us. Since the heart of the Son seeks only what pleases the Father, how could the prayer of the children of adoption be centered on the gifts rather than the Giver?vatican.va
- §2741 — Jesus also prays for us - in our place and on our behalf. All our petitions were gathered up, once for all, in his cry on the Cross and, in his Resurrection, heard by the Father.vatican.va
IV. Perservering in Love
- §2742 — "Pray constantly . . always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father." St. Paul adds, "Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.vatican.va
- §2743 — It is always possible to pray: the time of the Christian is that of the risen Christ who is with us always, no matter what tempests may arise.vatican.va
- §2744 — Prayer is a vital necessity. Proof from the contrary is no less convincing: if we do not allow the Spirit to lead us, we fall back into the slavery of sin.vatican.va
- §2745 — Prayer and Christian life are inseparable, for they concern the same love and the same renunciation, proceeding from love; the same filial and loving conformity with the Father's plan of love; the same transforming union in the Holy Spirit who conforms us more and more…vatican.va
Scripture cited · 64 verses
Psalm 27:8 · Matthew 6:8 · Matthew 6:21 · Matthew 6:24 · Matthew 26:41 · Matthew 28:20 · Mark 10:22 · Luke 8:6 · Luke 8:13 · Luke 8:24 · John 12:24 · John 15:5 · John 15:16 · John 15:17 · Romans 5:3 · Romans 5:4 · Romans 5:5 · Romans 8:26 · Romans 8:27 · Romans 8:28 · Romans 8:29 · Romans 8:30 · Romans 8:31 · Romans 8:32 · Romans 8:33 · Romans 8:34 · Romans 8:35 · Romans 8:36 · Romans 8:37 · Romans 8:38 · Romans 8:39 · Romans 10:12 · Romans 10:13 · Galatians 5:16 · Galatians 5:17 · Galatians 5:18 · Galatians 5:19 · Galatians 5:20 · Galatians 5:21 · Galatians 5:22 · Galatians 5:23 · Galatians 5:24 · Galatians 5:25 · Ephesians 5:20 · Ephesians 6:18 · 1 Thessalonians 5:17 · Hebrews 5:7 · Hebrews 7:25 · Hebrews 9:24 · James 1:5 · James 1:6 · James 1:7 · James 1:8 · James 4:1 · James 4:2 · James 4:3 · James 4:4 · James 4:5 · James 4:6 · James 4:7 · James 4:8 · James 4:9 · James 4:10 · James 5:16