Prayer

• Prayer is ​a form of communication with God, usually done through words.
• Jesus, disciples asked him how to pray and he taught them the Lord's prayer.
• Youcat 469 – Prayer is turning the heart towards God. When a person prays, he enters into a living relationship with God.
• Youcat 520 – ‘When we pray, ‘Thy Kingdom come’ we call for Christ to come again, as He promised’.
• • Adoration – Praising God​
  • Confession – Asking God for forgiveness and mercy
  • Thanksgiving – Thanking God​
  • Petition – Asking for​ things
  • Intercession – Praying on behalf of someone else
• A spontaneous prayer is a prayer that do not follow a set pattern or structure.
• Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us, And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.
• Strengths of spontaneous prayer:

  • We can pray at any time​
  • It recognises God’s presence in our lives​
  • We put our trust in God​
  • We talk to God like we talk to a friend​
  • They are easy to say​
  • They are personal
• Hail Mary - Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of death Amen.
• Weaknesses of spontaneous prayer:

  • They can be selfish​
  • They do not use holy words​
  • We do not pray together​
  • They can make us distracted
• A traditional prayer is a prayer that have been passed down over time that follow a set structure and pattern.
• Strengths of traditional prayer:

  • Shows commitment to faith​
  • We find time to look for God​
  • They can be said by lots of people​
  • It shows unity​
  • They build a sense of community​
  • They bring discipline to our prayer life​
  • They are learnt
• Weaknesses of traditional prayer:

  • Not personal ​
  • You need to remember the words​
  • Might not come from the heart​
  • They are repeated so they get dull​
  • Seen as a duty rather then a joy
• Mary was present at Pentecost. She helped the apostles begin the early Church.​
• The Catholic Church believes Mary deserves a higher level of devotion than all other holy men, women, and angels.​

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• Mary was chosen by God to be Jesus’ mother​
• ​

  Because of who Mary is, what she did during her earthly life, and what she continues to do in eternal life, she is deserving of adoration.
• ​

  Mary helps give new life to our souls, prays for us, and provides us with what we need to grow in grace.
• Hail Mary full of Grace - Mary is holy and is filled with Grace (God’s free gift of love)
• the Lord is with thee.​ - God is with Mary​
• Blessed are thou amongst women - Among all women, Mary is blessed (special, chosen)​

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• blessed is the fruit of thy womb - Mary’s baby is blessed​
• Holy Mary Mother of God,​ - Mary is the mother of Jesus (Jesus is God)​
• pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death​ - Mary is an intercessor for us now and forever​
• Amen.​ - I agree
• Importance of the Hail Mary:

  • It reminds Catholics that Mary said yes to God​
  • Mary showed her love and devotion to God by agreeing to be Jesus’ mother​
  • Mary prays for sinners and listens to all our prayers ​
• What we learn about Mary in the Hail Mary:

  • Faith ​
  • Obedience ​
  • Mother​
  • Interceding ​
  • Charitable ​
  • Role model​
  • Discipleship 
• The Magnificat

  • It’s a prayer/hymn sung by Mary.​
  • Mary went to go and visit her cousin Elizabeth all about her visit from Angel Gabriel (visitation).​
  • Using words which we now say in Hail Mary, Elizabeth praised Mary’s commitment to her faith. ​
  • Mary’s response was the Magnificat - a song filled with adoration. ​
  • Magnificat is Latin for magnifies
• Mary


  A woman who hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea
• Elizabeth


  A woman who was Mary's cousin, and was greeted by Mary
• When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting

  The baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
• Elizabeth: '"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"'
• Why is the Magnificat important?

  It shows Mary’s humbleness​

  It shows Mary’s obedience to God​

  It reminds us that God chose Mary​

  Teaches us that we should follow Mary’s example ​

  Teaches us to trust in God and His power​

  It is the longest set of words said by a woman in the new testament​

  It is the first Christmas carol ever composed​

  Members of religious orders often sing this hymn everyday​

  It was banned by some governments because it was subversive​
• The Magnificat was banned due to being classed as subversive. ​

  Mary was a teenage, unmarried, pregnant women which was extremely frowned upon during the time of Jesus and throughout history. ​

  It also talks about over throwing those in power and bringing them down from their thrones. 
• Even though these countries allowed the practice of Christianity, the Magnificat was banned, and sometimes even outlawed, from being read outloud or studied in some countries including: ​

  • India (during British reign) ​
  • Argentina ​
  • Guatemala (near Mexico)
• Normans rang a bell to signalise a curfew where all villagers needed to put out their fires and return to their homes for the night


  11th Century
• This was not originally the intention, but villagers would all gather round and pray three Hail Marys together as a community
• The bell


  Became known as the Gabriel Bell
• A bell would ring at sunrise to encourage the laity to pray together at sunrise and sunset


  Late 14th Century
• The bell was rung three times a day - 6am, noon and 6pm


  16th Century