Lord Teach Us to Pray , livre ebook

St. Benedict Press LLC - S.T.L. Rev. Fr. Jeffrey Kirby

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80 pages

English

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Echoing the petition of the disciples, Lord, teach us to pray, this book guides the reader through the challenges of discipleship and the various stages of prayer. Fr. Kirby lovingly and expertly examines this crucial petition, shedding light on its three parts: the call to follow the Lord, to live virtuously, and to pray, while laying out a course for growing in discipleship and strengthening the interior life.

Sujets

Prayer in Christianity

Catholic Church

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Publié par	St. Benedict Press LLC
Date de parution	01 mai 2014
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781618906151
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0300€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Copyright © 2014 by Fr. Jeffrey Kirby
All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts used in articles and critical review, no part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form whatsoever, printed or electronic, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Scripture quotations are from the Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1965, 1966 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Cover design by Caroline Kiser
Front cover image: Icon in St. Stephen’s Bulgarian church (photo)/ Godong / UIG / The Bridgeman Art Library
Cataloging-in-Publication data on file with the Library of Congress.
ISBN: 978-1-61890-614-4
Published in the United States by
Saint Benedict Press, LLC
P.O. Box 410487
Charlotte, NC 28241
www.SaintBenedictPress.com
Printed and bound in the United States of America
To
The Men of the Drexel House Charleston, South Carolina
Contents
Foreword by Archbishop J. Peter Sartain
Introduction
PART ONE: “LORD”
CHAPTER ONE
Baptism and a Personal Decision for Christ
CHAPTER TWO
Jesus Christ and Salvation History
CHAPTER THREE
My Faith—the Church’s Faith
PART TWO: “TEACH US”
CHAPTER FOUR
First Conversion of the Spiritual Life
CHAPTER FIVE
Virtue and Life in the Spirit
CHAPTER SIX
Rule of Life
PART THREE: “TO PRAY”
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Lord among Us
CHAPTER EIGHT
Living a Life of Prayer
CHAPTER NINE
A Prayerful Spirit
Conclusion
Bibliography
Foreword
For the Christian, everything flows from discipleship in the Lord Jesus—which is to say that Jesus calls us to be his disciples—which is to say that he desires that we follow him and live his Way—which is to say that everything in a Christian’s life is a response to Jesus—which is to say that he sends us the Holy Spirit to make us wise in his Way and keep us faithful to him—which is to say that he wishes to use us as his instruments—which is to say that he desires to have a deep, life-long relationship with us—which is to say that he loves us more than we can possibly imagine—which is to say that his love for us eternal, and that he desires that we spend eternity with and in him.
Those words are a mouthful, but they summarize the richness of discipleship and the eternal destiny for which God has made every person. Our discipleship and destiny in Christ form the core of our lives as Christians and should be reflected in everything we do. Though that may seem like a tall, even impossible, order, the Lord has left us the Church, through which we will be schooled and formed in all that he desires. Through the Church, the Lord himself, in the power of the Holy Spirit, will guide, teach, forgive, heal, cleanse, and share his joy. He gives us everything we need to attain that to which he calls us. In fact, it is he who accomplishes it in us! What he asks is that we follow him and cooperate with his grace.
I have always been intrigued by the passage in Matthew’s gospel where Peter quarrels with Jesus about what his mission from the Father will entail. Jesus has revealed to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem to suffer, die and rise from the dead; but this makes no sense to Peter, who wants a different kind of Messiah, a different path to salvation. Taking Jesus aside, he argues,

“God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men” (Mt 16:22–23)
Peter’s argument against Jesus’ cross and resurrection exposes the fact that he is not following but wants to create his own path, one that makes sense to him. He would prefer that Jesus follow his way, his rationale, his plan for salvation. Jesus knows that if Peter is trying to convince him of another way, Peter will never follow him. Thus, he says, “Get behind me.” In other words, “Follow me.” In another place, Jesus asks his disciples a haunting question: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?’” Every disciple must learn to live a life that is compatible with the Lordship of Jesus.
In Lord, Teach Us to Pray: A Teaching on the Spiritual Life and Discipleship , Father Jeffrey Kirby lays out the foundations of discipleship and the steps which lead to faithfulness, prayerfulness, hopefulness, conversion of life, and intimate communion with God. One could not possibly aspire to faithful discipleship without a commitment to prayer, and Father Kirby teaches us to pray, just as Jesus taught his first disciples to pray.
Faith issues forth in a desire to know God better, and God leads us as trusted friends to a mature life of Christian love. Prayer increases our faith and deepens our friendship with God, who accomplishes all of this within us. After all, it was God who called us in the first place, God whose love is always first, God who created us to rest in him for all eternity. Along the way of discipleship, he helps us know him and ourselves better. He reveals our faults in the healing context of his mercy. He forgives us and teaches us to be merciful ourselves. He feeds us with his Word and with the Body and Blood of his Son. He helps us set aright the priorities of our lives, so that seeking his kingdom first, “all these things shall be yours as well” (Mt 6:33). He reminds us that as disciples of the One sent by the Father, we are sent by the Son as ambassadors of his unsurpassable truth, instruments of his unfathomable love, reconcilers of the estranged, peace-makers in the midst of conflict, and people of prayer who are grounded in friendship with the Father, through the Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
It is Christ who calls disciples, Christ who forms them, Christ who sends them. And prayer is the way to develop a relationship with him so profound that it strengthens and motivates all we are and do. How could we not communicate daily, honestly, and humbly in prayer with the One who desires with all his heart to teach us to pray and holds us closely as his beloved disciples?
This is a book to inspire, teach, and lead in the Way who is Jesus. Father Kirby is a wise and clear teacher, and he helps us appreciate the Church’s storied tradition of prayer. In doing so, he makes us hunger for more—which is to say, he makes us hunger more for Jesus.
—Archbishop J. Peter Sartain
Introduction
An Amazing Journey
There is nothing in this life more fulfilling or exciting than to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is nothing bolder in this world than to declare that Jesus Christ is Lord and to live the radical adventure of a Christian believer. This is the singular inspiration of this book.
In writing this book, I have drawn from my own discipleship and priesthood, as well as my vocations ministry. As I have led men and women in their discipleship and spiritual life in order to find God’s will in their lives, I have learned and collected lived wisdom and practical applications of what it means to live as a Catholic Christian in our contemporary world. I pray that you find this book helpful as you seek to live the amazing journey of being a friend and disciple of the Lord Jesus.
Anxiety and Peace
It was the celebration of my first Mass as a newly ordained priest, and I was very nervous. I wanted everything to go smoothly and, more importantly, I wanted to make sure that I didn’t make any mistakes.
As I looked out in the congregation from the presider’s chair for the first time, I saw my parents and siblings, nieces and nephews, multiple other family members (some of whom I hadn’t seen in years), friends from all the different parts of my life: high school, college, graduate school, and seminary, as well as former co-workers, parishioners from summer assignments, and an array of parishioners from my home parish. It seemed like my whole life was before me. I was joyful but very nervous.
As I concluded the opening Collect and sat down, I was relieved that the first part of the Mass had gone well. I found myself thinking ahead and worrying about the next few parts of the Mass. I allowed a lot of distractions to take over, and I missed a lot of the readings. After we stood for the Alleluia and I gave my first blessing to a deacon to proclaim the Gospel, I was still nervous.
Once I heard the beginning of the Gospel reading, however, I felt a tremendous peace. I had read the Gospel beforehand, but the first verse of the passage powerfully struck me at that moment. It was the beginning of the Eleventh Chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel, the petition of the apostles to the Lord Jesus: “Lord, teach us to pray.”
After hearing that petition, a great calm came over me. I stopped worrying and let myself enjoy the Mass. I even laughed internally when I thought, “Well, if I make some mistakes, it’ll just give people something to talk about!” In hearing the request of the apostles, I heard the deepest request within my own heart being uttered to the Lord: “Lord, teach me to pray.” I was getting caught up in all kinds of minutiae and control, anxiety, and fear. “Lord, teach us to pray” was the simple, heartfelt request that broke through all those heavy anxieties, and was the core of what I wanted at that first Mass.
I repeated that petition to myself as the Mass moved along, and I asked the Lord’s help to be a better disciple. I prayed: Lord, help me to believe and see your presence and providence in my life and in my ministry; Lord, teach me to follow you and to seek the virtues that will help me to be like you; Lord, give me a prayerful spirit and the gift of a strong spiritual life.
Our World Today
My personal story applies to this book. In a small way it reflects much of what is happening in our world today.
We live in an amazing time, and in a world with tremendous blessings. Although it is a world marked by anxieties and a restless spirit, it is also a world of ques