Prayer is the heart of our personal relationship with God, and the more we pray and the better we pray, the more we are drawn into the mystery of God's plan for our lives. Prayer fills us with a sense of responsibility for the mission of Jesus - to share in his care for the salvation and healing of our brothers and sister. Below are some resources to help you to pray. (Click on the name to access the Link for the various Prayer and Spirituality Resources)
Magnificat - A monthly spiritual publication, designed to encourage liturgical and personal payer, with daily Mass readings, spiritual reflections, essays on the saints' lives and selections from the Church's Liturgy of the Hours.
Discerning Hearts - More than 3,000 podcasts for download from some of the top spiritual teachers today.
E-Catholic Library of Catholic Christian Classics - An online collection of great works on prayer, Scripture, the saints, and spirituality.
Online Scripture Rosary - From the Knights of Columbus, helps deepen our reflections on the mysteries of Our Lord's life.
Word on Fire - A wealth of resources for parishes and individuals, including a daily blog on faith and culture and writings by Bishop Robert Barron of the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region
“Give Us This Day” - a digital file of their periodical, which includes daily Mass texts. Visit GUTD.net and select "Digital" in the upper right of the screen.
What is spiritual communion?
St. Thomas Aquinas described spiritual communion as “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the most holy sacrament and lovingly embrace him” at a time or in circumstances when we cannot receive him in sacramental Communion.”
St. Teresa of Jesus wrote: “When you do not receive communion and you do not attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion, which is a most beneficial practice; by it the love of God will be greatly impressed on you” [The Way of Perfection, Ch. 35.].
The Basic Elements of an Act of Spiritual Communion
1. Make an act of faith. The key here is to express to the Lord your faith in his merciful love and his real presence in the Eucharist.
2. Make an act of love. O Lord God, I love you above all things. ...
3. Express your desire to receive him.
4. Invite Jesus to come into your heart spiritually.
No particular prayer or formulary is required, though there are acts of spiritual communion in Catholic prayer books to help focus a proper intention. Below is a traditional prayer of spiritual communion attributed to St. Alphonsus Liguori:
My Jesus,
I believe that you are present in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love you above all things and I desire you with all my heart.
Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, I ask you to come spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already in my heart and unite myself to you completely.
Please do not let me ever by separated from you.
Amen.
Magnificat - A monthly spiritual publication, designed to encourage liturgical and personal payer, with daily Mass readings, spiritual reflections, essays on the saints' lives and selections from the Church's Liturgy of the Hours.
Discerning Hearts - More than 3,000 podcasts for download from some of the top spiritual teachers today.
E-Catholic Library of Catholic Christian Classics - An online collection of great works on prayer, Scripture, the saints, and spirituality.
Online Scripture Rosary - From the Knights of Columbus, helps deepen our reflections on the mysteries of Our Lord's life.
Word on Fire - A wealth of resources for parishes and individuals, including a daily blog on faith and culture and writings by Bishop Robert Barron of the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region
“Give Us This Day” - a digital file of their periodical, which includes daily Mass texts. Visit GUTD.net and select "Digital" in the upper right of the screen.
What is spiritual communion?
St. Thomas Aquinas described spiritual communion as “an ardent desire to receive Jesus in the most holy sacrament and lovingly embrace him” at a time or in circumstances when we cannot receive him in sacramental Communion.”
St. Teresa of Jesus wrote: “When you do not receive communion and you do not attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion, which is a most beneficial practice; by it the love of God will be greatly impressed on you” [The Way of Perfection, Ch. 35.].
The Basic Elements of an Act of Spiritual Communion
1. Make an act of faith. The key here is to express to the Lord your faith in his merciful love and his real presence in the Eucharist.
2. Make an act of love. O Lord God, I love you above all things. ...
3. Express your desire to receive him.
4. Invite Jesus to come into your heart spiritually.
No particular prayer or formulary is required, though there are acts of spiritual communion in Catholic prayer books to help focus a proper intention. Below is a traditional prayer of spiritual communion attributed to St. Alphonsus Liguori:
My Jesus,
I believe that you are present in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love you above all things and I desire you with all my heart.
Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, I ask you to come spiritually into my heart.
I embrace you as if you were already in my heart and unite myself to you completely.
Please do not let me ever by separated from you.
Amen.