Do you find it easy to pray? Is prayer an integral part of your day? Do you hear God’s voice in your daily life, and know how to respond accordingly?
For many of us, the answer to these questions is, “no.” We all desire an intimate relationship with God. But, since learning to “say our prayers” as children, we never moved beyond rote recitation to an authentic conversation with God.
In Scripture we read of profound interactions people have with God. We hear of Saints who seemed to have a direct line to Him their entire lives. But most of the time we feel like this is far beyond our reach. After all, we’re not prophets, and certainly not (yet) Saints!
For most of us prayer becomes a source of frustration as we struggle to calm our minds and find even a few minutes to set aside to pray. In our busy lives prayer is seen as a luxury, when in reality it is at the foundation of a healthy spiritual life.
The good news is you can overcome your difficulties with prayer, and it is easier than you might think.
The Oremus study program teaches you the essentials of an effective and fruitful prayer life. Over the course of eight weeks you will discover how God speaks to you, even in the smallest encounters. Following the Tradition of the Catholic Church and the wisdom of the saints, you will learn how to express yourself to God in prayer, and how to hear his voice.
In Oremus you will:
• Become aware of God’s presence in your life
• Discover the simple yet profound steps of Catholic prayer
• Learn how to respond to God and express yourself in prayer
• Discover how to hear God’s voice in Scripture, in your heart, and in ordinary moments.
• Learn how to overcome frustration, distractions and dryness in prayer.
• See that desolation and consolation are a normal part of everyone’s walk with God.
• Grow in your relationship with God and those around you.
We will begin Oremus: A Guide to Catholic Prayer on Wednesday, July 5th at 7pm. For more information or to sign up, email Jennifer Romano at stthomasfairfieldfaith@gmail.com. A link to register and order your study materials will be sent.
The study includes a series of eight informative and engaging half-hour videos presented by Fr. Mark Toups. Each video will be followed by a lively group discussion. You can sign up for the study at https://study.ascensionpress.com/ or email Jennifer Romano at stthomasfairfieldfaith@gmail.com. You will receive a study workbook and the ability to stream the study videos online at your convenience (in case you miss a meeting).