With the beginning of Advent Dec. 1, we begin preparations for the Christmas season. Having an Advent wreath in your home is one way to observe the liturgical season. 

The blessing of an Advent wreath can be done at home in families. The text below is taken from “Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers.” One family member can lead the prayer while the others say the response:

All make the sign of the cross as the leader says: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

Response: Who made heaven and earth.

Then the Scripture, Isaiah 9:1-2 and 5-6; or Isaiah 63:16-17 and 19; or Isaiah 64:2-7 is read.

Leader: The word of the Lord.

Response: Thanks be to God.

With hands joined, the leader says:

Lord our God,

we praise you for your Son, Jesus Christ:

he is Emmanuel, the hope of the peoples,

he is the wisdom that teaches and guides us,

he is the Savior of every nation.

Lord God,

let your blessing come upon us

as we light the candles of this wreath.

May the wreath and its light

be a sign of Christ’s promise to bring us salvation.

May he come quickly and not delay.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Response: Amen.

The blessing may conclude with a verse from “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”:

O come, desire of nations, bind

in one the hearts of humankind;

bid ev’ry sad division cease

and be thyself our Prince of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come to thee, O Israel.

“God of all creation, through our daily work you have made us stewards of the earth and co-creators with you. As a skilled carpenter, Joseph worked in Nazareth and taught Jesus the dignity of human work and the nobility of manual labor. Through the example of Joseph, teach me to work productively, skillfully and honestly. 

“As I go about my work this day, help me to value the things I do, whether they be big projects or tiring, trivial tasks. Enable me to handle the stresses of my work and to trust in your guiding presence. Show me that my workaday living is my road to holiness. May my Sunday worship blend into my weekday labor so that all that I do each day may give you praise. 

“St. Joseph the Worker, pray for me and be my example in everyday work. Amen.” 

Written by Stephen J. Binz, author, biblical scholar and speaker, formerly from Arkansas.

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Lent is a time of reflection to deepen one’s faith and join Christ on the journey to the cross. 

While some Catholics may be looking to give up sweets and sodas, other Catholics may be looking to do something more, such as creating a more prayerful life. 

Priests, deacons, monks, sisters and lay spiritual directors offered their suggestions on ways to be more prayerful this Lent and what to do if you fall short.

 

Doing what works for you

Jeff Hines, director of the Office of Faith Formation, said everyone needs to pray in some way.

“It’s a basic skill of being a follower of Christ, so everybody needs to do it,” Hines said. “Like everything in the Catholic Church, you can go a lot of different directions, and they’re all good. But the point is to pick something that is entry-level for you.”

If you are just beginning a regular prayer routine, Hines said a good place to start is in the Book of Psalms.  

“If you have a Bible, open it about a quarter inch to the left of the center, and you hit Psalms. Pick a psalm and read it prayerfully,” Hines said. “And reading prayerfully means you’re not reading for your head knowledge. … I use the analogy of electricity going through a copper wire. … The wire … doesn’t do anything, but it becomes a conduit. The word you’re reading is from God, and you are praying to God. The Psalms are the prayer of God’s people.”

Sister Maria Goretti DeAngeli, OSB, a Benedictine sister at St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith, said the deeply personal nature of the Psalms them a good place to start. 

“Lent, for me, is going to be a 40-day journey to really look into my own heart to see what is there that needs to be refreshed. What can I do to help do that?” Sister Maria said. “For all Christian men and women, we need to look into our hearts. What is God really calling us to do to follow in Jesus’s footsteps? I think our answer is within the Psalms and within Scripture because the people who wrote the Psalms were in agony and were at war with other people, and sometimes really angry, and calling on God to help them find their way… 

“To spend time with that is so important because we live in such a noisy world. … I think we all need to find a time for quiet to really hear what God is saying to us in our day and time. 

Our world is in such turmoil today that it doesn’t take time to give God his due.”

Hines said by reading Psalms every day, things begin to change as your awareness increases.

“You don’t have to expect anything to happen,” Hines said. “You’re reading God’s words. … something happens, undetected to you. You start to notice things. You gain some of those theological virtues … They start happening to you.” 

Zola Moon, a spiritual director and certified chaplain, helps implement a nine-week spiritual program called Invitation to Personal Prayer as part of the Arkansas-based, Catholic spiritual organization Infinitely Rooted. Moon, a convert to the Catholic faith from Methodism, helps participants learn the “fundamentals.” 

“When I came into the Catholic Church, having grown up a Methodist, one big change for me was the beauty of traditional prayers, like the rosary or Divine Mercy (Chaplet), that bring such beauty to our faith life,” Moon said. “But what I learned as a Methodist was personal prayer — you just talk to Jesus. And this is something that in the Catholic Church, sometimes, we’re not as good at helping people with — having that personal, direct conversation with the Lord.”

Sister Elise Forst, OSB, a Benedictine sister at St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith, said it’s important to understand your unique situation when creating a more prayerful life.

“We should pray as we can and not as we can’t,” Sister Elise said. “Sometimes we see what somebody else does and think, ‘Oh, that’s great.’ But it doesn’t fit our situation … You have to adapt to what your situation is and your temperament. … I think people should feel free to adapt ideas that they may admire or that might help motivate and inspire them, but to be sure to do it in a way that fits them.

“In doing that, don’t compare and judge yourself to what others do — I think that’s very dangerous. Set aside some time for prayer, and be alone without much noise around you … and try to quiet that inner noise… And if you set aside a time to pray, you’re doing it, whether you feel successful at it or not.” 

 

Consistency is key

When it comes to creating a more prayerful life, being consistent is the key to making a long-term difference. 

“Develop the practice and the discipline. Develop the habit,” Hines said. “You may do it for three to six months a year and not think anything is happening but just develop that habit.”

Father Jerome Kodell, OSB, a Benedictine monk at Subiaco Abbey, said beginners can create a more prayerful life by applying their prayer knowledge to create a closer relationship with God. 

“I think people are looking for a more definite union with God,” Father Kodell said. “I would recommend that they do something very systematic — every day, spend a couple of minutes focusing on the presence of God, either by saying the name ‘Jesus’ over and over again or a similar word. I think it’s very good to use what Samuel (1 Samuel 3:10) said — ‘Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.’ Do that for two or so minutes every day.”

For Father Kodell, consistency and quality are more important than quantity.

“The important thing is not to be long but consistent,” Father Kodell said. “Pick something you can do that you don’t usually do to remind you every day that it’s Lent. It might be when you first get something to drink after breakfast, like a cup of coffee or juice or water, that you put it off for 10 minutes and remind yourself, ‘I’m doing this because it’s Lent, and I am trying to prepare myself spiritually.’ That’s very brief. I think there are things that people can read, but I think people these days already have plenty of information, and what they’re looking for is communion.”

Father Daniel Velasco, pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock and director of the diocesan spiritual direction formation program, said to start with something manageable.

“You don’t have to start with an hour,” Father Velasco said. “If you are intentional about having time with Jesus, even if it’s 10 minutes or five minutes, that is time that you’re spending with God … and you’re being intentional about spending time with him.”

“Consistency is more important than quantity,” said Deacon Danny Hartnedy, a deacon at Christ the King Church in Little Rock. “We have a tendency to often want to go all in and pray five hours at a time. But five minutes a day is better than five hours a year.” 

 

Ignatian and Benedictine options

Hines said Ignatian spirituality — based on the practices of St. Ignatius of Loyola — can be as simple or complex as you prefer.

“Ignatian spirituality is really great in that there is entry-level, and then there’s Ph.D. level,” Hines said. “There’s the Daily Examen, which is what I ask myself at the end of the day — ‘Where did I see God today, and how did I respond to that? How will it affect what I am going to do tomorrow?’ You can ask yourself those three questions and spend some time thinking about them, thinking back over your day. ‘What were the high spots? Where did I see God today? Was I thankful to God for that?’ That’s Ignatian spirituality.”

While Ignatian spirituality is designed to raise your awareness of God in the world around you, Benedictine spirituality is more structured and liturgical, focusing on Scripture readings, formal prayers and hospitality to others, with an emphasis on work and prayer. Practitioners of Benedictine spirituality might be more likely to pray the Divine Office or the Liturgy of the Hours in the morning, afternoon and evening. There are different intensities with which practitioners can pray. 

Sister Maria said quiet time and daily mantras help keep God at the center of her day. 

“We pray the Divine Office three times a day, but I get up early so I can spend more quiet time with my prayer,” she said. “And I spend time with the readings and the Gospel every morning with some reflection … and during the day I have a little mantra that I say as I go about my work — ‘Oh Jesus, how good it is to love you.’ And another one that I found is … ‘So, help me God.’ I try to walk with those thoughts during the day every day.”

Moon encourages participants — and Catholics everywhere hoping to create a deeper prayer life — to slow down, using Ignatian spirituality as a guidepost.

“Spend 15 minutes a day in intentional silence with the Scripture,” Moon said. “We help people structure that time so that initially they have a pattern to follow taken from Ignatian prayer and spirituality. We give people an outline and teach some breathing methods to help them quiet themselves and slow down so they can encounter Christ in the Scriptures. This is personal prayer.”

Hartnedy said Ignatian spirituality allows him to improve his prayer life.

“It’s a universal that we have to have a consistent time and place (to pray), just like anything else. After a time and place, I would say a practice,” Hartnedy said. “Lectio Divina is essential, and as St. Ignatius of Loyola says, we have to have some time to reflect back on how we’re responding to the Lord’s call and the relationships in our life.” 

 

Following Jesus through popular devotions

Hines said to follow where God is leading you when it comes to picking a prayer lifestyle.

“Don’t feel like you have to do what somebody else does,” Hines said. “Doing devotions is good, and they’re effective. People will tell you (devotions) changed their life and they work miracles. They do change lives. They do work miracles. But don’t let them become your replacement for a relationship with Christ as you would encounter him through the sacraments.”

Hines said the rosary is another popular devotion, but to remember to keep Christ at its center. 

“The rosary is tremendous. We should pray the rosary,” Hines said. “But notice … that Mary said to do what (Jesus) tells you. So as long as a popular devotion is pointing to Jesus, it’s good.” 

“There’s traditionally the Benedictine prayer like Lectio Divina. There is praying where we get into the Scripture with our whole person — St. Ignatius would call that imaginative contemplation,” Hartnedy said. “There’s Franciscan spirituality based on going outside, going in the woods and taking a hike, getting out and moving around and feeling the sun on your face. The key is to focus on the relationship. 

“We’re so blessed as Catholics with some of the richest prayers — the rosary, novenas, the chaplet of divine mercy, litanies. I think the key is to pick something that’s practical and that’s going to work for you.”

 

If you stumble, get back up

Sister Maria said giving something up all at once can be a recipe for trouble. Instead, use the 40 days of Lent to make a gradual change in your life. 

“Realistically, people think, ‘I’m going to give up something during Lent. I’m going to give up smoking or watching TV,’ or whatever they chose, but that’s not practical,” Sister Maria said. “In Lent, you think about giving up things …  but also think about what you can do to help someone else. Can you be loving? Can you be kind? What can you do to make Lent a time not of just sadness but of joy? … The first few days, it’s really alive, it’s there. 

“But my advice to those people (who stumble) is don’t give up. Start over again. Maybe starting over every day. If you’re going to give up something, don’t do it all at one time. … Just do one thing daily. … Those are the practical things I think Jesus is asking us to do, and if we do those things consciously every day … it will become a holy habit.”

Sometimes, even religious people can stumble in their quest for a prayerful life. 

“I have a great devotion to the rosary again. For a while, I let that go and didn’t do it as much, but now it’s very important to me to pray the rosary every day,” Sister Maria said. “And with that rosary, I pray for the people that need help and prayer.”

Hines said it’s important to remember we are always practicing prayer — not perfecting it.

“It’s always a practice,” Hines said. “There’s no perfection in any of these practices until we are with God in heaven.”

“Hopefully, when we’re making a resolution, it comes from a spot of prayer and a space of love,” Hartnedy said. “When we fall — notice it’s not if — when we fall, come back to that source of love and notice those interior voices. Is this coming from the Lord? If that voice is beating us up and shaming us and telling us that we’re not good enough and we’re not doing enough, that should be rejected as a lie from the enemy. It should be a voice of encouragement — ‘You’re doing okay, but you slipped up here, so let’s start again.’”

Paula Marinoni is a real estate agent by day and an evangelist by night.

Over the past 13 years, the lifelong member of St. Joseph Parish in Fayetteville has distributed tens of thousands of prayer cards to the Arkansas Catholic Charismatic Conference and parishes around the diocese at no cost.

Marinoni became inspired to begin the ministry during an experience in the adoration chapel in 2010.

“I was crying because a very close friend of the family was dying and you know, in that moment, you just feel helpless,” she said. “And this one, lovely woman walked over to me in adoration and hugged me and handed me a pamphlet that was a Divine Mercy Chaplet for the sick and dying.”

Although Marinoni was unfamiliar with the Divine Mercy Chaplet at the time, the pamphlet explained what it was and how to pray it, and this had a profound impact on her.

“From then on, I didn't feel helpless,” Marinoni said. “I felt like I was given the way to connect with this. That's all she had to do was walk over and hand it to me. And from then on, I thought that I could do something for other people. So I started ordering little prayer cards on how to say the rosary, and I started putting them out. Whenever I would get some extra money, I would order more cards and sneak them out. But nobody knew where they were coming from.”

From then on, Marinoni felt a calling to do more. She contacted her aunt, Mother Virginia Marie, a Carmelite nun in La Plata, Md., and the two collaborated to create a St. Michael the Archangel prayer card as they had done several times in the past. Marinoni printed the prayer cards and pamphlets about the rosary, and she kept her parish stocked with them in order to help and encourage people through the pamphlets.

When she saw the demand for the prayer cards and pamphlets, Marinoni knew she could do more. She ordered thousands of copies, both in English and Spanish, to hand out for Divine Mercy Sunday.

As more and more people began using them, Marinoni wanted to expand the types of prayer cards she was putting out to include the St. Gertrude prayer.

“The St. Gertrude prayer was a hard one to find the right version of and the right explanation of why you say it,” she said. “Jesus promised St. Gertrude that a thousand souls would be released from purgatory every time it was said, and that's an incredible thing.”

Marinoni reached out to her Carmelite aunt in late 2020 to see if she could use the monastery’s printer to print 15,000 St. Gertrude prayer cards.

“So I ordered them, they came, and I said, ‘Lord, this is great. This will last me a long time,’” Marinoni said. “And I heard the Lord say to me, ‘That's not enough. Place the order again.’ I'm thinking it's funny because I wouldn't have gone out and ordered 30,000. So I contacted my aunt and I said I want to order another 15,000. And what was also funny is they didn't balk at it at all.”

Marinoni is also helping her aunt’s order by providing them with sets of 10 prayer cards to send to everyone who orders from their gift shop website.

Recently, Marinoni collaborated with her aunt once again to print 50,000 St. Michael prayer cards.

“In working with the nuns, I asked for an image of a ‘less threatening St. Michael and a less gross devil,’” she said. “Something that would be comforting, inspiring, inviting and even be an image that a parent could share with a child to learn the prayer and take up the devotion.

“I am offering them to parishes for free with the only stipulations that they are not sold or even an offering asked for and that they not be left on a shelf and forgotten about. If any priests would like to order some for their parish, they can email me, and I will send them at no cost.”

Contact Marinoni at pm@paulamarinoni.com.

You may be familiar with something called the “Five Love Languages.” If you aren’t, they are:

• Words of affirmation
• Acts of service
• Gifts
• Physical touch
• Quality time

Based on a book by Gary Chapman, these “love languages” are perhaps most commonly applied to romantic relationships. But they can really extend to all relationships: siblings, parents, children, friends, coworkers, etc.

The basic gist is that each of us tends to gravitate toward one of these “languages” as the primary means of how we tend to express our love and also how we tend to receive love from others.

Jesus Christ was perfect, so we could also say he’s the perfect example and embodiment of all five love languages. He spoke words of affirmation to the suffering. He made acts of service to the poor and the needy. He gifted wine at Cana, and his very self on the cross. He touched the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf, the lips of the mute. And he spent incalculable quality time in prayer with his Heavenly Father.

Scripture tells us Jesus routinely went off alone or into the wilderness to pray. His quality time with the Father was often tied to a specific purpose. But “purposeful prayer” doesn’t necessarily equate to “productive prayer.”

In our American culture, we focus so much on utility and productivity — which can be great for the economy and our physical livelihood — but not so much for our spiritual lives. At its core, prayer really is just “wasting time with God.” Our prayer time might have a specific purpose. But we should never obsess over whether it was particularly “productive.”

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is the perfect medicine to our unhealthy attachment to productivity. Adoration of our Lord in the Eucharist doesn’t have some predesigned goal or agenda. The sole agenda is adoration for adoration’s sake. Adoring the Lord for the sake of adoring the Lord, and seeking nothing in return.

We each have our own preferred ways of showing love to Christ. It could be acts of service to others, words of affirmation through worship music, giving gifts to beautify the church or healing through physical touch.

But how often do we opt for the fifth love language: quality time? How often do we choose to just spend some quality time with Christ? To love him just by being near him?

We’ve all heard of tithing. And most of us understandably equate that with our money. But the most precious resource that any of us have really is our time. We can all work harder to earn more money. But none of us ultimately can do anything to buy more time. Our time is the one thing that’s truly priceless. How we spend our time says a lot about our priorities.

Tithing our time to God may be even more important than tithing our money. Because we’re giving our time back over to him who gave us that time in the first place. We’re saying, “Lord, I know my time on earth here is limited, and I could be doing a lot of other things right now, but for this one hour (or 30 minutes or 10 minutes, or whatever) I’m giving it over to you.”

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a chance to place our own offerings on the altar next to our eucharistic Lord. I might place on that altar my desolations (maybe a family dispute, or mourning a loved one, or difficulties with coworkers). Or I might place there certain consolations (rejoicing in new life, renewal of great friendships, or healing from some pain or injury).

Whatever it may be, adoration is a time to place our very lives on the altar next to the Lord. To let him sit with us, and us with him. To show the Lord how much he is loved, just by spending some quality time with him — and for no other reason than that. 

Deacon Matt Glover, JCL, is the diocese’s chancellor for canonical affairs and serves at Christ the King Church in Little Rock.

As a high school student, I can identify with my fellow students who have challenges in their lives that can block us from being strong in our faith. But little things like simple prayers, going to Mass, being involved in a prayer group or volunteering keeps me grounded in the Church’s teachings.

I was raised in a Catholic household and have always been involved in church and youth groups. This has taught me the importance of praying and having God present in my life. As I was thinking about what to write, I thought about how often I say little prayers throughout the day. Like before a test, I ask God to be with me and help me pass, even though I do not always make the grade I want, or how I ask God to help my friend today because they might be struggling.

I have realized that prayers have such a big impact on me, even if it takes me a few seconds to say. The littlest prayers can have the biggest impact.

I keep my faith strong by attending church every weekend and being a part of youth groups. I attend a youth group called YoungLife every Monday. One of the leaders will choose a story from the Bible to read and talk to us about it. They give us the message and discuss how to bring it into our daily lives. I feel like this helps me because not only am I getting to be social, but I am also getting to know more about God and everything he has done for us. This allows me to give God more praise and not assume things about others from what I see on the outside.

I used to be the person to judge others, and when I got closer to God, I realized that people could be struggling. When you talk to them and get to know them, then you can actually be there for them and understand them better. This gave me a whole new perspective on how I treat others because I know I would never want to be judged by what people see on the outside. So, I do not want to do that to others. I always try to remember the Golden Rule: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).

Going to church every weekend is not what I always look forward to, but afterward I always feel like I get a wonderful message out of it, especially the homily. I think about how to put the Church’s teachings into my daily life.

After church, my parents and I discuss the homily and talk about what we felt it meant to us personally. I feel that doing this with people I trust helps me grow in my faith because they can be there beside me the whole time.

I also feel that doing Junior Service at my school has helped me grow stronger in my faith because I am helping others. Giving time and energy to someone’s aid could change their whole day. You never know what someone is going through, and being able to help, even for an hour, can lift a weight off their shoulders.

I know that even the little stuff that I help with has a huge impact on them and that is what keeps me motivated and wanting to return. I am only a junior in high school, and my faith life is not as strong as I wish it would be, but I know that as long as I keep God first, I will only grow closer to him.

Sarah Beth Thomas is a junior at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock. St. Anne Church in North Little Rock is her home parish.

Sporting their jerseys and school colors, more than 200 student athletes, coaches, parents and fans gathered in faith and team spirit to revive the rosary rally for athletic teams at Catholic schools in central Arkansas. 

Held at the St. John Center in Little Rock Aug. 30, it was the first time the rally has been held since 2015.

Father Patrick Friend, teacher and chaplain at Catholic High School in Little Rock, provided a keynote speech where he likened the virtues of playing team sports — fortitude, loyalty, sacrifice, honor and true friendship of wanting your teammates to succeed  —  as the same that make a good Catholic.

Senior priest Father John Marconi lead the call to prayer and five members of CHS varsity football team lead the rosary.

“Outside of Mass, the rosary is probably the most important single thing you can do,” said rally chairman Mark Springer of Knights of Columbus Council 812 at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Church in Little Rock. “I just wanted to copy what we did in the past. It was very successful, so we just took it up. We invited athletes and cheerleaders from all the local the parochial schools around Little Rock, including those in Morrilton, Conway and Hot Springs.”

The Office of Catholic Schools previously hosted the rally. Superintendent Theresa Hall said Springer contacted her to see if the event could be held again if the Knights sponsored it. Knights’ councils from Holy Souls, Christ the King Church in Little Rock and St. Joseph Church in Conway organized it, provided hot dogs, chips and bottled water and arranged for each participant to receive a rosary made by The Rosary Makers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Hot Springs Village. 

“We contacted our schools and their athletic departments to invite them to bring anybody that wanted to come,” Hall said. “We had 200 that signed up, 140 just from Catholic, which in itself was nice.”

The CHS Rockets’ purple and gold were the dominant colors of the night, joined by fifth through eighth-grade members of the Firecrackers, teams composed of students from the area’s junior high and elementary Catholic schools that play under CHS name. 

“It's always great when you see the boys leading prayer,” Father Friend said. “They see themselves as students. They see themselves as athletes. They see themselves as adolescent males. They see themselves in so many different ways, and it's just great that you can remind them that their fundamental identity is Christian.”

Father Friend said Catholic High’s football team starts every game day with Mass and praying the rosary as a team.

“To start their seasons off this way and for them to be able to be examples to the younger guys that are here, especially that this is an important aspect of their faith life, that means the world,” he said.

Senior Rocket quarterback Sam Sanders, one of the prayer leaders, said giving up a Tuesday night to spend time praying the rosary with teammates was well worth it.

“It feels good,” Sanders said. “It means a lot to come together. It makes us closer and gives us a bond beyond football.”

Jennifer Rader attended the rally with her sons, James, a student at Christ the King and member of the junior high Firecrackers football team, and Graham, a fourth grader who can’t wait to play football when he’s eligible next year.

“The senior boys did a great job presenting and leading the crowd,” Rader said. “Great leadership is modeled with excellence from these boys, and I'm very excited that my boys get to follow in their footsteps.”

Springer said it is important to have events for young people to give them an opportunity to come together in faith formation and have some fellowship together.

“We want to make this an annual deal,” he said. “I'm hoping that when we do it again; it will be Knights of Columbus councils and assemblies from across the area that are co-sponsors so that we can increase participation and help the rally grow.”

HOT SPRINGS – Hundreds of sick and grieving people have received comfort, warmth and prayers through the efforts of a group of women at St. Mary of the Springs Parish who offer their time to the prayer shawl ministry.

"The prayer shawls are made by many women who make them while they pray," said Peggy Peters, a founder of the ministry. "People may not see God, but we know he is beside us."

Peters said the ministry creates crocheted and knitted shawls and cloths for anyone in need and hats for newborns. They also crochet hats for stillborn babies before they are buried.

All of their work is blessed before it is presented to the recipients. Pastor Father Ravi Rayappa Gudipalli blessed their latest creations May 21 for Peters. He said the prayer shawl ministry helps to relieve the physical and mental pains people experience.

"It is a blessing to so many. They know they are in the presence of God," Father Gudipalli said. "They are made out of love for people by so many who make them with a prayer."

"Prayer shawls are a tangible gift given, wrapping the recipient in God's comforting, loving arms. Giving them peace of mind, body and spirit," Peters said. "This is a gift to our community, not just to our parish. They may be Catholics or Methodists or Baptists. They are for anyone in need."

Peters said she brought the ministry to Hot Springs from North Little Rock in 2018 by responding to an email from the parish's Hands of Mary ministry asking everyone to pray for the wife of a deacon who was sick. She had been involved in a prayer shawl ministry at Immaculate Conception Church before moving to Hot Springs in 2017.

"I responded, 'It sounds like she needs a prayer shawl,’" Peters said. "Someone replied, 'What is a prayer shawl?'”

Hands of Mary agreed to make it a part of their ministry.

“We started out with five or six women getting together. Some of them could knit and others crocheted,” Peters said. 

She said during the first meeting, the members decided on shawl patterns and decided to make smaller prayer cloths. The pattern is 4-inches round with a cross in the middle.

Accompanying every cloth is a small card that says, “May this prayer cloth be a tangible symbol of God’s abounding love and care for you. The cross in the middle is to remind you that when experiencing times of fear, doubt and suffering, to turn to Jesus and ‘cast all your worries on him for he cares for you.’ (1 Peter 5:7)”

They have made and distributed about 100 shawls, which includes a small medal of Mary, as well as hundreds of prayer cloths, she said.

Peters said the group hasn’t been active much for the past year, but said she plans to get the group back together soon.

Lynn Lively, who learned to crochet from her aunt who made afghans for veterans, said she joined the shawl ministry as soon as she heard about it.

“I just retired, and I wanted to do something for the church,” Lively said.

Peters said because it takes more than a week to make a shawl, many women have made hundreds of the smaller prayer cloths.

Lively said she and other members crochet bags full of the prayer cloths to give away to people at St. Mary food pantry, CHI St. Vincent Hospital and to prison ministry.

“This is a group effort,” Lively said. “We couldn’t do this without everyone.”

Peters said the members are rewarded from the numerous notes and cards they receive from people who have received shawls and prayer cloths.

“It brings such comfort,” said a widow who received a shawl. “I keep it with me at night and hold it tight when I start feeling the loneliness.”

Looking for a prayer style that is right for you? Here are five time-tested, tried and true ways to pray.

Ignatian prayer

Developed by St. Ignatius of Loyla, Ignatian prayer focuses on developing an intimate relationship with God through reflection. 

His Spiritual Exercises “are a compilation of meditations, prayers and contemplative practices” that can be used in retreat form or individual growth. According to ignatianspirituality.com, the exercises are organized into four weeks, but can last longer, with different goals each week. 

The Daily Examen reflects on the day’s events and God’s presence in them. Born from the Spiritual Exercises, ignatianspirituality.com stated it includes five steps: “Become aware of God’s presence; review the day with gratitude; pay attention to your emotions; choose one feature of the day and pray from it; look toward tomorrow.” 

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To become more acquainted with Ignatian prayer, consider a silent retreat lasting four or eight days up to 30 days. They are guided by a spiritual director. Before the pandemic, the Diocese of Little Rock hosted a four-day Ignatian silent retreat in Little Rock each year. 

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Rosary

Through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, the rosary helps people reflect on the life of Jesus at various stages in his life. 

The mysteries are to be said on specific days: Joyful (Monday and Saturday), Sorrowful (Tuesday and Friday), Glorious (Wednesday and Sunday) and Luminous (Thursday). 

During Lent, the Sorrowful mysteries can be prayed on Sundays. 

Liturgy of the Hours

Also called “The Divine Office,” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “The Hours are a meditative dialogue on the mystery of Christ, using Scripture and prayer.” 

There are five canonical hours, with morning and evening prayer as the most important. Ordained and vowed religious pray it daily, but it is also open to anyone to pray and it usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes. 

According to jesuitpost.org, “We call it a liturgy because it is a public prayer of the Church (like Mass or the other sacraments), which includes hymns, psalms, readings and prayers according to the liturgical calendar. The Church distinguishes liturgy, which is public prayer, from private devotions, like praying the rosary.” 

Lectio Divina 

Translated as “Divine Reading,” this form of meditative prayer is one of the earliest in the Church. St. Benedict made it regular practice for monasteries by the sixth century. 

It can begin with a short prayer before picking a Scripture passage, following the guidance of read, reflect (which can include journaling), respond and rest. 

According to Loyolapress.com, “You pick a passage and read it. Notice what arises within you as you read it. Then you read it again, and then again, noticing what words and phrases grab your heart and noticing the feelings that arise. You respond to God about whatever is stirring within as you read and pray with the passage. Finally, you rest and let God respond and speak to you.” 

Devotions

According to the USCCB, “Popular devotions are expressions of love and fidelity that arise from the intersection of one's own faith, culture and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” 

There are several popular Catholic devotions including to the Eucharist, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to saints and to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Devotions can be expressed through formalized prayer including novenas and adoration, or through activities that don’t include formal prayer such as creating a Marian garden. 

The USCCB states, “Properly used, popular devotional practices do not replace the liturgical life of the Church; rather, they extend it into daily life.” 

Two minutes of silence. Being one with nature while pulling weeds out of the garden. Singing “Jesus, I trust in you.” Helping someone reach the box of cereal on the top shelf of the grocery store aisle. 

These are brief moments, but the creator of the universe lives in each one and each one is a prayer. 

Every grand gesture Jesus made, from raising Lazarus from the dead to allowing a blind man to see to healing a woman afflicted with bleeding, came from a quiet, longing desire, whether tears of grief from Mary and Margaret, a plain request, “Master, I want to see,” or a touch of his robe. 

As Catholics enter Lent and look to strengthen their prayer life after the traumatic events of 2020 that continue today, there’s a chance of missing the point of prayer. 

“We want a formula. That’s part of our scientific mindset. A plus B equals C. Prayer is nothing about that,” said author Cackie Upchurch of Fort Smith, former Little Rock Scripture Study director and general editor of the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible. “Prayer is entering into the mystery of God and ultimately, I don’t think there’s a formula to do that. There’s lots of methods we can try that suits us, or suits us for a time, but I don’t think there’s any formula that’s going to work.” 

Instead, the faithful can reshape their minds to look toward the mystery that is being in conversation with God. 

 

What is prayer? 

Father Jerome Kodell, OSB, author, spiritual director and former abbot of Subiaco Abbey, said there are different definitions of prayer, but a favorite is “turning purposely to be attentive to God.” 

“A decision to open yourself to the presence of God, however you do it. And spend time that way. It can be with words and without words, but the purpose is to be open to God,” he said. “… People get to put all kinds of pressures on themselves with prayer. God knows exactly who we are; he wants to listen to us and be with us.” 

St. Augustine said, “The desire to pray is prayer itself.” While true, human nature can cause overthinking and frustration. St. Teresa of Kolkata, who struggled with not feeling God’s presence, said of prayer, “The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace.” 

“We want some kind of an emotional connection to the experience and that doesn’t always happen. So I think that makes us think, ‘I must not be doing this correctly,’” Upchurch said of prayer. “If our intention is to be with God, aware of God’s presence with us, I don't think there could be a wrong way to do that.” 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines five different types of prayer (no. 2623-2649), as shared by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:  

• “Blessing and adoration; prayers of adoration praising God, dependence on him (Gloria and act of faith) 

• “Petition; asking God for spiritual and physical needs (Our Father) 

• “Intercession; make requests to God on behalf of others (Watch, O Lord, St. Augustine) 

• “Thanksgiving; prayers of thanks to God for good things (Grace before meals) 

• “Praise; prayers of praise we express love for God, source of all love (act of charity)” 

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An easy way to remember the types of prayer is remember ACTS:

A = adoration

C = contrition

T = thanksgiving

S = supplication

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There are some personalities better suited to certain styles of prayer. 

“I think people who tend to be introverted — I don’t necessarily mean shy, but their inner life is more private, more quiet — I think for them it might be more natural feeling to contemplate, to meditate, to use the rosary as a tool to enter into that mediation on the mysteries of Christ,” Upchurch said, adding that someone who is more “external” in their spiritual life may connect prayer with a work of service. 

However, switching to a new style of prayer can create balance. 

 

Don’t overthink it

Poet T.S. Elliot said, “For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.” That can easily be said of prayer, Father Kodell said. 

“We can’t really program what’s going to happen in prayer,” he said. “One of the secrets of the saints is if you give time for prayer, it may be during that time God does not appear or show himself or make himself obvious. But then other times during the day, you might be surprised by God’s presence because you put the time in, because God is not on our schedule.” 

Father Kodell said in his early years studying theology, he was “very intellectual” with prayer, which bogged him down. Today, it’s centered on trust in God.

“I like to repeat words from Scripture, especially those that have to do with vocations. For example, the words of Samuel who says, ‘Speak Lord, your servant is listening.’ Isaiah, ‘Who will go for us? Here I am, send me,’” he said. “To repeat different kinds of willingness to be present to God without thinking too much about it … it’s very comforting and it centers you.” 

Repeating “Come, Lord Jesus” from Revelation 22:20 or the similar Aramaic phrase, “Maranatha,” can free someone’s mind, he said. 

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Throughout the day you can say breath prayers, also called arrow prayers. Shoot an arrow prayer just like you say hello, thank you or please. They can be a short Scripture or a few words. Arrow prayers can be something like “Jesus, I trust in you” or "Lord, I believe; help me in my unbelief."

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“I think a lot of times people set the bar too high for prayer and maybe if they haven’t been praying, they set the time to pray for 20 minutes or an hour and that’s hard. If you can be silent for two minutes in the silence of God, that’s a great effort,” Father Kodell said. 

 

Where is God? 

St. Paul said, “Pray without ceasing,” but that concept is hard to understand. Upchurch explained for most people, “You’ve got to have a job, you can’t pray all day,” but when a person understands prayer as an openness to God, it can change lives. 

“This is how I'm responding to God at this moment, that’s prayer. Dedicating ourselves to our (career) calling, our call to our families, that's prayer,” she said. “… You show up to pray, but having a disposition of prayerfulness that permeates your life, that’s the goal.” 

That doesn’t mean a person shouldn’t set aside time to talk with God and read Scripture as “It gives us the framework, the skeleton life of a disciple,” she said. 

There are countless examples of prayer in the Bible, including Genesis 28 when Jacob stole Esau’s birthright “and has to get out of Dodge before his brother kills him,” Upchurch said. While sleeping in the desert, God promises protection, land and inheritance. 

Jacob responds in verse 16, “Truly, the Lord is in this place and I did not know it!”

The idea of God’s constant presence can be a comfort amid tragedy or from all the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic — loss of life and livelihoods, health concerns and loneliness — when it seems God has not answered prayers. 

“If we’ve had the courage to go to God in the first place, then we have to be open to the possibility that God is going to continue to work in our lives right within the tragedy, and we are going to be changed in some way and it may not be the ways we anticipate or the outcome we anticipate, but in the process we are going to be changed,” she said. 

Jesus cried out in prayer, fully human, asking God from the cross, “Why have you abandoned me?” Beyond the physical suffering, Jesus experienced abandonment and loneliness from those closest to him. A central promise of Scripture, Upchurch said, is Jesus’ words, “I am with you always.” 

“That’s the best we can hope for because it’s the very best,” she said.