RCIA Class Studies - Pray the Readings before Class
How to Pray Scripture
To pray scripture we must first find a time and a place. The time need be only 10 to 15 minutes; the place should be one in which we are comfortable, alone and unlikely to be disturbed. It helps to pray at the same time and in the same place each day.
Being in a state of inner peace is an aid in praying scripture. Some people find a sure road to peace through deep, rhythmic breathing. Others simply have to come to prayer rather distracted, offering distractions to God and asking that he bless (and overcome!) them.
Sometimes we wonder whether God really hears our prayer. Might we not just be talking to ourselves? We need to remember that God wants to communicate with us. It is for this that he has created us as beloved sons and daughters.
God speaks to us first. He was present at our conception, throughout our development, in our life stories. He speaks to us through other people, through nature, through the sacraments. He has already uttered his certain, unmistakable "I love you" to each of us in the person of his Son, Jesus. All we need do is respond to God by accepting his love.
When we make reading scripture a prayer, we allow it to become a vehicle of communication between God and us. The key to prayer - as in all effective communication - is listening. Thus, the key to praying scripture is to listen closely for God's word: God's word addressed personally to us. This word could be a consolation, a challenge, a discernment, a healing. God's word is there for us -if we but listen.
Praying scripture means reading it intent on listening; it means reading slowly, attentively. It could mean entering a story or a scene with all the imagination we can muster, so that we are there when Jesus heals the leper, for example. Or it could mean making the words of a biblical person our own.
In short, when we sense God's Spirit moving within us, we want to pause and listen to his word addressed to us. The time to respond to God is after listening. We may want to describe our experience in writing or jot down a new insight. We may want to continue our prayer through praise or petition. We may just want to remain silently in God's presence for a while.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church Second Edition Online
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