Denver Catholic

10 MARCH 9-22, 2019 | DENVER CATHOLIC In-Depth Sacred Heart Jesuit Rereat House i i 4801 North Highway 67, P.O. Box 185, Sedalia, CO 80135 Phone 303-688-4198 ext. 122 (information/reservations) www.sacredheartretreat.org facebook.com/sacredheartretreat EVENTS Silent Weekends March 15-17 – Women Fr. Paul Patin, S.J. Lenten Ignatian Retreat March 22-24 – Men & Women Sr. Eileen Currie, M.S.C., Pat Wight & Fr. Paul Patin, S.J. Directed Prayer Weekend March 29-31 – Women Sr. Eileen Currie, M.S.C. Forgivess: e Challenge to Radical Loving Silent Weekends April 5-7 – Men Fr. Paul Patin, S.J. Lenten Ignatian Retreat April 12-14 – Men Fr. Vince Hovley, S.J. Outlook Prayer Days March 26 Fr. Ed Kinerk, S.J. Aging and Finding God Faith and Family Night FAITH AND FAMILY NIGHT Colorado Avalanche vs. Anaheim Ducks Friday, March 15th 7:00PM • Pepsi Center Tickets are $30 A portion of each ticket goes to Catholic Charities. Ticket prices also include a $10 credit in food & beverage and a post-game concert featuring Danny Oetrli! Purchase Tickets online at: Avalanche.KSETickets.com/CCD CATHOLIC CHARITIES NIGHT Colorado Mammoth vs. Saskatchewan Rush Saturday, April 6, 2019 7:00PM • Pepsi Center Tickets are $25 A portion of each ticket goes to Catholic Charities. Come say hi at our booth in section 104! Purchase Tickets online at: Mammoth.KSETickets.com/ CatholicCharities B est-selling author Father Jacques Philippe is a native of France® whose books have become classics of contemporary Catholic spirituality. A Beatitudes Community priest, Father Philippe is a sought-after retreat master who has been featured on EWTN. Praising the priest's most recent ož ering, Thirsting for Prayer (Scepter, 2014), author and EWTN President Dan Burke said, "[It] is among the best of his work and may be the last book you will need to purchase on the topic of prayer." During a recent stop in Denver, Father Philippe spoke to the Denver Catholic about prayer and ož ered advice to help people enter into a fruitful Lenten season. His remarks have been edited for space. DENVER CATHOLIC: How should one pray? FATHER PHILIPPE: Everybody has to fi nd their own way to pray. But fi rst, and very important, is faithfulness — day after day, year after year. Be faithful taking time for the Lord. Little by little God teaches us how to pray and how to have a deeper relationship with him. Prayer is not a technique we can master; prayer is a grace we receive. It is better to be faithful with poor prayer than to infrequently make a big production of prayer. DC: What else is important for prayer? FP: The desire to meet God, to love him, to have a relationship with him. Have a thirst for God, for truth, for light. Prayer is a relationship with the Lord. God is ož ering to us his presence, his uncondi- tional and infi nite love. We welcome this by our attitude. Foundational is faith: I believe in God and I believe God loves me. Prayer is not to think a lot or feel a lot: that's good, but prayer funda- mentally is an act of faith. Prayer is also an act of humility and hope. When I pray I manifest that I need God: I need his help and grace. So, prayer is an act of faith, hope and love. Jesus said, repeating the Old Testament (Dt 6:5): "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mk 12:30). Also important is gratitude. You are not the initiator of this loving relation- ship: God fi rst loved you. Prayer is not doing a lot of things, but mostly wel- coming God's presence and love. Take time to welcome his presence in faith. We don't always feel his presence. We don't understand everything in our life. But if we pray with faith, hope and love, even if it's not perfect, even if it is poor and we don't have great mystical expe- riences, it is OK! DC: What are some ways to pray? FP: A good start may be to meditate on the word of God or to read something spiritual to enter into an attitude of openness to God. Read, listen to what God is saying there, meditate on it and transform this into prayer. Other ways are to pray the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner) or the rosary, to adore God in the Blessed Sacrament, to speak freely with God or to silently welcome him. These are some ways, there are many more. What is essential is not BY ROXANNE KING editor_king@icloud.com @RoxanneIKing Q&A: Deepen your prayer habits this Lent Renowned writer Father Jacques Philippe shares wisdom on the intent of prayer Q&A with FATHER JACQUES PHILIPPE

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