Some homework...

I took the passage below directly from the Archdiocese of Boston's website. Review it for the next few days...try it out if it's new...and we'll chat again later this week.

Wishing you all a most Blessed Feast of Corpus Christi.

Four Basic Forms of Prayer

1. Blessing and Adoration (praising God)
2. Prayer of Petition (asking for what we need, including forgiveness)
3. Prayer of Intercession (asking for what others need)
4. Prayer of Thanksgiving (for what God has given and done)

Prayer of Blessing and Adoration

In this prayer we express praise and honor to God. We praise God for giving us life, for the wonder and beauty of our world, and for all the many blessings we enjoy. We open ourselves up to praise God for all the wonders of creation. 
Prayer of Petition

This is probably the most familiar prayer form of prayer. We are often taught to ask God for the things we need, but asking and praying for them are not necessarily the same. When we pray our petitions, we are asking God, who loves us very much, for something that we believe is good—for ourselves or for others. By using this form of prayer we are mindful of the needs of others as well as of our own needs. We are aware that God wants us to bring our problems and worries to prayer knowing that he will always hear and answer those prayers. God may answer our prayers in a different way and in a different time frame than we are seeking but God will always give us what we need.

Prayers of petition serve to remind us that God expects us to care for one another and for all his creation. We can pray about the ordinary experiences of life— for people who are sick, for someone who needs a job, for help in our school work, for a safe trip. We pray for peace in our families and in our world.  We can also express our sorrow and contrition to God in our prayer.

Prayer of Intercession

This form of prayer is prayer on behalf of others. This form of prayer can be a source of blessing upon others, the Church, and our world. Because we know that Our Lady and the saints intercede for us before God, the Church encourages us to pray to them for their intercession. Such prayer can bring us great strength and courage and also great peace of mind and heart.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

This form of prayer helps us to be grateful for God's many blessings, spiritual and temporal, and helps us to recognize and appreciate all the good things God gives to us. Reserving some time to praise and thank God for his gifts—the gift of life; the gift of our families and friends; the gift of food, clothing, and shelter; and the numerous other gifts we often take for granted—helps us to form a true spirit of gratitude.

Friday...what I like

- I like attending the first Mass of a new altar server when they are full of nervous excitement. I also like when their families are there to support and witness because it is that important.

- I like daily Mass with just the older few. Hearing the homily is a welcome treat.

- I like being at the park with only three of the kids...all of whom can buckle/unbuckle, ask for things, talk through issues, etc.

- I like having time at the park to talk to other moms, all of whom are walking a similar path to mine, knowing that our kids are playing together nearby...with no worries about their playmates.

- I like switching out kids and (sometimes...once-in-a-long-while) having only #4 and #5 left. They are good friends and it's nice to see them together, without interference from the others.

- I also like these two alone in the house because it means nap time is pretty much guaranteed.

- I like this life. I am so blessed.

St. Boniface, Pray for Us!

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