LESSON 35 —The Necessity of Prayer
Read the following references to further clarify the central ideas of this lesson. Look in other places as well as these; this is not an exhaustive list of the resources needed to answer the questions.
The following “Updates” effect this lesson:
Advanced Course Manual, pp. 180-181, insert the following underlined words and delete the crossed out words. It should read:
- The highest form of prayer is adoration.
- The highest form of adoration is sacrifice.
Prayer. The highest form of prayer is adoration adoration is prayer. Again, with the coming of Christ, our prayer of honor and praise of God can be addressed to the Redeemer, who is our God. Our prayer of gratitude for blessings received, of mercy for pardon because we have offended the Divine Majesty, and of petition in asking for everything we need—all can be directed to Jesus Christ…
Sacrifice. The highest form of adoration prayer is sacrifice. Why? Because when we sacrifice we not only address God in word and thought, but we offer up to Him something that is precious to us to acknowledge Him as our First and Final Cause. With the coming of Christ, sacrifice reached a sublimity that was never seen before. We believe that God became man in order that, as man, He might be able to sacrifice Himself to the heavenly Father for the redemption of the world…
If you have the Pocket Catholic Catechism (this book is no longer given with the Advanced Course), on p. 228, insert the following underlined words:
Sacrifice. The highest form of the prayer of adoration is sacrifice. This is the willing surrender of something precious to God. As with adoration, there are two basic forms of sacrifice. There is the sacrifice of submission.
Father Hardon’s Catholic Catechism
Page 297-298
Father Hardon’s Question and Answer Catechism
#1602-1654 (Prayer: Motives, Vocal and Mental)
Revised Basic Course Manual
Page 58, paragraphs 4-5 (The Worship of God: The Virtue of Religion)
Page 60, paragraph 5
Pages 203-211 (Prayer and The Lord’s Prayer)
Catechism of the Catholic Church
#2084
#2096-2097
#2628
#2650-2662 (At the Wellsprings of Prayer)
#2725-2745 (The Battle of Prayer)
Modern Catholic Dictionary
Adoration
Worship