How to Pray - Explaining the Faith

How To Pray: Are you aware of all the ways in which you can pray? Father Chris explains vocal prayers, meditation, contemplation, the Liturgy of the Hours, and much more in this episode of Explaining the Faith.

[dasan]

You’ll like this one! It was a desperate time in my life and marriage. We hadn’t been to Mass in years. Our son had been destroyed by a false priest who had molested him. The recent memory of seeing our daughter die haunted me. My husband and I constantly argued. Worst of all, I didn’t know anyone who understood. I wanted to die.

A friend commented one day I did know someone who understood. Someone who had not only lost her son, but saw him tortured and killed. It was Mary, of course. That reminder hit me like a ton of bricks. I suddenly realized we had been wrong to leave the Church.

Attending any church had been very traumatic for me. I had left several sobbing and didn’t feel I could attend any alone.

I did have a running conversation with God, but it wasn’t enough. I avoided God when I needed him most. I realized I needed to connect through the Holy Mother. When you’re hurting, it’s easier to go to your mother than your father.

I started praying the Rosary and the Divine Mercy prayer. This led to a desire to learn more about the Faith, such as through Divine Mercy and Fr. Ripperger videos.

My husband started watching the videos with me and we started talking more instead of arguing.

When I learned how versatile the Rosary can be, I began pleading the Blood of Jesus before each decade, praying for my daughter’s soul and asking for my husband and son to be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The next week, my husband started praying a daily Rosary, too. A couple days after that, he came home with new Rosaries, scapulars and medals. The following week he went to morning confession and Mass. He took me later that day as well.

Having learned from Catholic YT videos that his position as husband/father gave him spiritual authority over our family, he increased his Rosary praying. I not only overheard him praying to be a better man, husband, and father, I heard him praying for me, our daughter’s soul, asking God to help us stop arguing, and pleading the Blood of Jesus for our son. I can’t adequately express how much that meant to me.

We started going to weekly Mass together. He started attending daily Masses and working on consecration to Jesus through Mary. The closer we got to God in prayer, the less we argued.

Connecting to Jesus through Mary myself gave me a renewed desire to live and serve God. More than that, focusing on the suffering of Jesus and his mother in the Rosary healed my broken spirit (as it says in the Bible, “and with his stripes we are healed” Isaiah 53:5). I realized one day that I felt happy despite problems in the world, and no longer felt broken.

Having achieved so much so fast, I became impatient to see changes in our son. My husband took the lead saying we needed to be patient because God would answer in his own time and way. Considering the prayer warrior he had become, I knew it must be true.

I do mean prayer warrior because his Rosaries had evolved. I heard him interjecting a series of prayers between decades, creating a perfect blending of recited prayers, his own heartfelt words and meditation. He started daily Bible reading and study. He began blessing our son every time he visited and talking to him about God’s love. He got our son to wear a scapular and carry a Rosary with him everywhere.

Our son started asking religious questions soon after, asking to pray with us sometimes and even to consider returning to confession and Mass.

Our family, which had been broken and failing, was fixed by Our Lady’s Rosary. The fast transformation has been nothing less than incredible. What else can I say except prayer works!

[janealan]

Dear Fr Chris; you are a very special priest endowed with the gift of teaching. I don't want to lose you to any of the illnesses that you said you suffer from. When I offer my fasting to God for priests on Wednesday and Friday I will now expand the offering from priests in general to you specifically. God bless you Fr Chris. I love you and what you do. From a hermit in Toronto Canada.

[in_defense_of_the_church]

I’m listening to this while fishing… fishing for rainbow trout… it put a smile on my face and I felt the warm embrace of God! Glory be to Him!

[kotikashfelister]

Am a Catholic from Kenya i have just come a cross your teaching your actually a blessing to me keep the fire burning for our Jesus be blessed Fr🇰🇪

[jennjo]

I am awoken for prayer every morning. Sometime 2-3 am sometimes 4:30 regardless I roll out of bed and pray. I am literally called to prayer. I have heard my name called. Heard the blessed mother say good morning or wake to the smell of flowers. It is my favorite time of day and I loose myself in prayer in meditation and writing sometimes for 3-4 hours at a time. Prayer is like food for my spirit I can not get enough🙏

[theresagoldschmidt]

South African Catholic here. Father, I pray for America and South Africa everyday.

[reynaldocrisostomo]

i love to pray becausethat is the way I can show God that I use my will to love Him.

[ladangharimau]

May the Almighty God, the Son and the Holy Spirit care and bless America.

[Ayatollah_Khamenei]

Guys I’m brand new to the faith. I’m starting RCIA. I am so happy and already feel so much more fulfillment :D

[sofiaflores]

You are a joy to watch. A true teacher in Christ. We love you, Fr. Chris

[Lagilelei]

I was raised in a Samoan strict Catholic family. Evening family devotions are a must. We were taught by our parents to always fall to our knees every time we pray. So glad for parents paving a way and trusting Gods process ❤

[lohash]

1.8 million views means that 1.8 million people want to connect deeper to God and found this video. 🙏 Let's pray for the others searching for a deeper connection to God who have not found this video. God Bless everyone who reads this, and everyone who does not. May God continue to bless you on your journey, Fr. Chris. Your words have penetrated my soul countless times. Thank you for speaking the Truth, and for doing so with love, faith, compassion and humor.🙏❤‍🔥⛪

[vBliss]

From the Philippines, I hear you Father. My prayers, not only for the Philippines and America but for the whole world...

[LudwigGalo-rrqz]

Thank you for FR Chris for the inspiration message Amen Amen Amen.

[gigigonzalezgaillot]

I am unable to say the rosary live because of my work schedule, but it is nice to come after work and be able to watch it and pray it on YouTube. Thank you Father’s!

[perlitacailao]

I am from the Philippines. I always pray for the USA to bless it and also for the whole world especially our country. Thank you Father and God bless. I learned a lot from you.

[strfdvd]

I'm Catholic from Malaysia Father. Thank you for being a blessing to ALL of God's people. I pray for your nation and Christian nations. God bless 🙏

[jntwyatt]

Thanks so much Father. I learn SO much from you. One year ago I returned to the Catholic Church from a 40 year absence. Your talks are feeding me.

[SHANEzGR]

So Blessed to have this to the masses of humanity.

[reynelgementiza]

I WAS CRYING WHEN I WATCHED THIS. THANK YOU, FATHER.