Pentecost

… Only when we humbly acknowledge that “we do not know how to pray as we ought,” are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. “Man is a beggar before God.”

CCC 2559

“Liturgical and personal prayer and the permanent evangelization of our lives 2 emerge as a consequence of our contemplation of the word of God.

It makes us constantly aware of the truth contained in the words: ‘Without me you can do nothing, with me you can do all things.’ It is a life of prayer that enables us to preach to a secularized world to which the Gospel is foolishness.

The hectic pace of life in so many parts of the world seeps into
our lives and makes it difficult to make time for prayer. There are some who
can permeate their work with prayer. There are many others who by temperament
need another climate in which to pray.”

~ fr. Damian Byrne, O.P.

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Prayer is the foundation of Dominican Spirituality. Without  prayer, all the other elements falter and eventually collapse. Dominicans seek a balance between private and public prayer.

In private, we practice contemplation and Lectio Devina; give praise and thanksgiving to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and we petition the saints for ourselves and for others.

Dominican life also emphasizes ecclesial and community prayer,  that is, the prayers, liturgy and worship of the Church. Thus we pray with and for the Church by participating in formal community worship. Dominican laity  chant the Liturgy of the Hours, especially morning and evening prayer, attend  mass daily if possible, and pray the Rosary in groups. Of course, since we  don’t live in a monastery, Dominican laity often recite our prayers in private  but we are still in union with the whole Church, joining the Pope and millions of lay  Christians, religious, priests, and bishops in common prayer every day.