The Diocese of Westminster will release its latest booklet for faith-sharing groups this autumn on the theme of prayer. Entitled Teach Us to Pray, the sixty-four page booklet contains six sessions for small groups, a scheme of daily prayer drawn from the prayer of the Church and other quotes and prayers for private meditation.
In his foreword to the booklet, Archbishop Vincent Nichols commends the resource saying:
‘Prayer is central to the life of any believer. Yet its pattern and form is not the same for all… Through the pages of Teach Us to Pray we will come to share our experiences of prayer, drawing on Scripture and the teaching of the Church. We will explore our prayer as an involvement, as a conversation with God whom we love, through good times and bad, in our youth and as we mature.
Participants will meet each week in each other’s houses across the diocese to explore the nature of prayer as we go through life. Week One refers to the Little Ones and our prayer for the newborn and unborn; Week Two then looks at how we learn to pray in Childhood. Week Three explores Youth and prayer as a conversation in love and is followed by Week Four which shows us as we Mature in our Faith, looking to make a mark on the world. Week Five considers the Wisdom of middle age and Week Six looks at the lives of the elderly in terms of joy and humility as we become Close to the Father. Each of these weeks is illustrated with beautiful full-colour illustrations which serve to aid meditation and prayer.
In the past booklets in the exploringfaith series have been translated into Swedish by the Diocese of Stockholm (Appointed by God and Sharing in His Life among others) and Lithuanian by the Marian Helpers (Hail Mary, Full of Grace). The resources are also available online and have gained a readership from across the English-speaking world.
The season in Westminster will start on Sunday 13 October and finish on Saturday 23 November 2013. The booklets can, however, be used at any time of year. If you would like to find out more about Teach us to Pray or any of the other exploringfaith booklets or should you wish to explore the possibilities of small groups in your parish please email marknash@rcdow.org.uk. To stay informed you can also find small groups on Twitter @dowsmallgroups and Facebook www.facebook.com/dowsmallgroups. Booklets can be ordered from www.rcdow.org.uk/bookstore, see the link below.
