The Bible and the Revelation of Prayer
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.” – The Our Father prayer
Starting with an overview of the revelation of prayer from Genesis to Revelation as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Avila Institute course “The Bible and the Revelation of Prayer” studies the use of the Bible in the public worship of the Church. The Liturgy is the source and summit of the Christian life while the Bible is the soul of theology. Exploring the relationship the Bible and the Liturgy opens up a vision of prayer filled with Patristic insight and the wisdom of the early Church.
As our Catechism explains, “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] 2559). In a related and complementary lesson, the Scriptures teach us that “[Jesus] thirsts.” (cf John 19:28). Thus, we can conclude that in the raising of our minds and hearts to God in prayer, we are experiencing “the encounter of God’s thirst with ours” (CCC 2560).
“God thirsts that we may thirst for Him” (CCC 2560). Our prayer is a response to His thirst. And, He has gifted the Church with His Word, the Bible, and also the Liturgy. It is this relationship between the Bible and Liturgy, that we will explore in the upcoming Avila class “The Bible and the Revelation of Prayer.”
Course Objectives:
Dr. Michael Gama teaches “The Bible and the Revelation of Prayer” on Tuesdays from 8:30 – 10:30 PM Eastern Time on March 6, 13, 20, April 3, 10, 17, 24, May 1, 8. In this course, we will use The Holy Bible, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, and a book by Jean Danielou called “The Bible and the Liturgy” to discover how we can encounter Christ in our daily lives.
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Art for this post on The Bible and the Revelation of Prayer: Detail of Creation of Adam, Michelangelo, circa 1511, PD-US author’s life plus 100 years or less, Wikimedia Commons.
About Kristin Aebli
Kristin Aebli is the Event Coordinator and Marketing Assistant at the Avila Foundation, parent organization of SpiritualDirection.com, the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, and Divine Intimacy Radio. Receiving the position was providential and in God’s perfect timing. Although cradle Catholic, in college she reverted and became confirmed in the Church. Kristin graduated with a degree in Communications from Samford University and she still enjoys ministering to college students through the Samford Catholic Student Association. Kristin is happy to be a part of the Firelight college ministry, is involved with Apostoli Viae and also a Young Professionals Bible study. For fun, Kristin enjoys discussing theology with friends, recording her podcast “Catholic After Dark”, dancing, singing, cooking, writing and painting. She hopes to continue growing in her faith through the sacraments and involvement with faithful community.
