Formation Lesson - Life of Prayer
Part I - LMC Statutes and Documents of the Church
Chapter 3 - The LMC Community in Dialogue with God
“The family that prays together stays together”
pg.32 #5: “As contemplation of divine things and assiduous union with God in prayer is our first and foremost duty, we set aside a considerable amount of time for prayer everyday. Our zeal for the Kingdom of God, and our availability for our brothers and the poorest of the poor will grow all the greater for it. Prayer is more powerful than anything we can achieve by our actions” [Contemplative Brothers Constitutions No.130]
Part II - Letters of the Founders (Fr. Sebastian MC and Blessed Teresa MC)
LMC Fundamentals Values and Priority
Pg. 3 II Priority
“About what comes before, either in time or in spirit, the answer is easy for the LMC: first of all, always, the Union with God. The rest comes from this. But actually, doubts come often. Ask advice to God: even in small things. Pray [to] the Virgin Mary. The answer about priority is the answer to the concrete fact, according to the need. Ask yourself in God, clean yourself so that the Holy Spirit may come. But whenever could we say that we are clean, free of ourselves? Discouragement. But “Take heart, it is I” [Mk 6,50] . Then I do my best, I give Him my poor bread Jn. 6 1-13] . He will do the rest.” Fr. Sebastian Vazhakala, MC
Part III - Teachings of the Spiritual Directors and LMC Archive Resources
Teaching Reflection - from the text of Story of a Soul, Saint Therese of Lisieux
Chapter IX “My vocation is Love”
Pg. 187
“Do not believe that I am swimming in consolations; oh no, my consolation is to have none on earth. Without showing Himself, without making His voice heard, Jesus teaches me in secret; it is not by means of books, for I do not understand what I am reading. Sometimes a word comes to console me, such as this one which I received at the end of prayer (after having remained in silence and aridity) :
Here is the teacher I am giving you; he will teach you everything you must do, I want to make you read in the book of life, wherein is contained the science of LOVE. ...
Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude. . . .
Offer to God the sacrifices of Praise and Thanksgiving.”
St Therese of Lisieux,
excerpted from Story of a Soul
