Catholic spirituality
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Catholic spirituality includes the various ways in which
Catholic devotional piety
Catholic piety takes its inspiration from the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Most fundamentally, Jesus prayed to God the Father, in the Holy Spirit, and recommended that we do the same. In the Gospels, his prayer starts with "Father" and the prayer he taught his disciples begins with the words "Our Father". From this the Catholic Church has developed a piety that for the most part mirrors Jesus's attitude. The prayers of the Mass, the public prayer of the Church, are characteristically addressed to God the Father. The Catholic bishops declared in 1963: "Devotions should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some fashion derived from it, and lead the people to it, since, in fact, the liturgy by its very nature far surpasses any of them."[2]
In the Catholic Church, the laity are encouraged to pray daily the canonical hours contained in the Liturgy of the Hours, which are done at seven fixed prayer times.[3] Clergy and religious are obligated to pray the Daily Office.[3] Sources commonly used to pray the Liturgy of the Hours include the full four volume set of The Liturgy of the Hours, the one volume Christian Prayer book, and various apps on mobile devices.[4]
Desert spirituality
Desert spirituality is a way of seeking God that is characterized by the "desert theology" of the Old Testament that remains central to the Judeo-Christian tradition, namely God keeping his people wandering for 40 years in the desert and in subsequent centuries calling them into the desert as a testing ground, where they may experience a change of heart and, by proving themselves obedient to his ordering of human living, again accept him their Creator as also their Lord.
In New Testament times it is likewise for the reason of discerning God's will and proving his obedience that Jesus of Nazareth retired to the desert after his vocation call (cf. Mark 1:12–13, Matthew 4:1–11, Luke 4:1–13).
The Christian eremitic vocation has the same purpose, as the name hermit applied to those that embrace it indicates.
Among those most widely known for living a desert spirituality during the early Christian centuries is St Anthony of Egypt (251-356). He lived as a hermit for ten years, practiced asceticism for his whole life, and grew his own food for sustenance.
From the life of someone alone being dedicated to seeking God in the desert, which is the earliest form of Christian
In practical terms this spiritual quest is pursued through prayer in solitude and asceticism.
Some adherents of desert spirituality – whether as
Monastic orders
Benedictine spirituality
Benedictine spirituality is characterized by striving towards Christian perfection in community, liturgical prayer, and separation from worldly concerns.
Franciscan spirituality
Franciscan spirituality is characterized by a life of poverty, love of nature, and charitable deeds towards those in need.
Dominican spirituality
Dominican spirituality is characterized by poverty, preaching God's Word, and defense of Catholic doctrine.
Ignatian spirituality
Ignatian Spirituality incorporates elements from earlier spiritual traditions: finding God in all things, or being a contemplative in action, has been likened to the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi whom Ignatius admired. Meditation/contemplation on the Gospels has roots in the Benedictine Lectio Divina. However, Ignatian Spirituality is adaptable as is clear from Ignatius' book on the Exercises. For instance, Pedro Arrupe (1907–1991), a prominent Superior General of the Jesuits from 1965 to 1983, was known for incorporating Zen meditative techniques to assist in his concentration. Another example of adaptability is the extent to which the individual exercitant applies imagination, quite presence, or discursive reasoning to the events of Jesus' life, to arrive at closer knowledge and following of the Lord.[8]
Carmelite spirituality
Other important figures in Carmelite Spirituality include
Redemptorist spirituality
Servite spirituality
The spirituality of the
Montfortian spirituality
God Alone was the motto of Saint
Post-Vatican II lay movements
- See also Laity in the Catholic Church
The Second Vatican Council popularized spiritual movements among Catholics, and some lay Catholics now engage in regular contemplative practices such as the Rosary or Lectio Divina. Consistent with Vatican II, contemporary spiritual movements usually emphasize the necessity both of an interior relationship with God (private prayer) and works of justice and charity. Major 20th century writers who sought to draw together the contemplative and active poles of Christian spirituality have been Dorothy Day and Richard Rohr.
The purpose of all lay movements in the Catholic Church is to spread in society a deep awareness that every person is called by Baptism to live be a holy life and each in his own way to become an ambassador of Christ, For the majority of Christians, God calls them to sanctify through their ordinary lives by an ever-growing charity in the way they think, speak, and act, beginning at home, the domestic church, but extending to the local Christian community, the workplace, and to all peoples, all God's children.[13]
Christian Life Community
The
The CLC draws its inspiration from the teachings of St.
Charismatic spirituality
Charismatic spirituality reflects a belief that the spiritual gifts present in the early Christian communities are still available to the Church today. More active sharing of spiritual experiences in community characterizes this spirituality.
Schoenstatt Movement
Schoenstatt emphasizes a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, upholding her as a perfect example of love and purity. Schoenstatt seeks to invite the Blessed Mother (and hence her divine Son, Jesus Christ) into the home by establishing a spiritual Covenant of Love with her. It encourages its members to have the faith and purity of children, and to think of Mary as their mother.
Focolare Movement
In 1943 in northern Italy during World War II, Chiara Lubich, together with a small group of friends, concluded that God is the only ideal worth living for. The Focolare movement was founded as a result. The goal was to strive towards the fulfillment of Jesus' prayer to the Father: "That they all may be one" (John 17:21). A spirituality of unity resulted and gave rise to a movement of spiritual and social renewal. Now embracing over 5 million members in 182 countries, Focolare (which means hearth) draws together groups of families, neighbors, and friends to build community and to extend the works of the Gospel.
Sant'Egidio Movement
The Sant'Egidio community began with a group of high school students in the 1960s who were convinced by a local priest in Rome to try an experiment: live for a time as the early Christian disciples did, gathering for prayer and shared meals daily in their neighborhood as well as joining in the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The community thrived and has now become a global movement of communities working for peace and justice, strengthened by daily life in common and prayer.
Opus Dei spirituality
Opus Dei predated the Second Vatican Council in its emphasis on the laity. Founded by St. Josemaría Escrivá, Opus Dei's spirituality is based on life in the secular world. The "sanctification of work" consists in offering all work, however ordinary, to God. This implies that one always does one's best. To be a contemplative is to integrate one's life ("unity of life") in faithfulness to the Catholic Church and in solidarity with all those with whom one comes into contact, living a life of faith in all circumstances of each day. As John Allen says: people who follow this spirituality enter a church and leave it for the same reason – to get closer to God. The members of Opus Dei and its cooperators have committed to convert their daily work into prayer. Pope John Paul I, a few years before his election, wrote that Escrivá was more radical than other saints who taught about the universal call to holiness. While others emphasized monastic spirituality applied to lay people, for Escrivá "it is the material work itself which must be turned into prayer and sanctity," thus providing a comprehensive lay spirituality.[14] Expressed this way, Opus Dei builds on "finding God in all things" from Ignatian spirituality and emphasizes the universality of this path to holiness.
Regnum Christi spirituality
See also
Lay spirituality
- Communion and Liberation
- Emmanuel Community
- Neocatechumenal Way
- Regnum Christi
- Christian Life Community
References
- ^ "Sacrosanctum concilium". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 2017-05-16. Number 13.
- ^ "Sacrosanctum concilium, 13". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ a b "Liturgy of the Hours". Cornell Catholic Community. 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ "A Brief Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours (For Private/Individual Recitation)" (PDF). St. Raymond of Peñafort Catholic Church. 2012. p. 1. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ "Benedictine Spirituality - Dictionary definition of Benedictine Spirituality | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ "Franciscan Spirituality | Franciscan Action Network". franciscanaction.org. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ "Dominican Spirituality". opcentral.org. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ "Home - Ignatian Spirituality". Ignatian Spirituality. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ "Carmelite Spirituality". www.carmelite.org. Archived from the original on 2017-04-22. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ "Redemptorist spirituality". Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
- ^ "Spirituality". servidimaria.net. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ "Montfortian Spirituality - Overview". www.montfort.org.uk. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ Chapters 2 and 5. "Lumen gentium". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ prayer with the spiritual assistance of the prelature. Cardinal Albino Luciani (John Paul I). "Seeking God Through Everyday Work: A profile of the Founder of Opus Dei, Josemaria Escriva". Opus Dei Files. Archived from the original on 2007-03-11. Retrieved 2007-04-03.