Prayer opportunities and resources

The Church of St. Timothy is a community of prayer! Use this information and resources below to begin, renew, supplement, or grow in your own prayer practices.

TWO ESSENTIAL KINDS OF PRAYER

1. Liturgical prayer—the public prayer of the Church. Another name for this is priestly prayer. All of us, at our baptisms, are anointed “priest, prophet, and king.” Part of our priestly duty is to offer prayers on behalf of the world. We do this through participation in Mass and other sacramental celebrations, and through praying the Divine Office (or Liturgy of the Hours). “All baptized Christians, lay and cleric alike, are asked to offer up priestly prayer each day for the world….What is important…is to remember that these are not prayers that we say for ourselves, nor indeed prayers whose formulae we need personally to find meaningful or relevant…We pray them as elders, as baptized adults, as priests, to invoke God’s blessing upon the world.” (from “Sacred Fire” by Ronald Rolheiser)
2. Devotional prayer—personal prayer (although this can be done in groups) that seeks to draw us into a closeness with God. This is an opportunity to open ourselves to God, to both say and hear “I love you.” There are many methods for devotional prayer and the Catholic faith is rich with these traditions. This webpage will highlight some forms practiced at St. Tim’s and others you may want to investigate.

Note: There is no obligation by the Church that all Catholics practice any specific personal devotions. While some may be more commonly used than others, none are required. Individuals are encouraged to try out many different prayer methods.

Mass is our fullest form of worship to God and also the main means by which we exercise our priestly ministry of baptism to pray, as Christ did, for the world. Here is our opportunity to offer back to God our lives for the good of others. At Mass we are filled up with God’s grace and sent out to share Christ’s life with everyone we encounter—continuing the mission of Jesus and thereby living the Eucharist we receive. From our experience at Mass, our personal prayer life will develop and deepen and our life of discipleship will continue to grow.

Weekend Masses are at 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. on Sundays.Daily Mass is celebrated at St. Tim’s at 9:00 a.m. in the church (there is no daily Mass when a funeral is scheduled; check the website for a weekly schedule). If you would like to have a Mass said for a special intention, contact the parish office to schedule it.

Each weekday (Monday through Friday) at 9:30 a.m., parishioners meet over Zoom to pray the Morning Prayer from the Divine Office. The format is simple: psalms are recited, a hymn is sung, Scripture is read, and intercessory prayer is offered. Normally this prayer takes fifteen to twenty minutes.

You are welcome to participate as your schedule allows (some people will meet regularly, others pop in every now and then). To receive the Zoom link, contact Cindy Novak in the parish office.

St. Tim’s offers multiple ways to ask for prayer support and to pray for these requests. The Catholic Council of Women group (CCW), the St. Tim’s Active Retired Seniors group (STARS), and the Knights of Columbus group (KC’s) each take prayer requests. To share a prayer request, contact Cindy Novak at 763.792.1618 or cnovak@churchofsttimothy.com
 
 If you are interested in praying for the needs of others, contact Cindy Novak in the parish office to be added to the group of pray-ers. You will then receive (via email or phone) a weekly list of prayer requests. Additionally, there is the St. Tim’s Virtual Prayer Wall on this website (click here to view) where you are able to add your prayer requests and also see and pray for others’ prayer requests. 

Using the steps described below, choose a Scripture passage and listen to God speak to you in a new way. Using the daily Gospel reading is a good starting point.

1. Pray for the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide and enlighten your mind and heart.
2. Lectio (reading)/Receiving: Read the passage slowly paying attention to a word or phrase that stands out for you.
3. Meditatio (meditating): Mull over the word or phrase that stuck out to you. Repeat the word(s) over and over, letting them sink into your heart and mind. Try to discover why those particular words attracted you. Read the passage again.
4. Oratio (prayer): Respond with a prayer according to how the words prompt you (a prayer of adoration, thanksgiving, sorrow for sin, petition, or love). Stay with those feelings; let yourself desire God. Read the passage a final time.
5. Contemplatio (contemplation): Be with God, enjoying his presence and letting him love you. Be alone with God in the great silence that is too deep for words. Rest.

(from “The Catholic Way to Pray” by Kathleen Glavich, SND)

Lectio Divina groups are offered during Lent at St. Timothy’s. If you are interested in more regular Lectio Divina prayer groups, contact Cindy Novak in the parish office.

The Rosary is a beautiful meditation of the life of Christ set to a mantra of repeating the “Hail Mary” prayer. It is often prayed as an offering for specific intentions. This prayer is directed to God through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mother. It is a Scripture-based prayer, beginning with the Apostles Creed which summarizes the mysteries of the Catholic faith, to the Our Father (prayed at the beginning of each mystery) which is taken from the Gospels, to the Hail Mary which is composed from verses from the Gospel of Luke when the angel announces Christ’s birth and Elizabeth greets Mary.
 
 Click here to view a guide on how to pray the rosary.
 
 Join a group of parishioners to pray the rosary every day before daily liturgy (either Mass or Word and communion) in the church at 8:25 a.m.
 
 The rosary is also prayed each month before the Council of Catholic Women (CCW) meeting.
 

There are several prayer apps available for smart phones. Most offer the daily Scripture readings, reflections, traditional devotions, litanies, etc. They can be downloaded from Apple App Store or Google Play (or wherever you get your apps). Click on the links below to more, bearing in mind that some are free and some charge a monthly or annual fee for use.

• Amen
• Pray as you go
• Ibreviary
• Reimagining the Examen
• Hallow