WHO IS IT WHO PRAYS? by Fr. Michael Moga, SJ

Different Human "Selves" Who Prays

1. Cultural prayer
- people pray differently because they come from different cultures
- their cultures guide them in prayer
- Our prayer is our culture's prayer
- Culture determines what we humans do and how we do it
2. Ego based Prayer
- I will decide
- private, hidden from all other individuals
- Mental prayer- is the prayer in the mind of an ego
- It is controlled from within
- I choose what I think about, what I feel, and what I say
3. Personal Prayer
- it is the human person who prays

Forms of Personal Existence
How can prayer be found in the dimensions of personal existence?
1. Historicity
- a rich future, a profound past, and a challenging present
- these dimensions inspire a person's prayer and give rich meaning to that prayer
2. Personal Relationships
- relationship enriches our personal life
- as a person, we are called upon to accept the gifts that come from this relationship, but my acceptance is based on what God initially has given me
- it is characterized by a mood of acceptance as I live with trust in the blessings of God and accept those blessings. In this prayer, I trust that there is divine wisdom that is leading me.
- All that I have is God's gifts
- Contemplative prayer- God enters into the consciousness of the one who prays in an active way
- He is invited to receive the light of God's presence with passive and loving attention
- prayer of the heart
3. Involvements
- career or hobby
- we experience that there is a mystery behind the beginning o our careers and our hobbies- Vocation, a person respond to God
4. Commitment to values (our responses to profound values)
- Personal Existence is found in dedication to powerful values, and when that is attained, a distinctive identity is achieved
- Being a loving person is a way of being a religious

These embody human prayer, it is through varied forms of living that a person relates to God, they are personal prayers.
Human spirituality takes many forms because there are different bases for human prayer.