Year of Prayer
“Prayer unites us; it makes us brothers and sisters. It is in prayer that our hearts find the strength not to be cold and insensitive in the face of injustice. In prayer, God keeps calling us, opening our hearts to charity.”
~ Pope Francis
In preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year “Pilgrims of Hope,” 2024 has been designated a Year of Prayer by Pope Francis. He asks us all to join in a great “symphony” of prayer, “to renew our desire to be in the presence of the Lord, to listen to him and to adore him.”
In addition to the 38 Catechesis on Prayer that Pope Francis himself presented from May 2020 to June 2021, the Dicastery of Evangelization has made a series of booklets entitled, “Notes on Prayer.”
The volumes will soon also be available in English, translated by the Indian Episcopal Conference; and in Spanish, published by Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos and Sociedad de San Pablo and translated by the Mexican Episcopal Conference.
Some Resources for the Year
Teach Us to Pray
“Teach Us to Pray” is a booklet inspired by the teachings of Pope Francis and written as an invitation to intensify prayer, understood as a personal dialogue with God, and to lead readers to reflect on their faith, and their commitment in today’s world, in the various contexts in which they are called to live. Please, click the following boxes to download the document in the language of your preference: English | Spanish
Praying Together as a Small Christian Community
Through the powerful vehicles of the Small Christian Communities (SCC), share your experiences of what God is doing in your life through the daily or Sunday liturgical readings. This is an opportunity for prayer, learning, mutual support, and the shared experience of Christian living and service. Click here to download the Guidelines for Facilitating Small Christian Communities in English and here in Spanish.
Praying Together as a Family
We’ve created a Family Prayer Service to help families grow in their relationships with each other and with God. This simple prayer service is perfect for busy Catholic families. It does not require special materials and can be used by families of any size and makeup. It includes Scripture, prayer, and a simple activity to bring family members together. Click here to download the Family Prayer Service in English and here in Spanish.
The Source: Small Group Video Series
(Available only in English). The SOURCE has the basics of the Catholic faith, presented in six Ted-style talks paired with six faith-based testimonies giving witness to how the truth explained has been instrumental in transforming daily life for real people. The SOURCE wonderfully explores how all that we seek ultimately leads us back to the True Source, God, through His Holy Church. Discussion guide | Videos series
Suggestions for Personal Prayer
Pope Francis, on his Catechesis on Prayer #37, titled Perseverance in Love, on June 9, 2021, reminded us that prayer serves as “an ardour in the Christian life, which must never fail,” like the “sacred fire that was kept in the ancient temples.” The Holy Father explained that “there must be a sacred fire in us too, which burns continually and which nothing can extinguish.” Click here to download some suggestions for personal prayer in English and here in Spanish.
Meditation Prayer – by Fr. Allen Morris
Videos are free to use on Fr. Allen’s YouTube channel:
Breathing exercise | Relaxing Body Exercise
Mantra Exercise: Choosing a Mantra | Choosing and Using Mantra
‘Ignatian’ prayer: Guided meditation: Walking on Water | Nativity | Zacchaeus | The statue | The chair | The special place
The Examen: 6 Examen
Maryknoll Prayer Resources
Mission Rosary Mysteries: For Adults | For Children
Multimedia Mission Rosary: English | Spanish
Family in Mission – Reflection Guides for 2024 (Cycle B): English | Spanish
Links to Online Prayer Resources
Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Prayer Phone Apps
Please type the name of the application on App Store or Google Play and download the App. Click the button below to find the Catholic Prayer Phone Apps in English and Spanish.
How to Pray Program – Sycamore Pathway (6 videos)
This program has been designed to provide your parish or organization with a ready-made tool to deepen the prayer life of the person, invite others to pray for the first time, and grow in our love and devotion for prayer. In this way, prayer can be a missionary activity.
Spread over 6 sessions with each session split into bite-size parts, this course encourages reflection and discussion in response to Fr. Stephen Wang’s thought-provoking presentations on the Catholic Faith.
The videos are available on the Sycamore’s website. We recommend registering for it before you download them. The discussion questions are used with permission of Archdiocese of Birmingham, England.
Sessions
Session 1 (#8) The Power of Prayer
Session 2 (#11) The Light of Christ
Session 3 (#6) The Bible
Session 4 (#15) The Holy Eucharist
Session 5 (#19) How to Pray
Session 6 (#20) Mary and the Hope of Heaven
Current Archdiocesan Events:
We are Eucharistic people. The Eucharist is the center of our faith and our lives. During this Year of Prayer, we encourage parishes and Catholic organizations to join and take advantage of the Archdiocesan events our Archdiocese of Washington will host this year.
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage:The value of a pilgrimage is not in the distance traveled but in the disposition of our own hearts and the zeal with which we seek God. On Saturday, June 8, 2024, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton route, will have a public Mass and Procession in D.C. All are welcome! Click here for more information and registration.
Office of Cultural Diversity and Outreach Cultural Events: The Office of Cultural Diversity and Outreach organizes or supports many cultural communities during the year. Let us explore the diversity of our faith community and pray together as one family. Click here for more information.
Contact the Office of Evangelization for more information.