- Saturday, October 5, 2024
- 8:00 am - 6:00 pm
- St Matthew, San Mateo
- +1 (415) 614 - 5651
Pope Francis explained that the Year of Prayer, in preparation for our Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025, is dedicated “to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer, personal life, the life of the Church, prayer in the world.” For the Jubilee to be an event that spiritually enriches the life of the Church and the entire people of God, becoming a concrete sign of hope, it must be prepared for and lived in individual communities with that spirit of expectation typical of Christian hope.
This is a unique period to reevaluate the value of prayer and the necessity of daily prayer in the Christian life. It’s a time to explore how to pray and, importantly, to educate the people of today in prayer in this era of digital culture. It’s crucial to understand how prayer can be effective and fruitful in a world that increasingly manifests a profound need for spirituality.
The request by the apostles ‘Teach us to pray’ encapsulates a deep longing within believers to strengthen their connection with the divine. It’s a humble acknowledgment of our need for guidance in the sacred art of prayer. Like Jesus’ disciples, we, too, aspire to learn from Jesus himself, who revealed the profound transformative power of prayer. It’s a heartfelt plea for intimacy with the divine, a yearning to commune with God profoundly and meaningfully. It acknowledges that true prayer is not merely reciting words but an authentic expression of the soul’s deepest longings and aspirations.
As The Office of Faith Formation in the Archdiocese of San Francisco commences the Year of Prayer and our Faith Formation Conference, let us approach our spiritual practice with openness and humility. Guided by the teachings of Jesus and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, let us foster a spirit of receptivity, eagerly seeking to learn and grow in our prayer life. Recognizing that this journey brings us closer to the heart of God, we look forward to the insights and experiences that our annual Faith Formation Conference will offer.
May we “Be Still” and find space for God.
I am the One who comes to you and calls you each by name.
In your mother’s womb I knitted you, so your being I do claimed.
My presence is my gift to you, surrender all control.
In the presence of my Spirit, I shall breathe into your soul.
Refrain:
Oh, in this encounter we begin.
Oh, be still and breathe me in.
Oh, you must surrender to draw near.
Oh, be still and know I’m here. Be still and know I’m here.
In ancient times I called to you, through prophets great and small.
They responded to my sacred voice; They responded to my call.
And then one day I came to you, both human and divine,
The Savior of the Universe, now in sacred Bread and Wine.
Refrain
As you look into their eyes of hope, may all justice be restored.
So blessed are the pure of heart, the mourners and the meek,
You shall see my eyes reflecting yours; Through this image I shall speak.
Refrain
From age to age you called my Name, Through multitudes of faiths.
I have listened to your single voice, In this tapestry of praise.
And in the hope of what’s to come, Abandon all your fears.
I shall hold on to my promise made; I shall wipe away your tears.
Refrain
I am the One who calls to you, surrender to my Name,
And through Jesus Christ, my only Son, in the Spirit, Three in One.
I send you forth to distant lands, proclaiming what you’ve heard.
In the presence of my tender love, go and spread my Saving Word!
