Catechism index

2571 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Because Abraham believed in God and walked in his presence and in covenant with him, 10 The patriarch is ready to welcome a mysterious Guest into his tent. Abraham's remarkable hospitality at …
2572 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT As a final stage in the purification of his faith, Abraham, "who had received the promises," 13 is asked to sacrifice the son God had given him. Abraham's faith does not weaken …
2573 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT God renews his promise to Jacob, the ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel. 17 Before confronting his elder brother Esau, Jacob wrestles all night with a mysterious figure who refuses to …
2574 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Once the promise begins to be fulfilled (Passover, the Exodus, the gift of the Law, and the ratification of the covenant), the prayer of Moses becomes the most striking example of intercessory …
2575 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Here again the initiative is God's. From the midst of the burning bush he calls Moses. 20 This event will remain one of the primordial images of prayer in the spiritual tradition …
2576 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." 21 Moses' prayer is characteristic of contemplative prayer by which God's servant remains faithful …
2577 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT From this intimacy with the faithful God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, 23 Moses drew strength and determination for his intercession. He does not pray for himself but for …
2578 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT The prayer of the People of God flourishes in the shadow of God's dwelling place, first the ark of the covenant and later the Temple. At first the leaders of the people …
2579 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT David is par excellence the king "after God's own heart," the shepherd who prays for his people and prays in their name. His submission to the will of God, his praise, and …
2580 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT The Temple of Jerusalem, the house of prayer that David wanted to build, will be the work of his son, Solomon. the prayer at the dedication of the Temple relies on God's …
2581 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT For the People of God, the Temple was to be the place of their education in prayer: pilgrimages, feasts and sacrifices, the evening offering, the incense, and the bread of the Presence …
2582 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Elijah is the "father" of the prophets, "the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob." 30 Elijah's name, "The Lord is my God," foretells …
2583 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT After Elijah had learned mercy during his retreat at the Wadi Cherith, he teaches the widow of Zarephath to believe in the Word of God and confirms her faith by his urgent …
2584 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT In their "one to one" encounters with God, the prophets draw light and strength for their mission. Their prayer is not flight from this unfaithful world, but rather attentiveness to the Word …
2585 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT From the time of David to the coming of the Messiah texts appearing in these sacred books show a deepening in prayer for oneself and in prayer for others. 37 Thus the …
2586 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT The Psalms both nourished and expressed the prayer of the People of God gathered during the great feasts at Jerusalem and each Sabbath in the synagogues. Their prayer is inseparably personal and …
2587 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT The Psalter is the book in which the Word of God becomes man's prayer. In other books of the Old Testament, "the words proclaim [God's] works and bring to light the mystery …
2588 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT The Psalter's many forms of prayer take shape both in the liturgy of the Temple and in the human heart. Whether hymns or prayers of lamentation or thanksgiving, whether individual or communal, …
2589 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT Certain constant characteristics appear throughout the Psalms: simplicity and spontaneity of prayer; the desire for God himself through and with all that is good in his creation; the distraught situation of the …
2590 IN BRIEF "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God" (St. John Damascene, Defide orth. 3, 24: PG 94, 1089C).