NOTE: Christ in Our Neighborhood is a parish-based program consisting of small Christian communities that gather in the home weekly to prayerfully discuss the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. It’s easy to form a community and you can find out more at Christ in Our Neighborhood – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix (dphx.org)
This coming Sunday, we celebrate the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Check out the question the Christ in Our Neighborhood reflection poses: Jesus asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” If we support each other in prayer, He will. How are you helping others in their prayer life?
Jesus told tells us “Wherever two or more are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matt. 18:20.” While it’s essential for every follower of Christ to spend time in individual prayer, our Lord teaches us the value of praying in community with others.
In the home, that can look like parents kneeling with their children before bedtime to pray together or a husband and wife praying together at the beginning or end of the day.
When our kids were growing up, we used to sometimes pray the rosary in the car if there was a long drive ahead. We’d also say a Hail Mary together whenever we heard a siren — a tradition passed down by my grandfather who no doubt learned to do that from his own family growing up. But there are other, more spontaneous ways to pray with others outside of Mass.
Think of all the times someone asks you to pray for a particular intention. It might seem awkward at first, but what would happen if you said to your friend, “Let’s pray right now.” Maybe you say the Our Father or the Memorare together. Maybe you pray something like, “Father in Heaven, we ask You to pour out your healing and grace in this person’s life.” Once you’ve done it a couple of times, it seems more natural. You might even try doing it via text message the next time you get a prayer request via text.
Watch what happens next because God always hears our prayers.
If you haven’t joined a Christ in Our Neighborhood small group yet, perhaps you are being called to start one yourself. Check out our website today to find out more: dphx.org/Christ-in-our-neighborhood.
Watch the video of the weekly podcast segment featuring Christ in Our Neighborhood with Bishop Dolan by clicking HERE.
To sign up for our weekly Christ in Our Neighborhood newsletter that has everything you need for your next meeting, visit: https://phoenixdiocese.flocknote.com/CION
