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Thursday, January 5, 2023, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PMPrayer in the New Year: Forging Connections in Practicing the Presence of God
For people of faith, our roster of New Year's resolutions often includes a commitment to changing up our prayer practices in psome fashion -- a resolve to spend more or better time in daily prayer, for example, or to listen to one new podcast or start a prayer journal, or to finally pull the plug on that decorating plan to carve out a sacred space in our home devoted to reflection and prayer.
Whether or not your New Year will begin with a prayer resolution, the turn in the calendar brings on those deep questions that form the adult faith quest -- questions that seem ever more critical as we hear the groanings of our broken world. What does it mean to be a person of prayer?...a prayer partner with a God who already, beautifully, knows us by name, loves us, wants what is best for us, and suffers with us. Does something else change when we pray? Why pray when we can't actively help?
During our day together we will wrestle with these questions as we explore prayer as a virtue, a practice, a way of both doing and being. In surrendering to our Great Love in prayer, we are continually reminded of a reality beyond ourselves, an invitation into Mystery, solidarity, and a stance of gratitude. There will be time for prayer and for sacred listening to God speaking to us in the questions, in the silence, and in experiences of Real Presence. As always, there will be an opportunity for sharing in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Mass.
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Our guide for our Day of Prayer is Linda Baratte. Linda served for several years as the director of a pastoral leadership and spirituality institute at Saint Elizabeth University in Morristown. She is a popular presenter and retreat leader in Northern New Jersey and chairs the Mission Committee of the Board of Trustees here at the Loyola Jesuit Center. Linda received a Masters degree in Pastoral Ministry at Boston College and a doctoral degree in Religious Education from Fordham University. She lives in Cedar Knolls with her husband Jim, where they enjoy spoiling their seven local grandchildren.
