The fourth part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church contains the Church’s universal teaching on prayer and the spiritual life. It is a treasury of wisdom and insight into the movements of the interior life.

The first section of part four is all about prayer in the Christian life. The section consists of three chapters. After reviewing the revelation of prayer (Chapter One) and the tradition of prayer (Chapter Two), the section moves to the life of prayer (Chapter Three).

The chapter on the life of prayer begins on the strong foundation of the heart that has been cleansed and renewed by the grace of God. The Catechism simply states: “Prayer is the life of the new heart.”

When a soul has encountered God and allowed him to work, a new creation is brought forth. The new heart desires to pray. It wants to sing and praise God. The new heart yearns to be close to the God who has re-created and redeemed it.

Prayer is the life force of the new heart. The Catechism tells us: “[Prayer] ought to animate us at every moment.” By responding to the call of prayer and seeking to draw closer to God, prayer becomes a source of motivation and inspiration. Prayer brings us back to the face of God and helps us to remember and give thanks and praise to the God who loves us.

We need prayer if we’re going to stay close to God. The Catechism notes our fallen nature and observes: “But we tend to forget him who is our life and our all.”

The rejuvenating water of prayer is the powerful solution to our forgetfulness of God. By praying, we connect and interact with the living God. We receive his wisdom and know if his closeness to us.

Because of our forgetfulness of God, the Catechism teaches us: “This is why the Fathers of the spiritual life in the Deuteronomic and prophetic traditions insist that prayer is a remembrance of God often awakened by the memory of the heart: ‘We must remember God more often than we draw breath.’”

The calming of our hearts is the first step to remembering God. It places us in an awareness of his presence. The gift of peace – placed within our hearts – helps us to know of God’s goodness and providence. We know of his care for us. Such a posture unlocks the deeper levels of prayer to our wayward hearts and guides them to loving God and rejoicing in his presence. In this way, prayer unveils the mysteries of God to us and instructs us on how to grow in a deeper relationship with him.

As we sit and rest in God, we breath in him. Our very breath becomes a prayer and our whole being exults in his greatness.

While our breath itself can become a prayer, we still need set times for prayer. Our resting in God’s presence compels us to seek him in a more expressive form of prayer. If we do not set a time for deeper, conversational prayer, then our time of peace with the Lord will not bear the fruits that should accompany it.

The Catechism observes: “But we cannot pray ‘at all times”’ if we do not pray at specific times, consciously willing it. These are the special times of Christian prayer, both in intensity and duration.”

In setting times for conscious prayer, we are welcoming the wisdom of God. We are stopping all other activities and simply speaking and listening to God. Such a dialogue is essential for a development and growth in the spiritual life. If we want to know God, we have to talk and listen to him.

In moments of set prayer, God oftentimes blesses the new heart with great consolations and sufferings, illuminations and concealments. Prayer becomes a type of “covenant drama” in which we search for God and are search for by him. We look for him and find him looking for us. We go from light to spiritual darkness, desolation to joy, and questions to unexplainable answers.

The new heart wants to pray. Once it knows God, it does not want to be away from him. It pines for him. The new heart is eager to pray so that it can rest in God.

For free, daily reflections by Father Kirby, please visit dailydiscipleship.org.