Lectio Divina is a way of meditating on a brief passage from the Bible as an opening to reflection and prayer. Click here for more on the ancient practice of Lectio Divina and how to do it.
Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Information and links about St. Faustino (1905-1938) and the origin of the Divine Mercy Chaplet can be found at the two following websites.
For how to pray the chaplet, including video (sung) or spoken accompaniment, click here.
For words to the prayers and checkboxes to mark off in silence at your computer in place of using rosary beads, scroll down after clicking here.
The Way of the Cross
For centuries pilgrims to the Holy Land have walked along the streets of Jerusalem to the hill of Golgotha where Jesus was crucified. At various points or stations along this path, the pilgrims would stop and reflect upon events along Christ’s path to his crucifixion and say a prayer.
Praying the Way of the Cross is how Christians not in Jerusalem can meditate right here and now upon Jesus’ sacrifice in dying on the cross for our sins. The traditional 14 stations were used in Spain in the 1600s and recognized by Pope Clement XII in 1731. Five of the traditional statons although possible are not specifically described in the Bible. In 1991, St. John Paul II prayed the Scriptural Stations of the Cross. By leaving out the five stations not in the Bible, more of the Biblical events surrounding Jess’ passion and death were able to be included.
There are no specific prayers for praying The Way of the Cross (Via Crucis in Latin). The only requirement is to reflect on the 14 events or stations listed or depicted — some people add Jesus’ Resurrection as a 15th station. Many people have composed reflections and mediations. Below are a number of different groups of reflections for you to use. Stabat Mater (in Latin) or “At the Cross Her Station Keeping” (in English) is a hymn with many verses traditionally sung at the end of each station.
Traditional Way of the Cross
1. For the traditional 14 stations that appear in paintngs and sculptures in our churches and prayer books, click here.
2. For the stations used by Pope Francis applying the meaning of Christ’s suffering to our world in 2013, click here.
3. For traditional stations with many scriptural verses to inspire reflection, click here.
4. For reflections composed by Mother Angelica, click here.
Scriptural Stations of the Cross
5. For reflections on the Scriptural Stations of the Cross from St. John Paul II, click here.
6. For reflections with artwork by Michael D. O’Brien on the scriptural stations from St. John Paul II, click here then click on “Start the Stations of the Cross” in the lower right corner.”
7. For Scriptural Stations geared toward youth, with examples from the lives of young people like “Maggie,” “Jeremy,” and “Leslie,” as well as the reflections on Jesus’ suffering and death, click here.
Traditional Stations on Video
8. “Experience the Stations” – traditional stations done on YouTube with video and musical accompaniment and reflections related to daily life today. Each station is done individually. After watching the introduction, the stations will follow, one after the other. Click here to begin.
Three-Minute Retreats /3 minutos de retiro
(Available in English and en Español)
Take a few minutes from your busy day for peaceful reflection and prayer. On the Loyola press website, a Jesuit ministry provides background music, a short Scripture passage and a reflection so that you can take the time to think and pray quietly for a few moments. Reflections are changed daily, with the most recent ones available if you wish to do more than one on a particular day.
For Longer Retreats….
Online Guides/Instructions for Longer Retreats
User-friendly instructions from Good Ground Press for adults and teens setting aside time within your busy schedule for a rereat over a period of days or weeks. Different retreats focus on different themes: Praying Always, Memoir Writing, Psalm 139 for teens, Ecology, Busy Person, Spiritual Journaling, Women of Prayer and Justice, etc. Click here for more information or to start your retreat.
Online Retreats from Catholics on Call
These are four-week long retreats geared particularly toward younger adults in their 20s, but useful for anyone trying to discern what God is calling us to do in our lives. Topics include Spirituality of Vatican II; Mystery Revelation in Faith: Hearing and Responding to God’s Call; the Lord’s Prayer — a Spirituality of Discipleship; and others.
Ignatian-Inspired Online Retreat from Creighton University
A 34-week retreat for Every Day Life available in Spanish amd several other languages as well as English. Directions are easy to follow even for someone who has never been on a retreat. This can be done by one person alone or by a group who get toegether once a week to share their thoughts and experience from the previous seven days. The English version also is available in audio for your MP3 player, computer or download on a CD.
Centering Prayer is a simple method of silent prayer, resting in the presence of God, open to the Holy Spirit, that provides a way for ordinary people to follow in the tradition of Catholic contemplative prayer.
Our Lady of Grace has an active centering prayer group that meets for silent prayer, generally followed by listening to and discussing a video talk on a topic related to prayer or the spiritual journey. Other prayer practices, such as lectio divina (prayer using the Bible), also are introduced. Information on centering prayer retreats and guest speakers provide additional opportunities for growing in faith.
The Wednesday 9 a.m. group is geared toward those new to the practice, while the Thursday 9 a.m. group is for those more experienced. Newcomers and visitors are welcome. Introductory one-day workshops with follow-up sessions are provided periodically and are very helpful but not necessary for those who wish to try this form of prayer.
You can learn more here about how to do centering prayer, and for more about the history of centering prayer, Frequently Asked Questions, Lectio Divina, and other resources (books, DVDs, workshops, etc., click here.
Our Lady of Grace Church has an active charismatic community that meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays for praise and worship. For more information go here.
How to say the Rosary (includes Rosary prayers in many different languages)
More about the mysteries of the Rosary:
The Story of Guadalupe (1531) (Queen of Americas Guild)
The Story of Guadalupe (1531)
The Story of Lourdes (1858)
The Story of Fatima (1917)
The Story of Medjugorje (beginning in 1981, continuing to present – 2014)
The Rosary at Our Lady of Grace Church in Beverly Hills:
Join us in Prayer:
- 3:15 p.m. every Saturday in Church
- After the 8 a.m. Mass Monday through Friday in Church (Note that the recitation of the Rosary is omitted after funeral Masses.)
- 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the grotto during May and October
How to make Rosaries for the missions