Words of Wisdom from the Young Adults Conference

Catholics On Call hosted its first Young Adults Conference this past August. Forty-three men and women spent a week at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago where they heard renowned speakers offer insights on listening for God's call and had an opportunity to meet other peers asking similar questions about vocation. Presentations from the conference will be posted as they become available.

The Dynamics of Prayer by Robin Ryan, CP

Grace as God’s Self-Communication to Us
Before we explore the details and mechanics of prayer, it is important for us to take a few minutes and think about the foundations of prayer. What I am talking about here is really the theological foundations of prayer, though that phrase sounds s bit “heavy.” Think of it in terms of this question: what is it that we believe as Christians that gives us confidence that we can actually talk to and listen to God? What is it that lies underneath our prayer? What are the central convictions of faith that move us to approach prayer with confidence?

I think that the most fundamental answer to those convictions is our belief in grace. We believe that God is a gracious God. The story of salvation cherished by Christians tells us that God gives of Self as one to be known and loved. As Catholics we believe that creation itself is a gift of God. This vast and mysterious universe is the good gift of a good God. We also affirm that grace is a kind of “second gift.” Having created us, God could, theoretically, have remained distant from us. But we know from the Scriptures that this was never the case. We know that from the very origins of human existence God entered into covenant with men and women. God was always acting to draw us into relationship with Himself.

You can download the rest of Robin Ryan's talk here.