J.M.J. Recently, a friend asked if I would write the following regarding "prayer cenacles."
“The Cenacle” refers to the Upper Room
where Jesus ate The Last Supper with His Apostles, who often stayed in the
Upper Room when they were in Jerusalem. On the first Pentecost Sunday, God the
Father and God the Son sent God the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles who
were together in the Upper Room invoking the Coming of the Paraclete as
promised by Jesus Christ.
A “cenacle” is a place of prayer where
followers of Our Risen Lord Jesus Christ gather to assure Him of our love, to
adore Him, to praise Him, to thank Him, to ask His Blessings and to seek His forgiveness
and protection.
Many Catholics find “cenacle prayer,”
that is prayer in common outside of
the Holy Mass, to be a source of strength. The words of Jesus are very familiar
to us: “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they
ask, it shall be done for them by My Father in Heaven. For where two or three
are gathered in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Saint Matthew 18:19-20)
Prayer alone is very important. So is
prayer in common. We want—and need—God to be with us and to speak to us whether
we are alone or with others.
Experiencing cenacle prayer encourages
those who gather together to draw closer to God themselves as well as with the
group with whom they pray. And our prayer, be it personal or in common, is to
lead us to more frequent and worthy participation in the Holy Mass and in the
Sacraments of the Church.
Cenacle prayer also assists us in caring
for those with whom we pray . . . extending mercy to them . . . and lifting
them up to our Father, Who loves us and supports us in our joys and sorrows.
Cenacle prayer helps to transform us
into selfless, cheerful and charitable servants of Christ who express concern
for all who suffer and who engage in the Corporal and the Spiritual Works of
Mercy.
The Queen of Heaven is the Patroness of
all true prayer cenacles. She delights when we turn to her Son with confidence
in His love and mercy. May we pray always when we are alone and when we are in
common, for we are the sons and the daughters of the Living God Who calls us to
Himself. Oremus. Let us pray.
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Let us never forget to pray for all those who lost their
lives on September 11, 2001 and during the aftermath as well as for those who continue to mourn them.
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