Our journey through the Catechism concludes with a study of the “one thing necessary” (see Luke 10:42): the “vital and personal relationship” of prayer (CCC ¶ 2558). In this final semester, students will be introduced to the mystical life. We will examine the tradition of prayer in the Old Testament, study what our Lord taught and modeled about prayer for us, and explore the different kinds of prayer in the age of the Church. The semester concludes with an in-depth consideration of the seven petitions of the Our Father – what St. Thomas Aquinas called “the most perfect of all prayers”. Thus our climb up the Ladder of Ascent in the Catechism brings us to the summit of resting “in the presence of the thrice-holy God and in communion with Him” (CCC ¶ 2565).
