The School of Prayer

You may have heard Fr. Kennell use the phrase "School of Prayer" to describe the vision for our parish. It's not a class you sign up for. It's not a program with a start date and a graduation. It's something deeper, a way of understanding what we're doing here together and what the Lord is inviting us into.

A school is a place where you learn. Not just information, but formation. You show up, you practice, you grow. You don't arrive already knowing everything. That's the point.

The same is true of prayer. None of us have arrived. We're all still learning how to be with God, how to listen, how to stay when it's dry, how to return when we've wandered. A parish that calls itself a "School of Prayer" is simply acknowledging that this is what we're here to do, together.

Our Patron Shows the Way

St. John the Evangelist is called the "Beloved Disciple." At the Last Supper, he leaned on Jesus' chest. At the Cross, he stayed. At the empty tomb, he saw and believed. His Gospel is different from the others, more contemplative, more theological, more concerned with what it means to abide in Christ.

John didn't just follow Jesus. He watched. He pondered. He remained close.

This is the model of prayer our parish is built around. Not just saying prayers, but learning to remain in the presence of the Lord. Paying attention. Letting the mysteries sink in over time. Becoming, slowly, people who recognize him, in the Scriptures, in the Sacraments, in the silence.

Ora et Labora

There's an ancient phrase from the Benedictine tradition: ora et labora, pray and work. The genius of this motto is that it doesn't separate the two. It holds them together. We are not monks who can spend all day in chapel, but we are also not meant to live as if God were irrelevant to our Monday mornings.

The School of Prayer is about finding the rhythm. It's about building a life where time with the Lord isn't an afterthought but a foundation. This doesn't require hours of free time. It requires intention. A spiritual plan of life, even a simple one, can help. When will I pray? Where? What will I do when I miss a day?

The goal isn't perfection. It's presence.

A Place to Practice

One of the gifts of our parish is that the church is open. Most days, from early morning to evening, the doors are unlocked. The Lord is there in the Tabernacle, waiting.

This matters more than we sometimes realize. Having a place to go, a quiet place, a sacred place, makes prayer more concrete. You can pray anywhere, of course. But there's something about sitting before the Tabernacle, in the same space where the Mass is offered, that forms us differently.

On First Fridays, we have extended Exposition and Adoration. These hours are an invitation to simply be with the Lord. No agenda. No checklist. Just presence.

The Challenge

The greatest obstacle to contemplative prayer is not doubt or theological confusion. It's distraction. It's busyness. It's the phone buzzing, the mind racing, the schedule overflowing.

The School of Prayer doesn't pretend this isn't hard. It is hard. But it also insists that the struggle is worth it. The saints who went deepest with God all faced the same battle. They learned to return, again and again, to the Lord, not because it was easy, but because nothing else satisfied.

We're learning the same thing. That's why it's a school.

An Invitation

If you're new to the parish, or new to prayer, or returning after time away, you're welcome here. You don't need to have it figured out. You just need to show up.

Start small. Come sit in the church for ten minutes. Open a Gospel. Ask the Lord to teach you how to pray. He will.

And know that you're not doing this alone. The whole parish is on the same journey. We're all still learning. That's what it means to be a School of Prayer.