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2630 The New Testament contains scarcely
any prayers of lamentation, so frequent in the Old
Testament. In the risen Christ the Church’s petition is
buoyed by hope, even if we still wait in a state of
expectation and must be 2090 converted anew every day.
Christian petition, what St Paul calls ‘groaning’,
arises from another depth, that of creation ‘in labour
pains’ and that of ourselves
In the end, however, the Holy Spirit
‘helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to
pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us
with sighs too deep for ‘°4
The first movement of the prayer of petition is asking
forgiveness, like the tax collector in the parable:
‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!”It is a
prerequisite for righteous and pure prayer. A trusting
humility brings us back into the light of communion between
the Father and his Son Jesus Christ and with one another, so
that ‘we receive from him whatever we ask. Asking
forgiveness is the prerequisite for both the Eucharistic
liturgy and personal prayer. 2632
Christian petition is centred on the desire and search for
the Kingdom to come, in keeping with the teaching of
Christ.’07 There is a hierarchy in these petitions: we
pray first for the Kingdom, then for what is necessary to
welcome it and co-operate with its 1942 coming. This
collaboration with the mission of Christ and the Holy
Spirit, which is now that of the Church, is the object of
the prayer of the apostolic community. It is the prayer of
Paul, the apostle par excellence, which reveals to us
how the divine solicitude for all the Churches ought to
inspire e.’°9 By rayer every baptized person works
for the coming of the 2854
633 When we share in God’s saving love,
we understand that very need can
become the object of petition. Christ, who assumed 2830
e Father in his name.”° It is with
this confidence that St James d St Paul exhort us to pray
at all times.” Prayer of
Intercession 634 Intercession is
a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as esus did.
He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all
432 en, especially sinners.”2 He is ‘able for
all time to save those who
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