Extracted from
Living the Gospel with Our Lady 
"Spiritual Exercises" based on the Weekly (Thursday) Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje
A Programme for Renewal and Evangelization
by Msgr. George Tutto
1991
 

The Feast of All Saints is a fitting occasion for our Blessed Mother to call us to a deeper commitment to shared prayer in the family or in groups.  It covers not only the Rosary Devotion, but also other forms of shared prayer, that is, we should pray together as much as possible.  The Communion of Saints reminds us that we belong to each other.  We are helped by the intercessions of the saints in Heaven, and we are helping with our prayers the 'saints' in Purgatory and the 'saints' on earth as St. Paul tells us: "Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all God's holy people" (Ephesians 6:19).

In modern times 'base communities,' especially where the Church has been under persecution, have proved to be ideal structures to unite people in prayer and love.

The above considerations are good and valid reason for more joint prayers in the family, and also for the formation of prayer groups, Rosary groups, house groups, etc.

SUGGESTIONS FOR A PRAYER GROUP MEETING

Once asked by Father Vlasic through Jelena about prayer groups in the parish, our Blessed Lady replied: "Yes, there is a need for a prayer group, not only in this parish (i.e. in Medjugorje), but in all parishes.  The spiritual renewal is necessary for the entire Church."

In the course of 1983, our Blessed Lady invited the young people of Medjugorje through Jelena to form a prayer group and promised that she would give them rules to follow and she would guide them in their spiritual lives.  Her invitation was primarily directed at young people, but she also said, :"Everyone who wants to participate in this programme can, at least, follow it in part."

Our Lady's rules for her prayer group include heavy demands on their time and stamina:  prayer for at least three hours every day, fasting twice a week on bread and water (Wednesdays and Fridays), doing penance and self-denial for special intentions, renouncing many things, and putting themselves totally in God's hands in complete trust.  Our Lady is still guiding her prayer group through the two young girls with the gift of 'Interior Locution,' Jelena and Marijana, and it is hoped that one day Our Lady's programme for prayer groups will be published.  In the meantime, in the light of the published messages of Our Lady and of interviews with members of her prayer group, we have some basic ideas for the formation of a prayer group and some structure for a prayer meeting.  One can hardly expect that everyone would be able to fulfil all the rules guiding Our Lady's prayer group, but it is important that all members of a prayer group who are inspired by Our Lady's guidance in the spiritual life are sincerely trying to live up to the ideal.  A weekly prayer meeting cannot replace the individual member's efforts in striving for personal holiness.  On the other hand, the personal spiritual life of each member can only strengthen the spiritual effectiveness of the group witnessing for Christ within the larger community of the parish  (Cf. 1 Corinthians 12:7).

STRUCTURE OF A PRAYER MEETING

The structure of a prayer meeting can vary according to its purpose, people involved, and according to different spiritual movements (e.g. Charismatic, Padre Pio, Rosary, etc. Prayer Groups).  Here I am suggesting a particular structure for a prayer meeting which somehow corresponds to the ideas proposed by our Blessed Lady through her guidance for her own prayer group.  These ideas indicate a kind of prayer meeting which is Eucharistic in character, following more or less the structure of the Holy Mass:
1.  Repentance and Reconciliation.
2.  Intercessions.
3.  Praise and Thanksgiving.
4.  Blessing.

HOLY SCRIPTURE has a very important part to play since prayer includes also listening to God, and hence SILENCE, silent reflection after reading a passage from Scripture should be an integral part of a prayer meeting.  Texts from Scripture could be used at any stage of the above structure.