Traditional prayer and praying "in the Spirit"

As a Catholic, you may have had the experience of being told that our devotional prayers like the Memorare are lacking something, they are memorized, and they aren't from you; and that spontaneous prayers that come from your heart are better. Unfortunately, this is a view from ignorance that  lately, even some well-meaning Catholic Charismatics believe. Is it "superstitious" to pray a certain number of repetitions when we pray? Doesn't the Bible tell us not to pray vain repetitions? Isn't it better to pray "in the Spirit"?

Let's take a brief look at our traditional Catholic prayers and why it is valuable to continue in our practice of praying them.

Those old-fashioned prayers that are memorized and recited by Catholics are powerful and they are theologically sound. They have an amazing history to them as well. And they have been approved by the Church. Catholics have devotions for Mary and the saints because over the centuries, miraculous events have been attributed to them. These are the main reasons that they are prayed and passed down from generation to generation. We pray traditional prayers because it works!

The Memorare, for example, has an awesome history of miraculous intervention by the Blessed Virgin Mary. It brings healing and the conversion of sinners as we trust and rely on our Blessed Mother to intercede for us. Accounts of St. Francis de Sales, and Father Claude Bernard, who popularized the prayer, can be read at the link. Check the original sources there at the bottom of the page for additional reading.

It is always a good thing for us to pray for one another. At the same time, this doesn't mean that we shouldn't avail ourselves of the holy saints and angels who are there for us. Spontaneous prayers are great to pray, and Catholics do pray these prayers, too. Yet when somebody prays memorized devotional prayers, it does not mean that the person does not pray from their heart. No, it is just the opposite, for the devotee finds it so dear that it is given a regular place of importance in the Catholic's life. And lastly, even Jesus prayed the same prayer three times for the cup to be taken away from Him by our Heavenly Father. Clearly, our Lord has no problem with repeating prayers. Let's just remember, that when we pray, we likewise agree to accept that God's will be done in the matter, as Jesus did in His repetitious prayer. It is the Son of God Who taught us to pray The Our Father, and The Lord's Prayer, which is not spontaneous, is repeated to this day by all Christian denominations.

Treasure the tried and true. Remember that when we pray traditional Catholic prayers given to us by our Church, we can be sure that we are truly praying "in the Spirit" for it is the Holy Spirit Who guides our Church. So come on, and pray the Memorare with me, with love from our hearts: