Day 340: Scripture and the Liturgy

The tradition of Christian prayer is one of the ways in which the tradition of faith takes shape and grows, especially through the contemplation and study of believers who treasure in their hearts the events and words of the economy of salvation, and through their profound grasp of the spiritual realities they experience. CCC 2651

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses Scripture and the Liturgy in prayer. The former gives us sterling examples of how to pray, especially in praising God. While the latter gives us structure, but is itself prayer. In the Mass, we don’t just pray about Jesus, we pray with Him and in Him in Christ’s own self-offering to the Father. We see prayers of repentance, like the Act of Penitence, prayers of praise, like the Gloria, and, of course, the Eucharistic Prayer. Scripture and Liturgy are joined together in the Mass, with Lectio Divina as prayerfully reading and contemplating the Scriptures being part of the Church's life.

The Catechism Compendium summarizes the importance of Tradition in regard to prayer:

In the Church, it is through living Tradition that the Holy Spirit teaches the children of God how to pray. In fact, prayer cannot be reduced to the spontaneous outpouring of an interior impulse; rather, it implies contemplation, study, and a grasp of the spiritual realities one experiences. (#557)

The Catechism Companion Vol III has some good commentary on this:

It is the Holy Spirit who guides us to know what to do in prayer. Prayer is not merely an emotional outburst but must be chosen. We can study Scripture and how others have prayed, but we have to come to pray authentically and not merely imitate others. Scripture and the liturgy of the Church guide us in prayer... We should not simply read Scripture but also pray with it so it becomes a conversation with God... God also communicates with us through the sacraments and especially the Mass. (p. 196)