Catholic · Emmaus course
Drawn into Friendship: Catholic Prayer and Spiritual Growth
What if prayer stopped feeling like an obligation and started feeling like a conversation with a Friend who actually knows you?
What does it mean to pray — really pray — as a Catholic? In five accessible video lessons, Fr. John Bartunek, LC explores prayer as a vital and personal relationship with God, explains the structure and methods of mental prayer, guides learners through the classical degrees of contemplation, and shows how liturgical prayer completes and anchors the interior life. Practical, theologically grounded, and spiritually formative. Available at your own pace.
NBCC CE · 4 clock hours · Human Growth and Development (HGD)
With Fr. John Bartunek, LC
- Length
- 4 hrs
- Lessons
- 6
- Level
- Intermediate
- Version
- Catholic
- Price
- Free
About this course
Drawn into Friendship: Catholic Prayer and Spiritual Growth is a five-lesson online course taught by Fr. John Bartunek, LC — Legionary of Christ priest, author of The Better Part, and experienced retreat director. Drawing on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the writings of St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and St. Alphonsus Liguori, and the contemporary teaching of Benedict XVI, Fr. Bartunek presents a complete and practical vision of Catholic prayer accessible to parish learners and graduate students alike.
Lesson 1 grounds prayer in the Catechism's definition as a vital and personal relationship with God. Lessons 2–4 explore the definition, methods, degrees, and discernment criteria of mental prayer — including the Four Cs, the distinction between meditation and contemplation, St. Teresa's garden image, and practical criteria for evaluating spiritual fruit. Lesson 5 completes the course with a theological treatment of liturgical prayer as the communal, objective anchor of the Christian prayer life.
This course qualifies for 4.0 NBCC CE clock hours (Human Growth and Development, HGD content area) through Divine Mercy University's Life Long Learning Institute. Post-test (70% passing score) and participant evaluation required for CE credit.
Who this course is for
Committed Catholic Adults (Parish Track)
Active parishioners, Bible study or faith formation participants, people who pray a rosary or attend daily Mass but feel their prayer life is 'stuck' or lacking depth.
Mental prayer — the prayer that keeps all other prayer alive
Also for Graduate Counseling Students & Mental Health Professionals; Spiritual Directors & Directors in Training.
From the course syllabus
Drawn into Friendship: Catholic Prayer and Spiritual Growth is a five-lesson online course taught by Fr. John Bartunek, LC — Legionary of Christ priest, author of The Better Part, and experienced retreat director. Drawing on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the writings of St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and St. Alphonsus Liguori, and the contemporary teaching of Benedict XVI, Fr. Bartunek presents a complete and practical vision of Catholic prayer accessible to parish learners and graduate students alike.
Lesson 1 grounds prayer in the Catechism's definition as a vital and personal relationship with God. Lessons 2–4 explore the definition, methods, degrees, and discernment criteria of mental prayer — including the Four Cs, the distinction between meditation and contemplation, St. Teresa's garden image, and practical criteria for evaluating spiritual fruit. Lesson 5 completes the course with a theological treatment of liturgical prayer as the communal, objective anchor of the Christian prayer life.
Curriculum
-
Module 1
Drawn into Friendship: Catholic Prayer and Spiritual Growth
- 1.Lesson 1: What Is Prayer
- 2.Lesson 2: The Role of Mental Prayer Part 1
- 3.Lesson 3: The Role of Mental Prayer Part 2
- 4.Lesson 4: The Role of Mental Prayer Part 3
- 5.Lesson 5: The Role of Liturgical Prayer
- 6.Post-Test
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