Common Questions

Are the prayer forms at a One Heart One Fire prayer group rooted in Scripture and Catholic Church Teaching?

Yes. We are faithful to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church and draw upon the rich tradition of prayer handed down to us by the Saints. Participants will learn to pray in an atmosphere that encourages openness to the Holy Spirit: His presence, actions, gifts, and fruits. The fundamental prayer of the Church is “Come Holy Spirit.” Without the presence, actions, gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit we have no experience or knowledge of God. Within this openness to the Holy Spirit, children/youth will experience the three core aspects:

A. Personal Prayer Time

The Holy Spirit's movement within and through Lectio Divina is at the heart of One Heart One Fire Ministries personal prayer time.

Our prayer group format contains the seven key principles of Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina means "divine reading" and is a way of praying the Scriptures the Church has encouraged for centuries. St Gregory the Great said it is a form of “learning God’s heart through the word’s of God - the scripture.” Lectio Divina means 'divine reading' and is a way of praying the Scriptures the Church has encouraged for centuries. St Gregory the Great said it is a form of “learning God’s heart through the word’s of God - the scripture.”

The seven steps of Lectio Divina are:

Satio - asking the Holy Spirit for guidance in understanding the word of God through the scripture;
Lectio - reading or praying over the scripture ;
Meditation – soaking in the scripture / entering into the passage, sometimes with our imagination;
Oratio – asking God what He wants to teach us through the scripture (here we allow God to speak and we listen);
Contemplatio – resting in God with a grateful heart for what He is sharing with us individually through His word ;
Collatio – sharing with others what God has shared with our hearts;
Action – Each individual has the opportunity to receive prayer for the grace to act on the word of God shared with their heart on that particular day.

Through the weekly process of listening to God’s voice in our hearts together, the children also learn tools for discernment. The tools we work with are based in St. Ignatius of Loyola’s rules of discernment.

Prayer groups periodically take the opportunity to encounter Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament through times of Eucharistic Adoration.

Click here for more information on our Adoration time

B. Communal Prayer Time

Worship through song
Sharing what God has placed on our hearts in small group discussion
Praying for others communally

C. Ministry time for one another

Intercession for others
Praying with one another

Within the structure of Lectio Divina we trust and depend on the Hoy Spirit to lead and guide our prayer time so that we might connect with God's heart and know Him more.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us: "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit." "God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!"' This knowledge of faith is possible only in the Holy Spirit: to be in touch with Christ, we must first have been touched by the Holy Spirit. He comes to meet us and kindles faith in us. By virtue of our Baptism, the first sacrament of the faith, the Holy Spirit in the Church communicates to us, intimately and personally, the life that originates in the Father and is offered to us in the Son. Baptism gives us the grace of new birth in God the Father, through his Son, in the Holy Spirit. For those who bear God's Spirit are led to the Word, that is, to the Son, and the Son presents them to the Father, and the Father confers incorruptibility on them. And it is impossible to see God's Son without the Spirit, and no one can approach the Father without the Son, for the knowledge of the Father is the Son, and the knowledge of God's Son is obtained through the Holy Spirit.” (CCC 683)

Praise and Worship: Is it appropriate to jump and dance in the church?

God made our bodies, minds, hearts, souls and spirits. We were made to know, to love and to serve him -not simply with our hearts, but with our whole selves (Mt 22:37). One definition of reverence is “deep respect for; regard or treat with deep respect.” Often silence is an assumed requirement for reverence. Being truly Catholic means we honor the spiritual inheritance of worship that has been given to us through the centuries. This inheritance of prayer includes worship forms that are both silent and joyfully expressive. A review of the early Church and the saints through the ages reveals many ways the Holy Spirit has expressed Himself within and through the entirety of one's person. The Blessed Sacrament is Jesus and the Holy Spirit leads us to worship Jesus in many ways, just like his first disciples. A time of prayer at One Heart~One Fire Ministries encourages young people to be open to how the Holy Spirit is leading them in their prayer time, and provides an atmosphere for that openness to God to be expressed in many ways in our times of prayer.

What is the difference between One Heart One Fire Prayer Groups and Faith Formation Classes?

One Heart One Fire Ministries are about prayer groups for young people. The hoped for fruit of One Heart One Fire prayer groups is a child’s deepened personal relationship with God and his/her faith community. Although aspects of catechesis are part of the overall prayer experience, the One Heart One Fire prayer group is not explicitly a space for catechetical instruction on every aspect of our faith. Therefore, the focus is not just the learning about God, but knowing God Himself, and allowing ourselves to be known by God. This leads one to friendship with God. The children are invited into silence where there is an openness in allowing God to love them and teach them according to the school of His heart. Hopefully, this friendship with God will make the rest of a child’s catechetical formation that much more appealing, desirable and relational.

What is the difference between this ministry and counseling?

This ministry is primarily a prayer group. The purpose is to lead children into deep heart to heart relationship with the Trinity through the power of the Holy Spirit. All baptized people are capable of leading others to Jesus. Because the ministry provides a safe atmosphere for children to experience God’s presence in and for them, it is possible that God will raise different hurts to be healed. The prayer group is not the space to enter into discussion or attempts to “fix” a child’s problems. It is merely a time to pray with and for the child, to assure them of God’s presence. If a child brings up something of concern, it should be brought to the attention of the prayer group’s core team. The core team will communicate the concern to the child's parents.

Will a child's prayer experience at One Heart ~One Fire Ministries be different than their family prayer time?

This will vary with each family and child. For some children, their experience at a One Heart~One Fire prayer group may be no different from their lived experience at home. Their time at the prayer group will simply compliment and support the family's faith life at home. For other children, they may experience God in new ways during the One Heart~One FIre prayer group. Some children, may fall in love with Jesus for the first time. Because of this, they may begin to desire to spend time with Him in the liturgy, adoration, scripture, prayer time at home, etc. The children/youth may ask for help to do those things, and sometimes may not have the words to articulate it well. Therefore, it is helpful for parents to ask them to share how they want to spend time with God that week, what help they may need in order to do this. Children/youth may want to share their deeper love for God with their family. Sometimes children/youth may be afraid to share their experience, concerned that their family may not understand. It is helpful when parents invite their children to share their prayer experiences. It is also encouraged for parents to occasionally join their children at their One Heart~One Fire prayer group.

When we allow God to love us, He does, and with His love comes more freedom in the Holy Spirit. Participants may begin to experience different gifts when they are taking the time to really rest in God’s love. The gifts of the Holy Spirit within the book of Isaiah are given for the deepening of an individuals faith. ( Is 11: 2 - 3) The gifts, or charisms, in the book of Corinthians are given to build up the body of Christ. (I Cor 12: 1 - 11) All of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are expressions of God's love for us. Your children may experience any of these gifts.