Spiritual Growth Group

Prayer and your prayer life are essential to your spiritual growth. As Christians, we have as many prayers and formulas of prayer as there are Christians. Why? Well because God speaks and works in everyone's life differently. To learn to pray, one should be making use of all three forms of prayer - Vocal, Meditative, and Contemplative prayer (CCC 2700 to 2704) St. John Vianney's Spiritual Growth Group is a small group of souls who gather weekly on Tuesday nights at 7:30 pm., to explore communicating with God together in prayer. While the group makes use of all three kinds of prayer in its prayer sessions, it includes significant time for encountering God in the silence of one's heart. That time in contemplation is a time for practicing being fully present - in heart, mind, body - fully present in the now to listen with the ears of one’s heart for the presence of God. As a group, we use vocal prayers, meditations, Lectio Divina in various forms, centering prayer, and contemplative silent periods to encourage in us a listening heart that waits for God in the present moment invoking the power of the Holy Spirit in our prayer.  

Please consider joining us, and if you are so moved you can do this by contacting Cheryl Pilkington or Deacon Jim Caldwell by calling the SJV Office at 410-535-0223. 

Contemplation is the practice of being fully present—in heart, mind, body — fully present in the now to listen with the ears of one’s heart and to see with the eyes of one’s soul to God in the present moment. 

The Spiritual Growth Group is a small group of souls who come together in prayer and meditation encouraging each other and walking with each other in faithfully encountering God in the present moment. 

Goals or Mission of The Spiritual Growth Group: 

• To imitate Jesus’ being in the Father as the Father is in Him 

1 Peter 2:21 

‘For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps’ 

 Ephesians 5: 1-2 

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, 2and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.”  

• To trust God more and more 

Isaiah 12:2 

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”  

• To see life through the eyes of faith 

 2 Corinthians 5:7 

‘For we walk by faith, not by sight’ 

• To grow spiritually 

2 Peter 3:18 

‘but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.’ 

John 14: 20-21 

‘On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ... When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father. Whoever keeps My commandments is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me is loved by My Father, and I will love him, and My Father and Me will come and make our home with him’…