The tradition of the Church s prayer has been enriched by the development of distinct but complementary spiritualities because they have sprung from the same Spirit. Within the Church s tradition of prayer we can speak of the Franciscan spirituality of St. Francis and St. Clare, the Dominican spirituality of St. Dominic, the Benedictine spirituality of St. Benedict, the Jesuit spirituality of St. Ignatius or the Vincentian spirituality of St. Vincent de Paul. The different schools of Christian spirituality share in the living tradition of prayer and are essential guides for the faithful. In their rich diversity they are refractions of the one pure light of Holy Spirit. The family is the first sanctuary of life and, as the church of the home, is the primary place for prayer for its members.
Children learn to pray from parents who pray.
The habit of daily family prayer keeps the focus of family life on what really matters, the family s relationship with God. The Catechism also highlights the role of bishops, priests and deacons as guides for prayer. As ministers of the Word of God they are responsible to form the faithful in the Church s tradition of prayer, to lead them to Sacred Scripture, the Church s liturgy and to the theological virtues all the wellsprings of prayer. This is both the right of the faithful and the duty of the ordained. Men and women religious, those who live the vowed life have consecrated their whole lives to prayer.