Called to Pray

Catholic school teachers often ask for prayer resources they can use in the classroom. Award-winning theology teacher Justin McClain offers more than two hundred original prayers to meet those requests. This collection of short prayers is arranged by school-year-related themes and can be read by a teacher or student. It is filled with fresh, timely, and meaningful prayers that fit well into any classroom schedule.

Called to Pray: Daily Prayers for Catholic Schools is perfect for use with Catholic school students in grades five through twelve. The prayers are organized into six different themes:
·         special school occasions such as the first day of school
·         prayers for the school community, including administrators, teachers, coaches, support staff, and students
·         prayers for friends and family
·         holidays and observances such as Earth Day
·         liturgical seasons and holy days
·         general prayers for the school year

Four types of prayer are included throughout the book—adoration, contrition, petition, and thanksgiving. Some include class responses. Twenty one of the prayers were written by McClain’s students at Bishop McNamara High School in Bowie, Maryland. Traditional Catholic prayers also are included.

Justin McClain teaches theology at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland. He also has served as an adjunct lecturer in Spanish for the pre-college programs at the University of Maryland, College Park, and taught English as a second language at Prince George’s Community College. He received a Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching and commitment to Catholic education from the Archdiocese of Washington in 2017. McClain is the author of several books, including Called to Teach. He is a regular contributor to the National Catholic Register, Catholic Exchange, and the National Catholic Educational Association. McClain is a high school theology textbook author for Ave Maria Press. He was a consultant to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, Subcommittee on African-American Affairs in 2015. He is a lay Dominican.

“An invaluable and accessible tool to help principals, teachers, and staff to encourage and sustain daily prayer throughout the academic and liturgical year. In this treasury of prayers, Justin McClain offers to Catholic schools and families a spiritual tool to aid in the formation of the next generation of leaders, learning to pray as a means to growing in friendship with God.”
Cardinal Donald Wuerl
Archbishop of Washington

“Called to Pray is my ‘go-to’ resource for a variety of prayers for my middle schoolers. Time and time again I find appropriate devotions to use on a daily basis that the students relate to and appreciate. This digest can be utilized for any grade or subject. I highly recommend this topical prayer book that has become my favorite.”
Diana Brandt
Eighth-grade teacher
St. Angela Merici Grade School
Brea, California

“Catholic school teachers everywhere struggle with leading their students in prayer. Even those trained in religious studies are constantly searching for new ways to make communion with God more meaningful for young people. Drawing from his passion for Christ and vast experience as an educator, Justin McClain provides just what teachers need. Through Called to Pray, teachers and students will come to experience a more vital and personal relationship with the living and true God.”
Tim Kettenring
Department chair of theology and religion
Holy Cross School
New Orleans, Louisiana

 

“By the gift of the Holy Spirit, every baptized person is called to a life of prayer and communion with God in Christ. Catholic educators have a privileged opportunity to be models of prayer for the students entrusted to their care. This collection of prayers, crafted around the daily life of Catholic teachers, students, and school communities, is a great resource and guide for deepening the baptismal vocation to holiness that we all share.”
Most Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades
Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend

“It’s nice to be able to pray before any class period, no matter the school subject. Called to Pray is a perfect resource for offering a short, centering prayer.”
Alexandra Amodei
Science teacher
Brooklyn Jesuit Academy

“A ‘must’ for Catholic school teachers, campus ministers, and administrators. This valuable book is a great resource for making prayer an integral part of the day for students. The prayers are not only for theology teachers but also for all teachers who would like to begin their classes with a prayer. The book would also be an asset to religious education teachers. As a Catholic educator for more than forty years, a copy of Called to Pray is a welcome addition to assist in my ministry at school.”

Br. Michael Winslow, C.S.C.

Mission director

Holy Cross School of San Antonio

 

“Each day is a special occasion that calls us to prayer. Called to Pray reminds us that our call to daily prayer leads us to a greater understanding and appreciation of our relationship with our Lord. Whether we are students, parents, teachers, or administrators, the book is a powerful and enriching spiritual resource that serves as a guidepost in our walk of faith.”
Heather Gossart
Senior consultant and director of mentoring/coaching
National Catholic Educational Association

“Justin McClain makes the point beautifully that our common prayer in the school setting is what sets us apart and proclaims our faith in the risen Lord. McClain provides a treasure trove of prayers, for any and all occasions, feasts, celebrations, or simply for those moments that mark the passing of the hours of the day or the days of the week. It is truly a way for us to sanctify the days, weeks, and years we share with our students.”
Br. Thomas Dziekan, C.S.C.
Executive director of the Holy Cross Institute
Saint Edward’s University
Austin, Texas