a) Why do Altar Servers need to pray?
To pray is to talk with God our Father. Being a true son of God, an Altar Server strives to love and serve him not only during the Mass and other Church celebrations but at all times. He tells God about his activities, his joys and sorrows, his successes and failures, ambitions and weaknesses. He thanks God for all that he has given him, asks pardon for his sins, and asks God to help his family and his friends.
Our body cannot live without eating. Similarly, our soul cannot live without “spiritual food.” Prayers are “food” for our soul. They strengthen and enable us to do God’s will in the different moments of the day.
b) How do we do our prayers during the day?
First of all, it would be very helpful for an Altar Server to make a list of prayers that he already does. Then, following this booklet and asking advice from his parish priest, he may complete his list little by little, indicating, if possible, a fixed time and place everyday for each prayer. It is best to distribute the prayers throughout the day, instead of grouping them in the same hour.
An Altar Server, knowing that he is talking with God, should pray with devotion, avoiding unnecessary distractions, such as laughing, playing or talking with other Altar Servers. This way, he becomes a good example for his friends, and also avoids disturbing them in their prayer.