Prayer is not measured by time, but by desire.

 

 
Prayer is not measured by time, but by desire

At sunrise, the believer remembers Christ’s resurrection, the rainbow reminds him of God’s covenant with Noah, the little bird reminds him of God’s care for everyone. Illustration image: www.istockphoto.com

In the last two reflections on spiritual renewal, we clarified some basics of Christian prayer. If prayer for a Christian is truly an expression of his relationship with God — a relationship that includes the whole being of a person — then even prayer cannot be limited to an oral form.

Unbelieving people sometimes mock the

supposed superstition of Christians who recite religious texts while vainly imagining that someone can hear them. Has God answered someone’s prayer? And yet: God answers, even intercedes himself. After all, prayer outside is not just a one-sided effort and is not limited to what happens in the temple. GOD SPEAKS TO US EVERYWHERE

We know that no one can personify faith and God’s grace. God gives out of His mercy according to His will—abundantly, in due time. However, the supernatural action of God’s Spirit does not close its possibilities. Saint Paul very eloquently points out this fact in his Letter to the Romans when he talks about the Gentiles: “It is evident to them what can be known about God; God revealed it to them. After all, what is invisible in him – his eternal power and divinity – can be known by reason from created things since the creation of the world; so they have no excuse” (Romans 1, 19-20).

Every created thing speaks of its Creator. The beauty of nature, the night sky, the harmony of natural laws and the entire creation can appeal to a simple person and a scientist. But the believer sees even more: at sunrise he remembers Christ’s resurrection, a rainbow reminds him of God’s covenant with Noah, a little bird reminds him of God’s care for everyone. God created the world for man, and our joy and gratitude for him makes him happy as well and is a constant opportunity to pray — to raise our hearts to God.

THE PRACTICE OF SPIRITUAL READING

If created things can elevate us to the heavenly, then much more God’s revelation itself — especially that which we have captured on the pages of the Holy Scriptures and served in the liturgy. We can already find the practice of spiritual reading among the first pioneers of monastic life. It is the desert fathers who are important witnesses in this regard, since in their case reading the Bible did not have the aim of expanding knowledge or theological science, but served prayer supremely.

In inspired texts, God speaks to us and prompts us to respond. Similarly, the texts of the Scriptures themselves can be the place where the Christian finds the answer to his questions or the direct expression of his own situation, as is often the case in the Psalms and other wisdom texts. From there, it is only a step to the next form of prayer — meditation. CONTEMPLATION IN GOD’S PRESENCE

Contemplation consists in reflecting on a certain selected text. It can be a text of the Holy Scriptures, the work of a saint, or you can help yourself with a book containing prepared meditations. In some currents of spirituality, meditation is directly connected to broader methods that include oral prayer or concrete practice of virtue. The modern method of lectio divina, which can also be practiced in the community, is very popular nowadays.

All these methods point to the fact that the goal of meditation is not only a kind of acquisition of the text, intellectual enrichment or awakening of religious feelings, but its goal is to use human abilities so that the soul remains in God’s presence and our love for God grows together with its practical realization in normal life.

St. John Cassian (ca. 360-435), a monk and author of important works of monastic literature, presents in his conversation with Abba Isaac a method of simple prayer that can be practiced in any circumstances.

“If you want to always remember God, constantly repeat the following call: God, come to my help; Lord, hurry to help me! This one saying was chosen from the treasure of Holy Scripture not without meaning, because it combines all the situations that arise in a person, and it can be well used in every state of the soul and in every temptation” (Conversations X, 10).

Abba Isaac then presents all sorts of cases from everyday life, in which this prayer can be used and has its own meaning. In principle, it is a short prayer that uses a simple, easy-to-remember, short text that is always at hand. In the monastic tradition, this way of prayer developed into the doctrine of the prayer of the heart — a simple prayer that should accompany the monk constantly. The goal of prayer cannot be one’s own spiritual performance, but God’s closeness and a relationship of love, which will one day find fulfillment in eternity.

This prayer has acquired various specific forms over time, and in our environment it is known mainly from Eastern Christian spirituality, in the form of the so-called Jesus prayer, using the formula “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me”. In the Western tradition, there is a somewhat similar doctrine of the so-called gun prayer. Such a prayer can be repeated many times during the day and especially in situations where a longer prayer is not possible, such as situations of great mental tension, anxiety, and stress.

I give all these examples not because I want to point out the diversity of Christian spirituality, but rather to underline a very important fact: there is no one form or method of personal prayer that is suitable and effective for everyone and in every situation. Any convulsive adherence to some form of prayer regardless of external conditions, one’s calling, abilities or the fruit of the prayer itself leads to closing into certain schemes rather than to real communion with God.

If a person does not remain free in his relationship with God, begins to cling to external forms of religion or makes demands on God, he will not progress on the spiritual path

.CHERISH, TO GOD, NOT FORMS OF PRAYER The Holy Spirit is the spirit of freedom. If a person does not remain free in his relationship with God, begins to cling to external forms of religion or makes demands on God, he will not progress on the spiritual path. It is extremely important to leave God free to deal with man according to His purpose.

What does this mean in practice? First, it is important to know the calling that God gives me. If I am a monk, my prayer will also be a monk’s prayer, drawing on the long time spent in choral prayer, respecting the daily order of the monastery and other obligations resulting from the rule. If I am called to marriage, my relationship, and commitment to my husband or wife and everything that family life requires will be a priority for me.

Spouses cannot devote themselves to prayer as monks, but they can find a way of personal and communal prayer that corresponds to their state and vocation and respects the particularities of their vocation. Then when children enter life, it may seem that prayer suffers, but it is not so. Children are God’s gift, a sign of God’s will for spouses. Although there will be less time for prayer, and it may be necessary to look for new forms, but the relationship to prayer and God will not suffer as a result. On the contrary, it can deepen, develop in a new direction.

IT‘S NOT ABOUT PERFORMANCE, BUT ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP OF LOVE

Spiritual life is a journey that has its stages and lasts the entire time that God has allotted to us on earth. In some periods it will be more appropriate to pray in your own words, in others it will be necessary to help yourself with composed prayers. Sometimes contemplation will enrich the believer and lead him to good decisions and virtues. Other times it will be better to simply read, to let the inspired text work, but rational reasoning will not be necessary, or even possible.

 

 

 
 
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