To read Fr. John's 2008 Lenten articles click on one of the dates on the left hand side of this page.
Prayer
Some thoughts on prayer. Many people just want to be entertained in our media-blitzed society.
Laugh, relieve some stress, but don't get really involved with what is being presented.
Maybe that is the mindset we can come to church and prayer with. What good feelings
are in it for me but don't really make me get involved with Jesus. The whole point
of being a Christian, though, is to be involved in what Jesus is doing through prayer and
church. Union with Christ is the goal of prayer. How exciting is that- union with Christ!
Just stop for a while and reflect on what Jesus Christ is doing- all the time. Jesus, in the
Eucharist, is the source and summit of our lives. As source, he alone is the one who gives
us each and every ounce of love that we share in this world. As the summit of our lives together,
life cannot be better than when we are in union with him who loves you and me and all that is forever,
without end, amen! Think of the eternal goodness and beauty and mercy of Jesus who heals the lame,
makes the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the sinner set free and the dead rise to new life!
Ponder how he created beautiful you out of nothing, gave you a soul and has invited you to dine
at his banquet forever in heaven. And we are seeking union with all of that!
But prayer, i.e. seeking union with Christ, is gonna cost. We are going to have to change,
grow, renounce, sacrifice, stop indulging in sin, and seek to become holy. That is the GIG
(Grow in God). Remember, at the most fundamental level in seeking union with Christ, there
are two people- Christ and you. One needs to change and one does not. Guess who does not
need to change? You and I need to change in so many ways. And it is only through the teaching
and grace of Jesus that we can change and become like him. So, the question begs, are you
willing to change? Are you ready to give up doing things according to your will and way
and conform to the will and way of Christ? Whether it is pride, gossip, cheating, judging,
hoarding, lying, not praying, foolish priorities, using and not loving people,
unforgiveness/bitterness, etc. are you willing to confess that and, with the grace
of Christ, live in a new way?
In true prayer, Christ will show you changes you need to make and empower you to make them. Again,
ARE YOU WILLING TO CHANGE?
The battle is to pray or not. If you do not even realize you are in a battle,
then you are losing the war. What kind of union do you have with Christ? The
Devil is the Destroyer of Unity. Really, there is only one thing that the Devil
does not want you to do in your lifetime-to become united with Jesus in prayer.
The word "Devil" comes from "Diablo" which means to divide or separate. The Devil
wants to divide us from being united in God's love. Just look at divorce-that
is one of the main tactics that the Devil is using to keep us from being in union
with Jesus. Prayer is what keeps marriages together and makes them flourish.
One study showed that one in two marriages, on average, end in divorce.
One in five end in divorce where the family goes to church together regularly
and 1 in 1,000 where the family went to church together regularly and prayed
together regularly. See how important prayer is for love to last and bloom and grow.
We know that "A family that prays together, stays together." But a family that prays
together also flourishes because Jesus is infinitely flourishing in love and life and
mercy- all the time.
Dear fellow Christian, as a follower of Jesus above all else, you are called to pray each day. You are called to be holy and full of love (Eph. 1:4) just like Mother Theresa and Pope Benedict. No excuses for you not giving your total response.
How do I pray, you ask? You learn to pray by praying. There is no set way or duration
that works for all people. There are many types of prayer. The key launching point is to
have a prayer time each day.
How do I go about having a prayer time each day?
Make a specific time for prayer. It is the most important appointment
you write down in your book each day and you keep it. Set the time and be there.
Maybe start small (5-10 min) and grow from there. Mornings are best. Give God time when
you will be most attentive to his words for you. I pray from 6:30-8:00am each morning.
If we want love, unity and meaning in our lives, our greatest passion each day should be to pray.
Jesus rose early and went to a solitary place to pray-(see Mark 1:35-37). If the very tired
Savior of the world, after feeding and teaching and healing the multitudes, could get up
early and make that sacrifice, can you?
Make a holy place for prayer. No distractions, computers, phones and clutter allowed.
Maybe have a holy altar with a cross/candle/rosary/bible etc. book.
Types of Prayer
Praise-Just praise and thank God for his infinite goodness to us.
We who are weak are invited to live in the life of the all–powerful God.
When we praise God, our pithy selves stop being the center of our minds and
Jesus takes center-stage. His view is much better than ours. This allows
for his healing and will to take place in us. Praise him in joyful songs,
words and writing. Write down his goodness to you each day in your journal.
Listen-Who is the only person who has the words of eternal life?
(See John 6:68) Go there! It is, "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening" not, "Listen, Lord, your servant is speaking."
Especially, come before the Scriptures and Blessed Sacrament and ask the Holy Spirit to
bring them to life for you. Uncover the infinite mystery of God in the Bible!
Surrender-From the moment of our conception, we count on Jesus for life and
love and forgiveness and salvation. We, who are nothing, surrender ourselves to our
ever-loving and good God in prayer and he allows us to become perfected in his love.
Repent and know Forgiveness-Repent means to "turn back to God" for all the
ways you have turned from his ways. In prayer, relationships and in the
confessional, turn back to God and others for the ways you have not acted
according to his grace. Jesus forgives you for any sin-no matter how big
you think it is. Go to confession and learn you are FORGIVEN.
And then forgive those you harbor a grudge or even hate towards.
Forgiveness and becoming united with God and each other is the heart
of all that we are doing here on earth.
Pray for others needs (yours too!)-Jesus asks us to pray for all our needs-so
it is not selfish to ask for your specific needs. God answers prayers- sometimes it is, "No."
--It is my experience that we are heavy on praying for others and light on praising God
and listening. That puts us/our problems at the center of our prayers and that can be
awfully depressing. Let us pull out of our funk and put God in the center through
praising him and listening to him.
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