How do you pray?
If you believe a Divine Being guides your life, how do you connect with it?
I grew up in a tradition that emphasized formulaic prayers, and there were many of them, for what seemed like any occasion.
Formulaic prayers do have their place.
If they didn’t, there would not be a Book of Psalms in the Christian Scriptures. Various other religious traditions also use mantras and prayers to connect with the Divine.
Said with intention over time, these prayers sink deep into our bones and marrow, and when crisis strikes, it is these prayers we learned as a child to which we turn.
They become a part of the fabric of our being, and remain a primal connection to the divine when all else fails.
I cannot even describe how comforting it was for my mom and I to pray the Rosary at my dad’s bed side the day he died ... “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us now and at the hour of our death ... ” Not only was it comforting; I felt touched by transcendence. There was a power in that room, in praying with those beads – practiced over the decades of our lives – that I cannot explain.
And, I challenge you to say otherwise when a patient with dementia, long gone mentally to their family and loved ones, can pray the Rosary with no hesitation.
However beneficial these prayers might be in some situations, we can and must evolve into a more intimate exchange with the One “in whom we live and move and have our being.”
Many reading this might be surprised to learn relationship between our souls and their Originator is meant to be one of intoxicating, holy love.
Check out the mystics of long ago, whose lives were turned upside down by the experience of that Love consuming their bodies, minds and spirits. “The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa,” a sculpture by Bernini is intended to illustrate this reality.
These moments of feeling that unadulterated connection – as beautiful as they are – are fleeting, this side of the veil. But they do remind us there is a reason we grasp for That Which is Beyond Our Understanding. And they give us enough of a motivation to continue seeking it.
Our ordinary lives are played out in the midst of work and family obligations, and the messiness of existence that can sometimes entail. And we all know our daily lives usually don’t give us the opportunity to experience these ecstatic moments, unless we are cloistered in a monastery somewhere.
Saint Paul encourages us to “pray without ceasing.” The best way to do this, in my experience, is to pray for and develop an awareness of the all-encompassing Presence of God in our world, and in our lives.
This Presence is everywhere and in every particle of being.
And yet, this Presence is silent. It does not speak to us in the way we are used to speaking to one another. Because it is silent, agnostics and atheists argue it does not exist.
But as St. John of the Cross wrote, “Silence is God’s first language.”
So it stands to reason that we can develop our capacity to commune with the Holy One through regular periods of silence, where we allow the needs and desires of our hearts to cry out to the Sacred Heart, which envelops us.
During these moments of silence, we learn to pour out our hearts. With practice and grace, we CAN pray without ceasing, heart to Heart, in the midst of our daily lives. We do this by sharing with that Sacred Heart what is on our hearts, while we clean, transport kids to and from school and other activities, mow the lawn, or any number of other things.
For more insight into this practice, “The Practice of the Presence of God,” by Brother Lawrence is a good place to start.
Your prayer life can, and should, be more intimate than the bond you have with your partner, your spouse, your best friend.
As a matter of fact, it is this intimate prayer bond with your Creator that holds the seeds to a deeper and stronger bond with your loved ones.
So, what are you waiting for?
Start now, even if it feels awkward.
Start now.
- SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact Jerrilyn Zavada at jzblue33@yahoo.com to share how you engage your spirit in your life and community.