We often turn to God in prayer during times of illness, family trouble,
or when something in our life goes wrong.
Do we turn daily to God when everything is going well? In the monastery prayer is part of the entire
day. All monks have work to do, but whether
they are in the field, or on the computer, or in the work shop, when the bell
rings they stop and come into the chapel and pray. Most of their prayers are based on the
psalms, and over a three week time they will have sung/chanted all the
psalms. There is also a gospel reading,
sometimes a homily, but also prayer.
We perhaps are not
quite as willing or able, depending on our jobs, to stop everything and
pray. And yet, we seem to have time to
get a cup of coffee or a drink of water while we are at work. The time spent on the way to the coffee
machine or water cooler would be enough to say a Hail Mary or The Lord's
Prayer. We must wonder if we were given
ten fingers so we could pray the rosary in the car or on a walk.
Prayer doesn't have
to consist of written prayers, or those we have memorized as a child. Prayer, after all, is talking to God as
though He were present (which He is), or as though He were our friend (which He
is), and as though He loved us (which He does).
Prayer should come from the heart, sharing our small victories and being
sorry for our failures. God is
everywhere; He knows our thoughts, so we might wonder why we should bother to
tell Him anything. Just as a loving
relationship lacks intimacy if the words "I love you" aren't said but
only assumed, our relationship with God remains flat, ungrowing, if we don't
communicate with Him.
The catechism says,
"Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God." Saint Therese of Lisieux described prayer as
"a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven; it is a
cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." We are asked to pray always. When asked how
he prayed, Thomas Merton said, "I breathe."
A favorite, yet
very simple prayer, is "Good Morning God".
You are ushering in another
day/untouched and freshly new/ and so I come to ask You God/ if you'll renew me
too./ Forget the many errors/ that I
made yesterday,/ and let me try again, dear God/ to walk closer in the
way..../But, Father, I am well aware/I can't make it on my own,/so take my hand
and hold it tight/for I can't walk alone." kvs
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