I have always been able to pray, but until a few years ago, I discovered that I didn’t know how to pray. Raised Catholic, I knew the basic prayers of our faith: the Our Father, the Hail Mary, Glory Be, and a few other staples.
I prayed the Prayer of Saint Francis while a college student at Siena University, a Franciscan school. While in Ireland visiting my brother who was studying abroad, I learned to pray the Saint Patrick Breastplate. But those were reserved for “special occasions.”
After attending a retreat, I realized I really was missing out. There are so many daily moments where prayer can be a gift. It can be uplifting for someone else, or for the world.
As Saint Augustine said, “Prayer is the raising or turning of
the mind to God by means of loving and humble acts of affection.” Prayer is a
personal text or email or call with Jesus…it can be as long or as short as you
need it to be. It can be formal or informal; it can be in thanks, in request,
or for forgiveness. It changed the way I view my life, my family, and my faith.
Prayer in the Catholic Tradition is ancient and powerful—it
is often what turns ordinary people into saints and sinners into servants of
God. It turns lives around and comforts those who grieve or are afflicted. It
grants us serenity to know God’s plan and his unbounding love for us. I was
under the mistaken impression that prayer needed to be a formal litany of
well-written prose that was at least one hundred years old (or more) and used
flowery language. But since that retreat, I realized I was very
wrong. And now I pray in every moment that I can. With a full-time job, a demanding teaching
schedule, a family, and church obligations, it can be a struggle—but if I
can do it…anyone can!
A simple prayer is usually the only thing that God wants to
hear from us. He wants us to attentive, “in the moment,” with Him and just be
ourselves. My favorite prayer is a simple one—one that can be said anywhere, at
any time: “thank You Lord for this blessing” and thank Him for whatever is
happening. I also say, “I’m sorry Lord…” a lot. “Please forgive my fault and
failings this day…” is another way I end my evening prayer before I go to bed.
Praying in the morning can be tough sometimes, but there are so many options now with technology that it can be very helpful. A friend who travels frequently downloaded an app for his phone that allows him to say the Rosary (he said having Rosary beads on an airplane can cause some alarm for some people). He plugs in and turns to Jesus.
I also download the daily readings from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which helps focus my thinking, learn the Scriptures, and give me a good way to start the day. It also contributes to my ability to focus my prayers as I drive. Speaking of driving, I try to say a quick prayer when I see an accident or a stranded vehicle. I ask the Lord to be with them in their struggle.
When Jesus faced major obstacles, challenges, or had
questions, he prayed. In the garden of Gethsemane, in the temple, and before
Judas betrayed him. Using prayer to discern the Holy Spirit’s path for us is an
amazing and commanding technique that gives us the confidence to act on God’s
will for us. In discernment, one of my friends had a
powerful physical reaction to praying before the Blessed Sacrament. Being
attentive to God’s word and what He wants from us is a beautiful way to pray,
clearing our head and our heart to make the right decision.
Prayer also doesn’t need to be spoken, or even done at
Church. Sometimes I pray while I wash the dishes, or at my desk at work. I keep
a few prayers in my desk drawer and in my briefcase, in case I go “dry,” that
is, I can’t come up with a prayer on my own, but I know someone has the right
words.
Having a good book of prayers can be another great source of inspiration. I personally love the book published by University of Notre Dame, “Lead Kindly Light.” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also puts together a terrific volume of prayers called “Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers.” I also collect prayers when I find them, especially short prayers by Saints.
But there are many options out there—and the
best one is the Holy Bible, the Word of God Himself. It is a beautiful
way to pray, meditate on the meaning of God’s Word through Jesus, and how we
can humble ourselves for Him. After all, that’s exactly what prayer is—a humble
conversation with our Lord.
The Catechism reminds us that the prayer Jesus taught us
during the Sermon on the Mount (the “Our Father”) requires us to have a
conversion of heart in our conversation. We pray for our enemies, our
persecutors, those we have wronged, those who are homeless, hungry, sick and
mentally ill, and prisoners. They all need our love, prayers, and support in
order to turn their lives around. We can help convert them through our own
daily conversion in prayer.
So, the next time you’re stuck, or angry, or grieving, or
depressed, or happy, or joyful, or excited, or relieved, say a quick prayer.
Pray in any moment you can, and you will suddenly find yourself more mindful of
others, a better parent, spouse, employee, servant-leader, community member,
and Catholic.
Prayer doesn’t cost anything other than an open heart, a
willingness to listen to the Holy Spirit, and less than 15 seconds. Pray in
every moment and you’ll find yourself walking with Jesus, side-by-side, in life
and facing every day with love.
In the words of the poet Dylan Thomas, “I got into bed. I said some words to the close and holy darkness, and then I slept.”
May we all be close to the holy as we pray in word and deed, awake and asleep.
Photo: Saint Francis in Prayer (c. 1630). Jacob Pynas (Dutch, 1592/1593 - after 1650)
Getty Museum. Public Domain
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