The Value of Prayer - Fifth Entry

The pattern of coming to know someone and falling in love is followed by acts of affection. Similarly, if we really know and love God, then we would want to be obedient to him as his servants. We want to please him. The failure to pray demonstrates that we do not love God as we should.

There is an expression, “To know him is to love him.” There is some truth to this, but we should not underestimate the hardness of human hearts. God is all good. He is Love personified. Nevertheless, the pattern witnessed in the Cross is revisited in the lives of those called to be his children. He offered forgiveness, and Pharisees and scribes plotted his death. It is a terrible tragedy that we take for granted what God has done for us. We could never merit such as Savior as Jesus, and yet knees remain unbent and voices cry curses instead of prayerful salutations. As a remedy, prayer keeps the lines of communication open and helps to keep us orientated toward the Divine Mercy.

It is true that you cannot love one you do not know. But, complicating matters further, knowing someone can also dismiss ambivalence for hatred. The devil with all his angelic powers and knowledge still rebelled against God. Evil is real and it poisons the person. Anyone can be seduced by iniquity. Authentic prayer helps us to remain in God’s good graces. We know God, not simply in a textbook way, but in a personal and dependent manner. Yes, he is a Trinity—three Divine Persons in one Divine Nature. Yes, Jesus is the God-Man. We can know “what” God is. However, more importantly, we should know in faith and prayer “who” God is—loving Father, blessed Savior, and nurturing Spirit. Jesus is related to us as a spiritual brother and we are adopted sons and daughters in faith to the heavenly Father. The relationship to the Lord and to one another is what makes all the difference.

Some people pride themselves in their memorization of Scripture verses. And yet, the devil could also quote Scripture. The Pharisees knew the old law, practiced all the rubrics of their religion and were true leaders to the Jewish people, and yet Jesus called them blind guides, whitened sepulchers, and dead men’s bones. Great theologians might know all about God and yet a poor peasant in some third world country saying his beads might better know God. No one, no matter whether a bishop, priest, religious or lay person can truly claim to know God if he or she fails to practice personal prayer.

Modern life has become very busy. When asked about prayer, many people contend that they want to pray but do not have time. All the same, they find time for questionable novels, listening to secular music, and watching off color television programs. It does not jive. We make time for what we want to make time. Prayer and the spiritual reading that goes along with it are given a low priority.

A prayerful woman whose son became a priest told me that she prayed every morning for about half-an-hour, beginning at 5:00 PM. I asked, why so early? She responded that it was the only quiet time she could find for herself during the day. Once her husband and children were awake, the noise level throughout the house would rise and constant demands were placed upon her. She was a dutiful wife and mother and did not want to neglect her family. Consequently, she began to rise earlier to claim thirty minutes, not simply for her own mental health, but as a gift to God. She would go to her favorite chair, maybe read a few verses from her bible, and then pray. Her rosary was a staple in her life and she often resorted to it. She would also thank the good Lord for another day and lay before him the concerns and needs of her family. It was a beautiful witness, starting every day with Jesus. Now that she has passed away, I suspect that she spends the eternal day of heaven conversing with the Lord to whom she found an abiding friendship.

Another acquaintance was an elderly black woman who did washing and general laundry and cleaning for others. Her days were long and in her later years she found herself responsible for the welfare of her grandchildren. She did not complain but always thanked God for his goodness to her. She would often sing hymns while she worked. All day long you could hear these wonderful songs of divine praise from her lips. It was if she carried her “Church” with her, everywhere she went. It was her way of praying unceasingly.

I recall another person who constantly used short aspiration prayers, like “Lord, have mercy” and “Jesus, Mary, Joseph save souls!” Asking about this, he shocked me by saying that his wife got him doing it when she was alive as an effort to replace his constant cussing. Evidently, he had quite a temper and would unthinkingly let loose with bad language. His wife demanded that he stop and said that it was no way for a supposed Christian gentleman to act. Anyhow, she introduced him to assorted short prayers and he substituted them instead. Curses had been replaced by blessings.

The believer prays when and where he can. If you have a long commute, you can get a ring rosary and say this wonderful prayer as you drive to and from work. Ideally, it is still preferable to find a quiet place where you can pray. Praying with others has great value, as well, but should not replace private prayer. We can pray at home and at work, but when possible, nothing matches a chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. A Holy Hour allows us to encounter the presence of God in prayer and in the sacrament of the altar. We can truly say that Jesus is in our midst.