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<\/p>\nLENTEN RETREAT
\n Day 33<\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/p>\n
THOMAS <\/strong> Merton once said, “There\u00a0are a thousand ways to the<\/em> Way.” But there are some foundational principles when it comes to the structure of our prayer-time that can help us advance more quickly toward communion with God, especially in our weakness and struggles with distraction.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When we approach God in our time of solitude with Him, it might be tempting to begin by unloading our own agenda. But we would never do so if\u00a0we were to enter the throne room of a king or the office of a prime minister. Rather, we would first greet them\u00a0and acknowledge\u00a0their presence. So\u00a0too, with God, there is\u00a0a biblical protocol that helps us to place our hearts in\u00a0right relationship with the Lord.<\/p>\n The very first thing we should do when we begin to pray\u00a0is to acknowledge God’s presence. In Catholic tradition, this takes on various formulae. The most common expression, of course, is the Sign of the Cross<\/em>. It’s\u00a0a beautiful way to begin prayer, even when you’re alone, because, not only does it acknowledge the Holy Trinity, but it traces on our body the baptismal symbol of our faith that has saved us. (By the way, Satan hates the Sign of the Cross. A Lutheran woman once shared with me how, during an exorcism, a possessed person suddenly bolted out of her chair and lunged at her friend. She was so startled, and for lack of knowing what else to do, she traced the Sign of the Cross in the air in front of her. The possessed person literally flew backwards through the air. So yes, there is power in the Cross of Jesus.)<\/p>\n After the Sign of the Cross, you could say this common prayer, “God come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me.”<\/em> Beginning in this way acknowledges\u00a0your need for Him, inviting the Spirit into your weakness.<\/p>\n …the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought… (Rom 8:26)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Or you could pray this invocation, “Come Holy Spirit…help me to pray, with all my heart, all my mind, and all my strength.” <\/em>And then you could end your introductory prayer with the “Glory be”:<\/p>\n Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n What you are doing from the very start is placing yourself in God’s presence. It is like reigniting the pilot light of your heart. You are acknowledging\u00a0that “God is God\u2014and I am not.” It is the place of humility\u00a0and truth. For Jesus said,<\/p>\n God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n To worship Him in spirit <\/em> means to pray from the heart<\/em>; to worship Him in truth<\/em> means to pray in reality<\/em>. And thus, after acknowledging who He is, you should then briefly acknowledge who you are\u2014a sinner.<\/p>\n …when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or “out of the depths” of a humble and contrite heart? He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer.\u00a0<\/em>Only when we humbly acknowledge that “we do not know how to pray as we ought,” are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer.<\/span><\/strong> \u2014Catechism of the Catholic Church, <\/em>n. 2559<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Take a moment, call to mind any sins, and ask God’s forgiveness, trusting totally<\/em> in His mercy. This should be brief, but sincere; honest, and contrite.<\/p>\n If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. (1 John 1:9)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n …and then my brothers and sisters, leave your sins behind\u00a0without thinking of them again\u2014like St. Faustina:<\/p>\n … although it seems to me that You do not hear me, I put my trust in the ocean of Your mercy, and I know that my hope will not be deceived. <\/span><\/strong>\u2014Divine Mercy in My Soul<\/em>, Diary,\u00a0n. 69<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This first movement of prayer of acknowledging God and acknowledging my sin is an act of faith<\/em>. So then, following a basic structure, it’s time for prayer to move into the act of hope. <\/em>And hope is cultivated by giving thanks and praise to God for who He is, and for all His blessings.<\/p>\n I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:17)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So again, in your own words, you can briefly thank the Lord for being present to you and for the blessings in your life. It is this attitude of the heart, of thanksgiving, that begins to turn up the “propane” of the Holy Spirit, allowing God’s grace to begin filling your heart\u2014whether you are aware of these graces or not. King David wrote in Psalm 100:<\/p>\n Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise. (Ps 100:4)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n There, we have a little biblical protocol. In Catholic prayers such as the Liturgy of the Hours, Christian Prayer, <\/em>the Magnificat, <\/em>or other structured prayer, it is common\u00a0to pray\u00a0the Psalms, which means “Praises”. Thanksgiving<\/em> opens to us the “gates” of God’s presence, while praise<\/em> draws us deeper into the courts of His Heart. The Psalms are absolutely timeless\u00a0because David wrote them from the heart. <\/em>I often find myself praying them from my own heart, as if they were my own words.<\/p>\n …the psalms continue to teach us how to pray.<\/span><\/strong> \u2014Catechism of the Catholic Church, <\/em>n. 2587<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In this time of meditation, you might also read a page from one of the Gospels, Paul’s letters, the wisdom of the Saints, the teachings of the Church Fathers, or a section of the Catechism. At any rate, whatever you are led to meditate on, it is best to do it methodically. So perhaps, for one month, you will read a chapter, or part of a chapter of the Gospel of John. But you are not really reading so much as listening<\/em>. So even if all you read is a\u00a0paragraph, if it begins to speak to your heart, stop at that moment, and listen to the Lord. Enter into His presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n And, when the Word begins to speak to you, this can also be a\u00a0moment of an act of love\u2014<\/em>of entering then, past the gates, through the courts, into the Holy of holies. It\u00a0could simply be just sitting there in silence. Sometimes, I find myself quietly whispering little phrases like, “Thank you Jesus… I\u00a0love you Jesus… thank you Lord…<\/em>” Words such as these are like little bursts of propane that shoot the flames of love ever deeper into one’s\u00a0spirit.<\/p>\n < p align=”LEFT”>For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and love, embracing\u00a0both trial and joy.<\/strong> \u2014St. Th\u00e9r\u00e8se de Lisieux, Manuscrits autobiographiques, <\/em>C 25r<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Then, as the Holy Spirit moves\u00a0you,\u00a0it is\u00a0good to conclude your prayer by offering intentions to God. Sometimes we may be led to believe that we shouldn’t pray for our own needs; that this is somehow self-centered. However, Christ says to you and I directly: “ask, and you will receive.” <\/em>He taught us to pray for “our daily bread.”<\/em> St. Paul says, “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” <\/em>[1]<\/sup><\/a>Phil 4:6<\/span><\/span>\n
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