តាមពេលវេលានិងការរំខាន

ជួលឡើងវិញ
ទិវា 35

OF ជាឧបសគ្គមួយក្នុងចំណោមឧបសគ្គធំ ៗ និងហាក់ដូចជាមានភាពតានតឹងរវាងជីវិតផ្ទៃក្នុងរបស់មនុស្សម្នាក់និងការទាមទារខាងក្រៅនៃវិជ្ជាជីវៈរបស់មនុស្សម្នាក់ ពេលវេលា។ ខ្ញុំមិនមានពេលអធិស្ឋានទេ! ខ្ញុំជាម្តាយ! ខ្ញុំមិនមានពេលវេលាទេ! ខ្ញុំធ្វើការពេញមួយថ្ងៃ! ខ្ញុំជាសិស្ស! ខ្ញុំ​ធ្វើដំណើរ! ខ្ញុំបើកក្រុមហ៊ុន! ខ្ញុំជាបូជាចារ្យដែលមានព្រះសហគមន៍កាតូលិកធំ… ខ្ញុំមិនមានពេលវេលាទេ!"

A bishop once said to me that every priest he knew that had left the priesthood, had ដំបូង left his life of prayer. Time is love, and when we stop praying, we begin to close off the “propane” valve of the Holy Spirit that fuels the flames of both love of God and neighbour. Then the love in our hearts begins to cool, and we begin a sorrowful descent toward the earthly plane of worldly passions and inordinate desires. As Jesus said,

They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. (Mark 4:18-19)

And so, we must resist this temptation មិនមាន អធិស្ឋាន. At the same token, how much time we spend in prayer has to suit our state of life. Here, St. Francis de Sales offers some timeless wisdom:

នៅពេលដែលព្រះជាម្ចាស់បានបង្កើតពិភពលោក ទ្រង់បានបញ្ជាឱ្យដើមឈើនីមួយៗបង្កើតផលតាមប្រភេទរបស់វា។ ហើយសូម្បីតែដូច្នេះ ទ្រង់បានដេញថ្លៃគ្រីស្ទបរិស័ទ — ដើមឈើរស់នៃសាសនាចក្ររបស់ទ្រង់ — ដើម្បីនាំមកនូវផលផ្លែនៃភក្ដីភាព ម្នាក់ៗតាមប្រភេទ និងវិជ្ជាជីវៈរបស់គាត់។ តម្រូវ​ឱ្យ​មាន​ការ​អនុវត្ត​ការ​លះបង់​ខុស​គ្នា​របស់​មនុស្ស​ម្នាក់ៗ—ពួក​អភិជន សិប្បករ អ្នក​បម្រើ ព្រះអង្គម្ចាស់ អ្នក​ស្រី និង​ភរិយា។ ហើយលើសពីនេះទៅទៀត ការអនុវត្តបែបនេះត្រូវតែត្រូវបានកែប្រែទៅតាមកម្លាំង ការហៅ និងភារកិច្ចរបស់បុគ្គលម្នាក់ៗ។ ខ្ញុំសុំសួរអ្នក កូនរបស់ខ្ញុំ តើវាសមទេ ដែលប៊ីស្សពគួរតែស្វែងរកដើម្បីដឹកនាំជីវិតទោលរបស់ Carthusian ? ហើយប្រសិនបើឪពុកនៃគ្រួសារមួយមិនគិតពីការបង្កើតសម្រាប់អនាគតជា Capuchin មួយ, ប្រសិនបើសិប្បករបានចំណាយពេលមួយថ្ងៃនៅក្នុងព្រះវិហារដូចជាសាសនាមួយ, ប្រសិនបើសាសនាពាក់ព័ន្ធនឹងខ្លួនគាត់ក្នុងគ្រប់មុខជំនួញក្នុងនាមអ្នកជិតខាងរបស់គាត់ជាប៊ីស្សពគឺ អំពាវនាវ​ឱ្យ​ធ្វើ តើ​ការ​លះបង់​បែប​នេះ​មិន​គួរ​ឱ្យ​អស់​សំណើច ខុស​ច្បាប់ និង​មិន​អាច​អត់​ឱន​បាន​ទេ? -សេចក្តីណែនាំអំពីជីវិត devout, ផ្នែកទី ១, ក្រុមហ៊ុន Ch ។ ៣, ទំព័រ ១០

My spiritual director once said to me, “What is holy is not always holy for អ្នក។” Indeed, the one true and infallible path of holiness is the ឆន្ទៈរបស់ព្រះ។ That is why we must be careful to discover, with God’s help, our own particular way to នៃ Way when it comes to the interior life. We should imitate the virtue of the Saints; but when it comes to របស់​អ្នក prayer life, follow the Holy Spirit who will lead you down the path most suited to your present state of life.

In this regard, how do we deal with interruptions and distractions នៅក្នុង one’s prayer-time, especially as parents with small children, or when the phone rings, or someone shows up at the door? Again, follow the infallible path of the will of God, the duty of the moment, the “rule of love.” That is, follow ព្រះយេស៊ូ។

…he withdrew… in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. (Matt 14:13-14)

Of course, we should do our best to choose a time when we will most likely មិនមាន ត្រូវបានរំខាន។

The choice of the time and duration of the prayer arises from a determined will, revealing the secrets of the heart. One does not undertake contemplative prayer only when one has the time: one makes time for the Lord, with the firm determination not to give up, no matter what trials and dryness one may encounter. -ធម្មទេសនានៃវិហារកាតូលិក n ។ ៦៧

When we are alone with God, we should keep distractions like cellphones, email, television, the radio, etc. at bay. But if a diaper needs to be changed, or if your spouse calls for help, or a friend knocks at the door needing to talk, then recognize the face of Jesus in them, coming to you in the disguise of another’s poverty, another’s need. Generosity in this moment will only serve to increase the Flame of Love in your heart, not dispel it. And then, if possible, return again to your prayer and finish it.

Isn’t it comforting to know that Jesus was also distracted by others? When it comes to the difficulties in prayer, we មាន a Lord who totally understands.

ដោយសារតែខ្លួនគាត់ផ្ទាល់ត្រូវបានសាកល្បងតាមរយៈអ្វីដែលគាត់បានរងទុក្ខគាត់អាចជួយអ្នកដែលកំពុងត្រូវបានសាកល្បង។ (ហេ។ ២:១៨)

Of course, the most difficult if not painful aspect of prayer is the ផ្លូវចិត្ត distractions that assail us as we try to pray, whether privately or at Mass. These can be either the manifestation of our own passions, or temptations from the powers of darkness. How to deal with them is often not to deal with them at all.

The habitual difficulty in prayer is distraction… To set about hunting down distractions would be to fall into their trap, when all that is necessary is to turn back to our heart: for a distraction reveals to us what we are attached to, and this humble awareness before the Lord should awaken our preferential love for him and lead us resolutely to offer him our heart to be purified. Therein lies the battle, the choice of which master to serve. -ធម្មទេសនានៃវិហារកាតូលិក n ។ ៦៧

Here is the key: it is possible to pray, even in the midst of distractions, because our “secret” place of meeting with the Lord is in the depths of the heart. Let them knock at the door… just don’t open it.  It is possible, too, to “pray always”, even when we can’t pray in solitude, by doing the duty of the moment—even the smallest of things—with great love. Then your work becomes a prayer. Servant of God Catherine Doherty said to parents in particular, 

Remember that when you do the duty of the moment, you do something for Christ. You make a home for Him, in the place where your family dwells. You feed Him when you feed your family. You wash His clothes when you do their laundry. You help Him in a hundred ways as a parent. Then, when the time comes for you to appear before Christ to be judged, He will say to you, “I was hungry and you gave Me to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me to drink. I was sick and you looked after Me.” -ឪពុក​ម្តាយ​ជាទីស្រឡាញ់, ពីប្រតិទិន“ គ្រានៃព្រះគុណ” ថ្ងៃទី ២៤ ខែមីនា

That is, how could He say you neglected to be with Him in prayer, when you were in fact caring for Him?

So, even if the cold winds of distraction blow against the ‘balloon” of your heart, they cannot penetrate the interior, which remains still and warm—unless you let them. And thus, sometimes prayer, seemingly tossed about by these winds, can remain fruitful by simply keeping the “pilot light” of desire lit, a desire to do His will in everything. And so, we can say to God:

I want to pray and reflect, Father, but a great throng is at the door of my heart. So right now, know that I love you, and place my mere “five loaves and two fish”—that is, my desire—in the basket of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, that you may multiply them according to your good will.

One cannot always meditate, but one can always enter into inner prayer, independently of the conditions of health, work, or emotional state. The heart is the place of this quest and encounter, in poverty and in faith. -ធម្មទេសនានៃវិហារកាតូលិក n ។ ៦៧

ការសង្ខេបនិងការគូសវាស

The time we devote in prayer should be in proportion to our vocation. The distractions we endure are an opportunity to prove our love for the Master.

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. (Matt 19:13-14)