I pray – even when it is difficult – because I want to be a bride when I enter into the eternal Wedding Feast in my Father’s house… And for that to happen, first I need to get to know my Groom…
I have been thinking about prayer and praying over these last few weeks of lent.
The Catechism states that “prayer does not require wisdom or saintliness because it is for fools and sinners.” And this description of prayer has been very interesting to me.
You see, Saint Francis de Sales said, “There are many many souls in Heaven who committed many many sins, but there is not one soul in Heaven with the vice of pride. Likewise, there are many many souls in Hell who committed many many good deeds, but there is not one soul in Hell with the virtue of humility.”
And I have been reflecting on that while I reflect on the purpose of my prayer.
Saint Gregory the Theologian (also known as Gregory Nazianzen) said, “We must remember God more than we remember to breathe.” And prayer is the mechanism that we use to remind us of God! In fact, one of the saints once said, that if every person on the planet prayed for just for fifteen minutes a day, then this fallen world would be restored to Paradise!
And yet, so often, I get all tangled up with how to pray. What should I say or think or do while I pray? After all, I am a very flawed human being, who has no discipline at al and struggles to hold onto a single sensible thought inside my mind. And this causes me to ask myself how I could possibly pray to please my Blessed Lord? Saint Paul provides the answer very plainly, he said, “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (Romans 8:26). And it is through these wordless groans, that direct my wandering mind to one intention or another. And it is for this reason that I have nothing to fear, because though of myself I am nothing, the Holy Spirit makes some use of me – if only I submit my will to His.
In fact, there is nothing at all that I should fear at all because as Saint Faustina wrote in her Diary 146, “There is no soul which is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer.” And that Grace is such a wonder – such a gift to me – it makes ALL THINGS good, because it comes from the INFINITE GOOD!
And yet, how would I recognise that Grace in my life? And – more to the point – how would I recognise the Holy Spirit working in me? And the answer is very simple. You see, the answer is prayer.
Prayer is simply a conversation with God. And being a conversation, prayer is a way to get to know my Beloved more. And though sometimes this communication is difficult for me – because I am very flawed indeed, at other times, it is wonderous and easy. But whatever the case, it is NECESSARY for me to pray, because otherwise I shall be unprepared for the Wedding Feast in my Father’s House…
For my God has a covenant with me, just me – and He has one with you too. It is the NEW covenant – created through the Eternal Sacrifice of the Lamb of God – that SAVES me, because it causes me to become part of the family of God, through the SACRFICIE of God the Son Himself.
And this becoming part of God’s family occurs in much the same way as a marriage. You see, it is not merely a contract, but a complete acceptance of one person into the family of the other and vice versa.
And just as I need to prepare myself for marriage by first DATING my husband, so too do I need to PREPARE myself for the Wedding Feast in my Father’s House – for this covenant causes me to become part of God’s family. And that means that I must be prepared for that coming together – that eternal marriage...
And how do I prepare? I DATE! I simply DATE my Beloved, just as I DATED my husband before I married him. Because a date is simple a way to communicate with someone who we love to get to know and love them more. And just as it is with prayer – sometimes those dates are easy and nice with kissing and cuddles and nothing very stressful. And other times, there are disagreements and negotiations and information that we would rather not hear or deal with. But with the right person – with GOD – all tings can be resolved because they can all be resolved in HIM!
And so it is that I pray – even when it is difficult – because I want to be a bride when I enter into the eternal Wedding Feast in my Father’s house… And for that to happen, first I need to get to know my Groom…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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