How's Your Prayer Life

by Mike Hey

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”

I’ve got to admit it guys, mine is kind of dry sometimes. While I do not normally make New Year’s resolutions I have reflected on what I would like to do in 2017 to be a better Catholic. Praying more intentionally and fervently heads my list.

We’re all busy. We have responsibilities and duties that fill our days and crowd our minds and hearts. They stretch us and keep us on the go. In the midst of this reality, how are we to preserve and nurture a spiritual life? How are we to prevent our souls from being casualties to our life’s activities? In summary, how are we to stay close to the Lord in our everyday lives? How are we to pray when prayer becomes dry and challenging?

Some might respond that we need a quiet life, solitude, and set times for prayer in order to grow spiritually. This may be possible for some of us, but probably not the majority of us. How about this: Seek to quiet some of the things we do; instead of complete solitude, we need to look for solitude within our hearts and where we might be able to find a few minutes to be alone; instead of set times for prayer, we should look for zones of prayer that acknowledge our legitimate duties and gives the flexibility we need to find time to pray.

“What am I supposed to say when I pray?” When we pray, we can say whatever we want. There is no such thing as a bad prayer. When we begin to pray, the most important thing is just that we are praying.

To help us when we begin to pray, we can do what we do best in our fallen nature; namely, we can just complain! We can open our hearts and just let God know about our struggles and disappointments. As our habit strengthens, we can change our complaining into thanksgiving and gratitude. We can thank God for all his blessings. Eventually, our five minutes can become ten minutes. We can pray for family and friends. We can pray for special intentions of the Holy Infant Prayer Group. We can pray for teachers, who have such an instrumental role in fashioning the intellect, ethics, and character of young people. We can pray for our government leaders because they need all the help they can get! Most importantly we should remember to pray for the souls in Purgatory, the sick, dying, poor, homeless, and those who are marginalized by society. Don’t forget to ask for a small measure of grace and forgiveness for yourself. Now pause and let God speak to you. In forming our habit of prayer, we begin to deepen our understanding that prayer is about relationship and covenant, and not about a “to do” list for God. We begin to see that prayer is about asking God what he wants from us, and not asserting what we want from him.

In time, our ten minutes can become fifteen or twenty minutes and then we can begin to use different prayer forms from the Church’s spiritual treasury (Holy scripture, CRHP (March 25-26, 2017), PX90, Eucharistic Adoration, daily Mass) to help us deepen our prayer and more clearly hear the Lord speak to us.

“What can I do when prayer gets really difficult?” When our prayer life becomes dry, it’s important that we understand what is happening. Some might think that when prayer becomes difficult or dry, that they are doing something wrong, have offended God in some way, or something in that arena. This is especially true if we have experienced spiritual consolations and the joy of prayer. The hardship of prayer can come as a swift and firm lesson. What is happening in these moments? What is God doing? Have I lost my mojo?

This part of the spiritual life is known as the purgative way. The expression reflects the reality: we are being purged in these dark times of prayer. God is removing the consolation and teaching us to love him for himself and not for the blessings we receive from him. As St. Theresa of Avila, the great Doctor of Mystical Prayer, teaches us, “We worship the God of consolations, not the consolations of God.” In the purgative way, God has moved from “soul triage” to “soul surgery.” In this process, he is teaching us dependency and trust.

We should not be afraid of these moments. Even as we wrestle, the spiritual masters teach us that God is closer to us in our purgation than in our times of consolation. God is doing more in our souls than we could ever imagine. Our task is to persevere and let God work.

The purgative way usually concludes with an illumination of some form. The Lord imprints knowledge within us in a profound way. This could include a mystical awareness of love, mercy, hope, healing, or other areas that we need in our discipleship. After this illumination, the purgative way begins again and the process continues within us leading us from “glory unto glory” (John 1:16).

Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

God’s blessings to you and your family this Christmas, and to a happy, healthy, prosperous, and prayerful 2017.

Mark

In "Mark," my annual Christmas story, there is always an element of non-fiction ...  Enjoy.

Mark

“A retribution hearing will convene one month from today, January 20^th.  This session is closed.”  Judge Torrez rose from behind the polished walnut bench and descended into her chambers.

         Inhaling deeply, I hoped air might flush antagonizing investigations, briefings, and hearings from memory.  The outcome as we’d calculated before an investigation was ever initiated deserved no celebration …   Legal counsel reaffirmed I’d retain earnings and options as Zenastech Pharmaceutical’s CEO.  Though lawful, our business practices were indicted erroneously as greed by those lacking knowledge as to what we do for our world’s shareholders.

         Financial analysts and market watchdogs filed into the grand ornate hallway.  Attorneys closed their routine.  Ambushed by my daughter, a Chicago University senior, impeded my escape expecting an explanation. 

         “I can’t believe you artificially, no not artificially, excuse me, ‘intentionally’ inflated existing drug pricing 40%.  And then … Zenastech can’t even produce its own cancer drugs.  You hostilely take over other drug patents and then jack treatments up $120K to over a quarter million for a single patient.”

         I hated puppy dog eyes.  She didn’t understand. Pharmaceuticals don’t make undue profits. 

Advent Waiting

Waiting….anticipation….expectation…hoping

In my life I think I have experienced at least 2 distinct forms of waiting. The first I relate more with anticipation. In our early years, as my wife and I began to settle in to our life together, there was an anticipation surrounding our desires to start a family. After we confirmed that Karen was pregnant, we knew that in 9 short months by God’s grace our longings would be fulfilled. In the cauldron of emotions that were stirring within us as we waited, fear of the unknown was definitely one of the ingredients, yet its effect was subtle and constrained under the overwhelming hope and confidence we had in what the future held for us. It was anticipation…

The second form of waiting I know too well is that of wanting badly a certain outcome to a situation. The key difference between the first form described above and this form can be summed up in the words ‘wanting badly’. When I was waiting to hear back from the doctor after the biopsy performed on my prostate, I wanted badly for the diagnosis to be benign. When my son was in need of a kidney transplant, and the days and months went by as we watched his health fail, I wanted badly for a donor to come forward and provide a kidney. This form of waiting has its own cauldron of emotions, with similar ingredients, but in much different proportions. The presence of fear is palpable, present in much larger doses, while confidence is barely perceivable. Things are questioned that before were seemingly solid. Walls and foundations built up and crafted over years and years can suddenly tumble in a day…

As I think of Advent and its focus on waiting, the person of John the Baptist naturally comes to mind. From what I can discern in the scriptures, he also experienced both these forms of waiting. His first encounter with Jesus was from the womb, as he leapt from the excitement. From then on he held onto the anticipation of what the future held, the coming of the Messiah. When Jesus came out to the Jordan to be baptized, John knew the moment had come, calling him the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. He then witnessed the Holy Spirits coronation of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.

Yet as the readings from this past Sunday recount, John seemed to also experience the 2nd form of waiting. The event he was waiting for - along with all the other disciples - the outcome he wanted badly was the earthly reign of Christ. As he waited for this to happen, and experienced roadblocks both public and person, doubt settled in. Alone in prison and facing an uncertain future, John seems to have lost his foundation, and questions the legitimacy of Jesus as the Christ.

This thought gives me great comfort. If John the Baptist - someone who Jesus says “among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist” – if he experienced these fears and doubts, my own moments of disbelief and misgiving are understandable.

The question is, where will I put my hope when these moments come? Jesus says to John, as he says to us, to listen to his words and believe in the acts he has performed. This is where we must place our trust. Easier said than done…especially in times of waiting…

Uncertain times ...

We live in uncertain times …

Many centuries of war and division introduced the infant Jesus to Israel.   Shepherds knelt to angels’ proclamations.  A star cast light on a crowded Bethlehem and a lowly manger, but King Herod schemed to massacre all male infants and toddlers.  A new mother, Mary, cradled her promised Son, but nobody told her she’d cradle his tortured, broken body after those he served condemned him to death.  Wise men would seek her and Joseph, bear gifts, share joy, and tell of a king plotting to kill their infant son.  Potential violence threatened the lands of Bethlehem.

The Kingdom is a place of beauty, peace, and hope against history’s darkness, daring us to build it up.  If men and women act as predators, the kingdom will cease to happen.  If the lambs, our poor, unfortunate, and weak must run and hide from … rather than lay with …  the lions, then the hunt or the threat thereof will never end.

*A father contemplates all the dreams he’s cherished as he carries his dying daughter to rest with the assistance of a volunteer.  Too many young lives are lost in acts of violence and war. 

Ponder - The angel said to him: “Do not be frightened, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth shall bear a son whom you shall name John.  Joy and gladness will be yours, and many will rejoice at his birth; for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord.”  Luke 1:13-14

Many fathers gather to dance with their daughters on an exceptional, special evening!  Who knew they were going to be God’s princesses!  … thy will be done …

*A drug-overdosed father shoots and kills himself and two of his children ages five and nine-months.  His three-year-old daughter survives but loses her hearing.

Ponder - But now you will be mute – unable to speak—until the day these things take place because you have not trusted my words.  They will all come true in due season.  Luke 1:20

After a cochlear implant, a deaf father hears his seventeen-year-old daughter’s tearful, joyful voice for the first time.  … thy will be done …

*After her fifth child, she was beaten by her husband.  Rather than remain, she fled with her children and none of their belongings to start a new life in low income housing.  She lacks employment, housing, medical care, education, food, childcare, and utilities.

Ponder - Joseph her husband, an upright man unwilling to expose her to the low, decided to divorce her quietly. Matthew 1:19

Two children attend university.  Two have graduated and are thriving.  Money is tight at home, but all of the children are returning home to visit over the Christmas season.  The gifts they know are each other together!  … thy will be done …

*A police officer and father of two was shot and killed while attempting to settle a domestic abuse incident. 

Ponder - When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb.  Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice: “Blest are you among women and blest is the fruit of your womb.”  Luke 1:41-42

Despairing the loss of their sons drawn into unjust civil war, women of a village in the Congo gather to agree to withhold sex from their spouses and all men until the men stop the senseless killing.  … thy will be done …

*Russian troops invade Ukraine seizing territory and impose Russian rule.

Ponder - Fear descended on all in the neighborhood; throughout the hill country of Judea these happenings began to be recounted to the last detail.  Luke 1:65

New president wins upset election in Gambia.  He pledges reform, releases political prisoners, and welcomes home exiles and refugees.  … thy will be done …

*The voting majority wants cap on food stamps lowered.  A young girl is evicted from a shelter purchased by a speculator for development.  The girl is expecting her third child with a second father.  Education appears out of reach.  Support for her other two children is waning while medical care is very limited at best.  Her father is non-existent while her mother is exhausted of caring for her.

Ponder - She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, … Luke 2:7

A once 27-week-old preemie celebrated his 7^th birthday!  Father and son are going fishing!  … thy will be done …

*A mother of teenage girl suffering high anxiety attempts suicide.  Emergency officials evict the two from the condemned housing in which they’re living.

Ponder -  … because there was no room for them in the place where travelers lodged.  Luke 2:7

Sleeping in cardboard boxes, retired men sleep join homeless living on the street.  Friends and family pledge thousands of dollars for teen shelter.  … thy will be done …

*Melting glaciers, draughts, poor air quality, contaminated water ravage our ecosystem.

Ponder - There were shepherds in that locality, living in the fields and keeping night watch by turns over their flocks. Luke 2:8

Kenyan women plant 47 million tree seedlings while women of India establish a National Park to preserve nature’s beauty and her creatures.  … thy will be done …

*With a spouse needing heart surgery, a woman, 42, suffering lung cancer cannot afford health services.  She and her husband have two children in high school.

Ponder - Then they opened their coffers and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Matthew 2:11

A twelve-year-old girl knows a wrapped gift for her is her new sweater.  It also matches an ornamental request on the giving tree.  She sacrifices her gift and places it beneath the giving tree.  … thy will be done …

*A grim-faced policeman cradles the lifeless body of a toddler, a refugee washed ashore after drowning in search of a home.

Ponder - They received a message in a dream not to return to Herod, so they went back to their own country by another route.  Matthew 2:12

People worldwide donate food, clothing, and toys filling warehouses during the holidays.  … thy will be done …

* Mortars destroy Syrian homes taking the lives of many.  A father rushes his family to flee.  So urgent is the need to save his wife and children, he abandons cash he earned and stashed in the walls of their home avoiding the corruption of the country’s banks.  Penniless, he joins millions of others fleeing to neighbors who will not open their borders.

Ponder – “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt.  Stay there until I tell you otherwise.  Herod is searching for the child to destroy him.”  Matthew 2:13

Millions support doctors from Catholic Relief Services, Hope, and Doctors Without Borders entering over-populated refugee camps delivering vaccinations, eye drops to prevent infant blindness, and to provide basic health care.  … thy will be done …

*Armed gunman shoots way into Sandy Hook elementary school massacring little children.

Ponder - He ordered the massacre of all the boys two years old and under in Bethlehem and its environs.  Matthew 2:16

Pakistani girl shot in the head for going to school survives!  She drives out Taliban and brings education to her village. … thy will be done …

*Rwanda, Sudan, and many others governed with dictators have repeated some form of the Holocaust among their people.

Ponder - He heard, however, that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea, and he was afraid to go back there.  Matthew 2:22

A father and daughter join volunteer engineers and spend valuable vacation time designing and constructing a well bringing living water to an enthralled community!  … thy will be done …

*Another teen committed suicide following cyber bullying.

Ponder - “This child is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed and you yourself shall be pierced with a sword – so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare.”  Luke 2:35-35

Newly graduated young people barely making a living wage volunteer to work as house parents for nine special needs adults in independent living.  … thy will be done …

*Disillusioned young people strap explosives around their waists, walk among a peaceful crowd, and detonate themselves killing and maiming many. 

Ponder - “Son, why have you done this to us?   You see that your father and I have been searching for you in sorrow.”  Luke 2:48

A Florida boy calls 911 to invite ‘police, firefighters, and ambulance drivers’ for Thanksgiving supper.  Overwhelmed, they accept.  … thy will be done …

Uncertain times …?

Three times during the nativity journey angels proclaim, “Do not be afraid!”  … to Zechariah, to Mary, and to the shepherds in the field.  Jesus during his public life will proclaim it several more times.

… much to ponder …  thy will be done ….