Deepening Our Relationship
I was given a gift recently of Bishop Barron’s book, An Introduction to Prayer. I read it over Christmas and found it clear, concise, and inspiring. It is a small book and a relatively “easy read”. As he begins, Bishop Barron states “My hope for this little book is very simple: that it might lead you on the road to prayer; that it might teach you something about prayer; and that, most importantly, it might prompt you to pray.” I heartily recommend it to all.
Prayer is one of the “pillars of Lent”, along with fasting and almsgiving. In the gospel for Ash Wednesday, Jesus tells us, “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you” (Matt. 6:6). But how do we begin to pray and how do we keep at it with our full and sometimes frenetic lives? In his book, Bishop Barron quotes these encouraging words from St. Josemaría Escriva “You say you don’t know how to pray? Put yourself in the presence of God, and once you have said, ‘Lord, I don’t know how to pray!’ rest assured that you have begun to do so.” In other words, all we really need to do is start.
Decades ago, a spiritual director said to me “I don’t care how busy you are, make time for prayer. God is waiting for you.” At the time, I worked at a Catholic parish. I knew that it was important that I was connected to God in my ministry, but my spiritual director’s words motivated me to take time, before my work day began, to be with God in an even more intentional way. I admit that I didn’t fully know what I was doing or what I was supposed to experience, but I trusted my spiritual director and believed that this practice would deepen my relationship with God. It truly has! Over time, I have come to relish this time of prayer. It is such a gift to me. I feel God’s love for me and for others much more profoundly. I also experience God’s grandeur and might. I want to trust God with every breath I take and to serve God and God’s people in ways I can. Like anyone, I fall short, but God’s love is there for me, helping me get up and continue on the path.
Bishop Barron’s book contains descriptions of many treasured prayer forms – contemplative prayer modeled by holy people; liturgical prayer: the Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, the Creed; devotional prayer: Holy Hour, Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Jesus Prayer (“Lord, have mercy on me a sinner”); and scriptural prayer: Lectio Divina, Our Father, Psalms, and De Profundis, prayer when we are in the depths of despair. Bishop Barron doesn’t create a hierarchy of prayer. He doesn’t suggest that one prayer form is better than another. All have the potential to deepen our relationship with God and make us better Catholic Christians.
A poem by David Whyte begins this way: “Start close in. Don’t take the second step or the third. Start with the first thing, close in, the step you don’t want to take.” These lines always invite me to begin somewhere with any choice - step by step, moving forward, even when I feel hesitant or afraid or just “too” busy. And with prayer, I know I can’t go wrong. God is waiting!
Kate Piderman