"The gate of the kingdom must be asked for by praying, sought after by living properly, and knocked at by preserving.”
— St. Bede, The Venerable
When I was 13 until I was ordained at 26, I worked at Marian Manor Nursing Home in Greentree, which was under the direction of the Holy Spirit Sisters. The administrator at the time was Sr. Mary Berchmans. I served Mass daily at 7:15 each morning. It was moving and touching to listen to the Holy Spirit Sisters pray the Divine Office each morning; their singing was angelic! I spent 13 years at that institution, working as a porter during my high school days, on the grounds and waxing floors during my college and seminary days, and spending much time working in the greenhouse with an 80-year-old man named Lawson. Looking back on it, I thank Sr. Mary Berchmans for helping nurture my discernment of a vocation. Whenever she was making her rounds to see how we were doing, she would privately take me aside and ask the inevitable question, "How is your prayer life going?" Sr. Berchmans asked this same question each time. It was more of a concern for her about my prayer life than any work I was performing or any task to be done on the horizon. She believed that our prayer life was central to everything in life -- centering the day on God, discerning to do His will, displaying a "Christ-like attitude," and being a blessing for others in letting His light shine into the world each new day!
Most of us learn the importance of prayer in our home. Prayer is a gift and it is basic to Christian spiritual survival. Authentic prayer is not a formula, style, type, ritual, or words, but an awareness of God’s presence. The fourth pillar of the Catholic Catechism is dedicated to a life of prayer. Prayer is the lifting up of our heart and our mind and our will to God. Prayer, like any discipline, must be practiced to be perfected. In Archbishop Anthony Bloom’s book, Beginning to Pray, he writes, "To fail to pray is to leave God our of our existence, and not just God, but everything God signifies for the world He has created, the world in which we live."
The Bible talks about praying in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). We need to pray in our work, in our relationships, and in our everyday lives. In Jim Castelli’s book, How I Pray, he tells the story of the evangelist Billy Graham who said of prayer, "I heard about a young president of an East coast company. He instructed his secretary not to disturb him because he had an important appointment. The chairman of the board came in and said, 'I want to see Mr. Jones.’ The secretary answered, ‘I’m terribly sorry, he cannot be disturbed; he has an important appointment.’ And the chairman became very angry. He banged open the door and saw the president of his corporation on his knees in prayer. The chairman softly closed the door and asked the secretary, ‘Is this usual?’ And she said, ‘Yes, he does that every morning.’ And the chairman of the board said, ‘No wonder I come to him for advice.’" Graham noted, "A prayer-less Christian is a powerless Christian."
It was a joy to welcome and baptize four new infants last Sunday here at St. Joseph and I stressed to the parents and those in attendance the importance of prayer throughout our lives. In the words of the late Pope John Paul II, "If you really wish to follow Christ, if you want your love for Him to grow and last, then you must be faithful to prayer. It is the key to the vitality of your life in Christ. Without prayer, your faith and love will die. If you are constant in daily prayer and in the Sunday celebration of Mass, your love for Jesus will increase. And your heart will keep deep joy and peace, such as the world could never give."
Fr. Michael Scanlon, TOR, in his book, Appointment with God, discusses the importance of making a "divine appointment" with God each day. Just like we would make an appointment for the doctor, the hair stylist, the auto mechanic, the workout facility, or a dinner date. We must make an appointment with God and be faithful to it. Prayer is a matter of "life or death." There are three important elements for an appointment for a healthy prayer life:
1) When are you going to meet? Early morning, mid-day, or evening? Where there is no unnecessary noise or interruptions?
2) Where are you going to meet? An environment needs to be conducive to silence and quiet.
3) With whom are you going to pray? Alone, an assembly, with the Bible, or reading spiritual giants of men and women saints through the ages?
We pray to adore God, to seek contrition from God, to give thanks to God, and to seek supplication from God. Prayer is the best prescription for daily discipleship.
