[attach id=272978 size="medium"]As people of faith we have to learn to be patient, until our hands are opened amid the threatening silence; until our heart is completely opened in peaceful silence.[/attach]
When we pray, we discover the grace of the openness in which God is given to us. It is the Lord who takes the initiative in this divine-human dialogue and relationship, and we tend to become deeply conscious of what happens to us in this experience rather belatedly.
Personal prayer expresses itself in an attitude of passive activity. We learn to live and cherish moments of silence, acceptance and hope. In this sharing of God’s life and gratuity, we find the much-needed and sought for compassion in prayer, fruit of spiritual experience.
Letting go of ourselves in our prayer life results spiritual liberation, even if it is sometimes painful. The key is to engage in a conversation with the Lord in a climate of a mutual relationship and deep desires.
In this way we come to possess more freely and intimately what we previously used to anxiously cling to, for fear of losing a treasure. Growing as a believer in deep personal relationship with the Lord is a personal grace to be deeply thankful for.
As people of faith we have to learn to be patient, until our hands are opened amid the threatening silence; until our heart is completely opened in peaceful silence.
Growing in prayer tends to centre more and more on the One who gives the gift rather than on the gift itself
Our modern culture does not help us understand that prayer is the fruit of interior silence, rather than the lack of exterior noises. We need to experiment with the silence of the heart.
A new spiritual discovery in prayer – more often present than we tend to imagine – is when the Lord enters the very centre of our being. We begin to see and to dare touch areas and events in our life of faith that previously we did not feel free enough or at ease with. This experience, lived repeatedly over time, confirms and determines our Christian vocation.
Authentic Christian prayer discovers that we are asked to invite others into our world and giving them a place in our lives, sharing our personal relationship with God in Christ.
This, of course, has nothing to do with manipulating.
In prayer, the gift is the life-breath of God, the Spirit poured out on us through Jesus Christ. Through the Incarnate Christ we can breathe freely again, and giving is receiving.
In the presence of the Lord, let us stand to be alone, with our eyes shut and sit calmly and quietly. This is being fully awake, following with close attention what is going on deep inside us. Thus, we go into the deeper waters of our soul, finding our way to our hearts.
Above all, prayer is acceptance. It demands the courage to accept acceptance, what we really are... limited, weak and sinful; and still with great desires to serve the Lord in our brethren. This is the way that prepares us to be open to the Lord’s gifts prepared for us disinterestely and given in unexpected times and events of our daily lives.
The great gift of the Incarnation of the Lord is that our prayer emerges in the midst of our lives, interwoven in our day-to-day lives, in our crosses and in our bright moments.
With the passing of time, we experience and learn to let ourselves be led in faith, without knowing where the Lord is leading us. Prayer in faith becomes our expression of hope.
Growing in prayer tends to centre more and more on the One who gives the gift rather than on the gift itself. It is prayer with hope against all odds and suffering, trusting fully that God is faithful.
Prayer comes to be indispensable for us. Without it we cannot live fully. Our relationship with the Lord leads us to the joyful discovery that we are only human and God is truly God.
edward.merciecasj@gmail.com
Fr Mercieca is a member of the Society of Jesus.