“I discover more and more each day my need for times of solitude in which I discover others with more truth and accept in the light of God my own weakness, ignorance, egoism and fear. This solitude does not separate me from others: it helps me love them more tenderly, realistically and attentively.” – Jean Vanier

As we struggle in life to find time for so many things, haste becomes our enemy as it creates so much stress, especially at this time of the year when holidays come to an end and normal life takes its course.

If we wish to become adult Christians, we have to deepen our roots and grow in our inner journey

We know from experience that we struggle to find time for prayer as we tend to be busy and forever pressured to do the next thing. Countless things seem to constantly conspire against our agendas and seem to sabotage our dreams.

When the Sisters of Mother Theresa complained how busy their lives were, she gave them a solution that only saints can come up with: an extra hour of personal prayer. Many would agree that taking time off is a need and that quiet time is a must for a healthy spirituality; but still, many feel lost at what to do in such moments.

Our island is filled with adoration chapels that offer oases of peace, but we lack spiritual masters who can help us to learn to pray and to grow spiritually in such places.

The first gift that a life of prayer gives is the ability to pause and take time to reflect. Throughout our life journey, some ‘pit stops’ are essential.

If we are serious about a commitment to prayer we must find a time and a place, a moment in our day where we can switch off mobiles, and free from gadgets, can face ourselves and our God.

Such moments give us the necessary space to breathe and to live not just as a reaction to circumstances but from a place where we make real choices that have been reflected and prayed upon.

A crucial element in prayer is silence: we shift from speaking to listening. Silence can speak more than words as it creates the right environment where change can happen.

These moments of silence lead us to the heart of personal prayer – the Word of God – without which, quiet time can hardly be called prayer. Listening to God’s Word does not merely give us food for thought but opens wide a real encounter with Christ.

The Word of God moves our silent, reflective moments from projections and introspection into movements of relationships and healings. When we listen intensely we can change profoundly, and if prayer means transformation, change must be its results.

It is no wonder that we as the Church fear such moments of silence, and silence is nearly inexistent in our faith celebrations.

If we really wish to become adult Christians, who live life as a vocation, we have to deepen our roots and learn how to pray and grow in our inner journey.

Prayer, like trees, needs time to grow and to produce the desired fruit. In his book The Wounded Healer, Henry Nouwen says:

“As long as you run from where you are and distract yourself, you cannot fully let yourself be healed, a seed only flourishes by staying in the ground in which it is sown. When you keep digging the seed up to check whether it is growing, it will never bear fruit. Think about yourself as a little seed planted in rich soil; All you have to do is to stay here and trust that the soil contains everything you need to grow.”

Trying to pray is, in fact, praying, so we should never give up trying!

Prayer, like Christian faith, by its very nature has an element of paradox. It’s a gift from God, but at the same time it depends on our openness to it. We all desire it but it is so difficult to actually find the time to make it happen.

It is a very simple, child-like attitude, but it requires an adult response. It is a simple, momentary presence which is a lifelong journey.

In the busyness of life, may silence speak to our heart and transform our lives into a prayer.

ciliamartin@hotmail.com

Fr Martin Cilia is a member of the Missionary Society of St Paul.

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