BEING AND BECOMING PRAYERFUL (8)

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

(Psalm 46:10)

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence and Solitude; to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well…

Our last meditation was on Prayerfulness as an inner disposition, a disposition of heart and mind that longs for God’s will. Prayerfulness is an impelling desire for God and God’s ways in all aspects of our life.

To pray is to open ourselves to the Father so that our entire life – from the seeking of daily bread to the transformation of the world – is filled with God’s will and purpose.

Jesus taught his disciples to begin prayer by giving honor, glory and praise to the name of God: “Holy be your Name” – May your name be holy! The name means much more than a word that identifies a person. The name means the whole character of a person, the mind and heart of a person as it is revealed and known.

Reverence to God must be first, before all else. God’s name: God’s character, the mind, the will and the heart of God must be reverenced and honored first.

The first “three” petitions are about reverence for God – holy be your name; your kingdom come; your will be done.

God first. All other things will then fall in their proper places.

Prayer should not be our attempt to bend God’s will to our desires – but must be a surrender of our will

to Gods’ will – bringing our will into harmony with God’s will.

Surrender as a virtue is difficult for all people to understand and to practice. The word surrender is often confused with giving up.

Surrender is not a word often associated with positive actions. After all, “surrender in the name of the law” usually means trouble for someone. And we know that when one side surrenders to another in battle, it’s a sign they’ve given up any hope for victory.

Surrender is not giving up or giving in or resignation or submission because there is no other possibilities. Surrender is a very dynamic and positive experience. Surrender may be understood as “giving over” or “yielding” or still better would be “gifting”. “Sur” means “back” and “Rendere” means give (in Latin) – meaning giving over or handing over.

Surrender means to yield ownership, to relinquish control over what we consider ours: our property, our time, our “rights”, our desires. When we surrender to God, we are simply acknowledging that what we “own” actually belongs to Him. He is the giver of all good things. We are responsible to care for what God has given us, as stewards of His property, but by surrendering to God, we admit that He is ultimately in control of everything, including our present circumstances.

Surrendering to God enables us to let go of whatever has been holding us back from God’s best for our lives. By surrendering to God, we let go of whatever has kept us from wanting God’s ways first.

Remember the story of Adam and Eve. We have no idea what would have happened if they had surrendered to God, rather than listening to their own desires. What God desires for us…what God has in his heart for us is what suits us, what is tailor-made for us, what fits our character. We can know that only if we surrender our desires, our longings and our “rights” to God.

What is it that you desire today? What desire or “right” are you clinging to, even though deep down inside you know you’d be better off if you gave it up? Do you think that voice, deep down inside, could be God giving you the same choice He gave Adam and Eve?

God loved us so much that He sent His son Jesus, who willingly took on human flesh and choose obedience and surrender for us. Because of Him, all you and I need to do today is to place our faith in Him and listen, obey His Word.

Surrender is essentially an ongoing practice – not a one-time action! Surrender happens through many experiences and creative practices which evoke connections of the sacred, the divine, God….which help us remember, connect with God and receive God’s blessing and grace…they help us care for the small things with love and bring us into the bigger, larger and greater picture.

“I thought

that my voyage had come to its end to the last limit of my power,

the path before me was closed;

that provisions were exhausted and the time come to take shelter in a silent obscurity.

But I find that thy will knows no end in me.

And when old words die out on the tongue,

new melodies break forth from the heart;

and where the old tracks are lost, new country is revealed with its wonders.” (Tagore).

Take a moment and reflect: 

I find that thy will knows no end in me………………

When old words die out, new melodies break forth from the heart……….

“This is my prayer to thee, my Lord,

strike, strike at the root of penury in my heart.

Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows.

Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.

Give me the strength never to disown the poor,

or bend my knees before insolent might.

Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles.

And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love. (Tagore).

Take a moment and reflect: 

Strike, strike at the root of penury (poverty/emptiness) in my heart………

Raise my mind high above daily trifles……….

Surrender my strength to thy will with love……..

Don’t ask God for what you think is good;

Ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.

The God to whom we pray is a God of love, who is more ready to answer than we are ready to pray. We do not have to force His Gifts and His Grace out of Him. We do not come to a God who has to be coaxed, or pestered, or battered into answering our prayer. We come to the ONE who simply wills to give. We, actually, come into the presence of the ONE who has already GIVEN. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

GOD IS PERFECT AND PERFECT WISDOM.

WE DO NOT PRAY IN ORDER TO CHANGE HIS WILL,

BUT TO BRING OUR WILLS INTO HARMONY WITH HIS.

(William Temple)

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

BEING AND BECOMING PRAYERFUL (7)

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

(Psalm 46:10)

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence and Solitude; to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well…

Our last meditation was on Prayerfulness as an attitude that enables us to recognize the presence, the movement and the work of God in His creation. This meditation is on prayerfulness as an inner disposition, a disposition of heart and mind that longs for God’s will. Prayerfulness is an impelling desire for God and God’s ways in all aspects of our life. To pray is to open ourselves to the Father so that our entire life – from the seeking of daily bread to the transformation of the world – is filled with God’s will and purpose.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he had finished one of his disciples asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples. He said to them, when you pray, say: Father, Holy be your name…your kingdom come….your Will be done…” ( Luke 11:1-4 and Mathew 6:9-15).

The Rabbis used to teach their disciples simple prayers. John did the same for his disciples. The disciples of Jesus asked Him to do the same for them. What Jesus taught, teaches us all we need to know about how not pray, how to pray, and what to pray for. We must remember that this is the way Jesus taught his disciples to pray – both Mathew and Luke are clear about it. Mathew sets the whole sermon on the Mount in the context of the disciples (Mt.5:1) and Luke tells us that Jesus taught this in response to a request from one of the disciples (Lk.11:1).

What we know today as the Lord’s Prayer is a prayer which only a disciple can pray., on a person committed to Jesus can meaningfully pray. The Lord’s prayer is not a child’s prayer, not meaningful to a child because at the heart of it is an intense desire for Gods’ will and purpose: “Thy will be done” – only a committed disciple can meaningfully make this affirmation. It can be prayed only by a person who knows what he is saying.

Mathew tells us that Jesus taught them how not to pray and then how to pray (Mathew:1-15). He warned them not to be like the hypocrites.

The following is what Jesus had to say about how not to pray……

1. Should not be repetition without meaning or devotion – not gabbled formula

1. Should not give-in to formalism – “slip off the tongue” without meaning.

1. Not tied down to specific times or certain places.

1. Not hasty uttering of words – not multiplication of words and lengthening of prayer.

1. Not endless repetitions of words or phrases – intoxication with words.

1. Not to be seen or heard by men.

Then Jesus taught them how to Pray…….

And his teachings reflect qualities of prayerfulness.

1. Prayer must be addressed to God in His presence and not “the most eloquent prayer offered to an enthusiastic audience”.

1. Prayer must be concerned with making contact with God and not impressing the congregation. Whether in private or in public, a man should have no thought in his mind and no desire in his heart but God.

1. We must remember that the God to whom we pray is a God of love who is more ready

to answer than we are ready to pray.

1. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

1. We must come with confidence that God will give us whatever is good for us when it is

good for us – not necessarily when we ask for it.

1. We must bring the “whole” of us – all that we are, were and will be into His presence and bring the “whole” of God into our life.

1. We must stand before Him – in His presence – with open arms ready to receive, ready

to give, even ready to go away empty.

1. We must stand before Him – in His presence – with hearts that are full and hearts that

are empty – with anxious hearts, joyful hearts, tired bodies, sleepy eyes, guilty hearts,

shameful hearts, noble hearts, little faith, lots of faith, little hope, lots of hope, a bit of

love, lots of love – JUST THE WAY WE ARE AT THE MOMENT.

1. We must begin prayer by addressing God “Father”. Come into the presence of someone who need not be forced to give, but to a Father who simply gives.

1. The name means much more than an identifying word. The name means the whole

    character of a person, the mind and heart of a person as it is revealed and known.

1. Reverence to God must be first, before all else. The first “three” petitions are about

    reverence for God – holy be your name; your kingdom come; your will be done.

    God first. All other things will then fall in their proper places. Prayer should not be

    our attempt to bend God’s will to our desires – but must be a surrender of our will

    to Gods’ will – bringing our will into harmony with God’s will.

1. The second “three” petitions are about our needs and they cover all life – three

    essential needs in three spheres of time:
The whole of life is brought before God.

    Present need – the hunger of the day: Bread for the day

    Past Sin – forgiveness for sin

    Future trials – testing times: help for meeting the test/challenge of life.

1. This prayer brings the whole of God into our life:

    Bread – directs our thoughts to the Father, the giver of life.

    Forgiveness – directs our thoughts to the Son, the redeemer and savior.

    Help for future testing times – directs our thoughts to the Holy Spirit.

Don’t ask God for what you think is good;

Ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.

The God to whom we pray is a God of love, who is more ready to answer than we are ready to pray. We do not have to force His Gifts and His Grace out of Him. We do not come to a God who has to be coaxed, or pestered, or battered into answering our prayer. We come to the ONE who simply wills to give. We, actually, come into the presence of the ONE who has already GIVEN. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

GOD IS PERFECT AND PERFECT WISDOM.

WE DO NOT PRAY IN ORDER TO CHANGE HIS WILL,

BUT TO BRING OUR WILLS INTO HARMONY WITH HIS.

(William Temple)

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

BEING AND BECOMING PRAYERFUL (6)

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

(Psalm 46:10)

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence and Solitude; to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well…

Our last meditation was on openness to silence and solitude as essential for nurturing prayerfulness. This meditation is on Prayerfulness as an attitude that enables us to recognize the presence, the movement and the work of God in His creation.

Some consider the world as an enemy, devil-ridden, doomed, dangerous. Many view the world as a terrible place, a playground of the devil. Many are obsessed with apocalyptic visions of the end of the world that they keep looking for signs of the end. Others are so terrified of crime, violence and war that they see the world as a dangerous place to be in. Many have a tendency to escape the present, fleeing into business, distraction, boredom, etc.

Read the News paper. Watch TV. Listen to the politically ambitious – even a few preachers. It isn’t difficult to gather lots of information about starvation, civil strife, violence, war, sin, evil, immorality, etc. It can become very difficult to see God at work in His creation. It can become difficult to experience – even believe – in his presence – even in his existence.

Some of us live Superficially, staying on the surface. Albert Schweitzer says, “Your soul suffers if you live superficially”. Many have the attitude that says religion, spirituality, experience of the divine are all for a special kind of people who have a special calling.

All of the above attitudes block our spiritual awakening. We need to embrace the world believing that it is full of meanings, mystery, wonder and healing power, which we can discover. Albert Einstein was once asked, “what is the most important question you can ask in life?” He replied, “Is the universe friendly or not?” The poet Mary Oliver says, “there is only one question: How to love the world.”

Prayerfulness enables us to see the world as a friend and calls us to relationships that are intimate, caring, loving, mutually respectful and compassionate. Seeing the world as a friend is like seeing the world for the first time. Seeing the world as a living, breathing being encourages us to appreciate the physical beauty of the world around us.

Prayerfulness enables us to recognize the presence, the movement and the work of God in His creation. It helps us to see the world as God’s creation, God’s masterpiece of art and beauty. It calls us to recognize and experience God’s glory here and now….. “The glory of God is man fully alive”. (St. Ireneus)

Pray with me as you begin this meditation….Psalm 66

Shout with joy to God, all the earth!

Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!

Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!

So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.

Come and see what God has done,
how awesome his works in man’s behalf!

Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;

He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.

Come and listen, all you who fear God;
 let me tell you what he has done for me………

Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me! (Pray the whole Psalm later when you have time)

Look carefully at the world around you. There are many signs of God’s presence, movement and work – His creative activity and His loving concern for all of His creation.

God is at work whenever acts of justice, kindness and love are done by his people.

God is at work whenever acts of charity and mercy are done to those in need.

God is at work whenever prophetic words of truth are spoken to challenge and correct abuse of power and authority.

God is at work whenever someone stands for truth and justice against popular approval.

God is at work whenever a person of power and prestige reaches out to help the less fortunate.

God is at work whenever the less fortunate people of God reach out and help their neighbors.

God is at work whenever people refuse to compromise on values and morals.

God is at work whenever someone stands up for his/her beliefs.

God is at work when children play, adults worship, the old smile, the sick surrender.

God is at work when the sinner says “I have sinned” and the saint says to him: “you are my brother/sisters”.

Add your own…..

“Tell me where God ain’t and I will give you a dollar!” A little boy was going home from Sunday school, hopping along, joyfully, playfully. A man on the road asked him, “where have you been on this Sunday morning and what makes you so happy?”. The boy answered, “been to Sunday School, learned a lot about God and real good stuff too…”. The man responded, “Oh you did! Then tell me where God is and I will give you a dime…..”. The boy replied, “Mister, tell me where God ain’t and I will give you a dollar!”.

In every community, there are men and women who work hard and try hard to be good and to do good. It is through their sincere, quiet, persevering and tireless effort that we experience God’s gift – the gift of His love, His presence, His kingdom. Through their effort, God completes the work He has begun….as the Psalmist says, “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it…” (Ps.138:8). You and I need to let “His Kingdom Come”.

Don’t ask God for what you think is good;

Ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.

The God to whom we pray is a God of love, who is more ready to answer than we are ready to pray. We do not have to force His Gifts and His Grace out of Him. We do not come to a God who has to be coaxed, or pestered, or battered into answering our prayer. We come to the ONE who simply wills to give. We, actually, come into the presence of the ONE who has already GIVEN. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

GOD IS PERFECT AND PERFECT WISDOM.

WE DO NOT PRAY IN ORDER TO CHANGE HIS WILL,

BUT TO BRING OUR WILLS INTO HARMONY WITH HIS.

(William Temple)

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs

BEING AND BECOMING PRAYERFUL (5)

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

(Psalm 46:10)

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence and Solitude; to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well…

Prayer is a hunger and a thirst for God and God’s ways. The hunger for God is itself God’s gracious gift to us. The hunger for God is a longing, an yearning, an impelling desire to be with the Lord, to turn to him in prayer, to be in communion with him.

The desire for communion with God has been set within the human heart since the dawn of time. This desire is the gift of God. The mystery of this communion touches what is most intimate in us, reaching down to the very depths of our being, to the sacred core, to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Prayerfulness demands an openness to silence and solitude. To pray is to open ourselves to the Father so that our entire life, from the seeking of daily bread to the transformation of the world, is filled with love.

Pray with me as you begin this meditation….Psalm 131

1 My heart is not proud, O LORD,
       my eyes are not haughty;
       I do not concern myself with great matters
       or things too wonderful for me.

 2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
       like a weaned child with its mother,
       like a weaned child is my soul within me.

 3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
       both now and forevermore.

Psalm 131 speaks of the “stilled and quieted” soul that finds confidence: “hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.”

At times prayer becomes silent. Peaceful communion with God can do without words. “I have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother (Ps. 131:2).” Like the satisfied child who has stopped crying and is in its mother’s arms, so can “my soul be with me” in the presence of God. Prayer then needs no words, maybe not even thoughts.

Sometimes we are apparently silent, and yet we have great discussions within, struggling with imaginary partners or with ourselves. Calming our souls requires a kind of simplicity: “I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me” (Ps. 131:1). Silence means recognizing that my worries can’t do much. Silence means leaving to God what is beyond my reach and capacity. A moment of silence, even very short, is like a minute vacation, a holy stop, a sabbatical rest, a truce of worries.

The turmoil of our thoughts can be compared to the storm that struck the disciples’ boat on the Sea of Galilee while Jesus was sleeping. Like them, we may be helpless, full of anxiety, and incapable of calming ourselves. But Christ is able to come to our help as well. As he rebuked the wind and the sea and “there was a great calm”, he can also still or quiet our hearts when it is agitated by fears and worries (Mark 4). Remaining silent, we trust and hope in God.

When God’s word becomes “a sound of sheer silence”, it is more efficient to change our hearts. The heavy storm on Mount Sinai was splitting rocks, but it is the sudden silence that spoke to Elijah. God’s silent word is able to break open human hearts of stone.

Silence makes us ready for a new meeting with God. In silence, God’s word can reach the hidden corners of our hearts. In silence, we stop hiding before God, and the light of Christ can reach and heal and transform even what we are ashamed of.

Jesus said, “Whenever you pray, go to your room, close your door and pray to your Father in private. Then, your Father who sees what no man sees, will repay you….your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Mt. 6:6-8).

Prayerfulness implies withdrawal to quiet places, to be alone with the father, to abide in the Father’s Love. Jesus set this as an example for us to follow.

In the Gospel of Mark, we read the story of Jesus sending out his disciples on their first mission (Mark 6:30-34). They returned from their mission and began to tell him about their journey and their accomplishments of the day. Jesus, gently and quietly, invited them to a “deserted place” to rest a while.

From the very beginning of their ministry, Jesus taught the disciples about the need for time, away from work and service projects, the need for time to rest, relax, pray…time for peace…time to spend with their master…to abide in him.

The disciple must go from the master to fulfill the master’s mission and must return to the master to be strengthened and filled again with the master’s wisdom.

The “busyness”, the trials, the testing times, the challenges, etc. of the mission can stifle the spirit and become burdens heavy to carry. One can become so busy with the master’s work that he/she can forget the master himself. It is easy to lose focus. It is urgent to maintain focus, to be centered again and again in God and God’s way.

“If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back quite gently and place it tenderly in God’s presence. And if you do nothing else while at prayer but bring your heart back again and again and place it in God’s presence………..though it went away every time you brought it back, your time of prayer would be very well spent” (Introduction to Devout Life, St. Francis De Sales).

Now take a moment……Bless your morning……let the morning bless you……

Morning is a sacrament…of new beginnings….so new and untried…so unique… never to return.

Morning is a sacrament…of hope..offering new opportunities…new possibilities…never to return.

Take another moment. Bless your world. Let your world bless you.

Every day that we wake up is a good day. Every breath that we take is filled with hope for a better day. Every word that we speak is a chance to change what is bad into something good.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Don’t ask God for what you think is good;

Ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.

The God to whom we pray is a God of love, who is more ready to answer than we are ready to pray. We do not have to force His Gifts and His Grace out of Him. We do not come to a God who has to be coaxed, or pestered, or battered into answering our prayer. We come to the ONE who simply wills to give. We, actually, come into the presence of the ONE who has already GIVEN. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

GOD IS PERFECT AND PERFECT WISDOM.

WE DO NOT PRAY IN ORDER TO CHANGE HIS WILL,

BUT TO BRING OUR WILLS INTO HARMONY WITH HIS.

(William Temple)

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs