THE PRIVILEGE OF PRAYER IS THE CHAT WITH GOD

 

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The homily said in mass yesterday was simple and yet drew the message straight home. It's worthy to note that it helps if the priest knows how to get the attention of his parishioners in the homily portion of the mass. Because almost always this is the part when everybody's thoughts seem to stray. Well, this one new parish priest knows how. How? Here's how I saw him do it..... Just be simple. No frills, no gimmick, just keeping it simple BUT mean it. Mean what you say and that includes also injecting humor in your piece. Stick to what you know best..... life and living. And keep it short.

He's right, you know, otherwise it will just come out hollow and boring no matter the message. The reason why, I suppose, many stay by the church door to easily skip outside when the homily comes around. Have you noticed that, too?

He asked....  'How do we pray?'  Note it's not why but HOW.

He cited reasons that were as real as my tiny pot garden. But one struck me as most interesting. He said we pray HURRIEDLY.  We breeze through the devotions, novena, rosary, intentions, and most other prayers we are wont to say for the living and the dead, singularly or collectively. Once he said he asked a group why they pray in such a rush. The replies came as ....

-- I've another prayer meeting yet to go to after this
-- This is how we have learned to pray it
-- Mother prayed this way in our family
-- It's long so we have to finish it fast before the members get bored
-- Have to finish quick before the heavy rains pour down
-- Malayo pa ang uuwian ko eh  (It's a long way back home)
-- and etc. etc.

Empty and hollow. Now do we still wonder why sometimes our prayers don't get answered.

I have always thought and was taught that Prayer is a conversation with God. As I put in everything of who I am in a conversation with a good friend, I think it isn't any different in a conversation with God. I do the same... putting in all the enthusiasm, conviction, intent, involvement and commitment ... or of joy, happiness, thrill, sadness, fear, misery, disappointment, frustration, sometimes being silly or stupid...... of honestly-what-I-feel  or of who-I-am in that conversation with God. Those things, I believe, cannot be rushed in conversation.

And, I believe, that when I do this - when we do this in prayer..... GOD LISTENS INTENTLY!

I hope today starts off your week with buckets of blessings. God bless you all!