A Beacon Of Light . . . Pray, Then Pray Some More
By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON JR.
(Editor’s Note: Fr. Richard D. Breton Jr. is a priest of the Diocese of Norwich, Conn. He received his BA in religious studies and his MA in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.)
- + + This week we return to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and its final section dedicated to prayer. Prayer finds its prominence in the Church and in the hearts of its believers. Remembering our earlier articles, the Catechism was broken down into four pillars that are expressions of the Catholic faith.
The first pillar explained the significance of the Profession of Faith. What do we believe as Catholics? It provided us with a detailed explanation of the Creed, as an expression of what we must believe as Catholics. The Creed is the basis that was used by the apostles in teaching the faith. The first pillar discussed the following aspect of the Creed: Man and God, Our Desire for God, Revelation, Transmission of the Divine, Characteristics of Faith, Language of Faith, Sacred Scripture, Tradition and Magisterium of the Church, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
The second pillar introduced us to the transcendent nature of the Church’s Celebration of the Christian Mystery. The following aspects of the liturgical life of the Church were presented: What is the Paschal Mystery and the Church, the Church’s Liturgy, the Holy Trinity and Liturgy, the Details of Liturgy, Liturgical Diversity and Unity, the Sacraments, the Mystery of the Sacraments, Celebrating the Sacraments, and other celebrations including sacramentals and Funerals.
The third pillar is an expression of our Life in Christ. This pillar was particularly interested in: Man’s Vocation, our Human Dignity, Free Will, Morality and Virtues, the pitfalls of sin, our participation in the Human Community, Social Justice, The Church’s role as Mother and Teacher, and the importance of the Ten Commandments.
The Profession of Faith, The Celebration of the Church’s Liturgy, and Our Life in Christ are the foundation, whereby we learn what to believe, how to celebrate these beliefs and how to live them.
The fourth, or final pillar, with an emphasis on Christian Prayer, teaches us how to ask for the strength needed to maintain our life of faith.
Every Sunday when we celebrate Holy Mass, our faith is proclaimed. It is particularly important to note, this happens right after the words of consecration. Having prayed the institution narrative, the priest says: Mysterium Fidei, or the mystery of faith. This “mysterium fidei” is professed in the Creed, celebrated in the sacramental liturgy, and enables the faithful the opportunity to be transformed more to Christ and the Holy Spirit. Understanding this mystery requires a relationship. This relationship we call prayer.
St. Therese Of Lisieux
What is prayer? To answer this question we turn to the simple Doctor of the Church, St. Therese of Lisieux, who understood prayer as precious moments shared with God. In her autobiography called, The Story of a Soul, St. Therese explains what prayer means to her in this way: “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward Heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy” (Story of a Soul, p. 25) The simple Doctor of the Church reminds us that prayer is conversation with God. It is a dialogue where we speak to God and listen for His voice. Actually, it is here we learn how to participate in the interactions of daily life. St. Therese points out that we do this every day of our lives.
This conversation, or prayer, can be expressed in three distinct ways. First, prayer is God’s gift to us. Since we are created with the purpose of glorifying God, prayer is God’s gift to us so that we may communicate with Him. Our conversations find their beginning from “the depths of our humble and contrite hearts” (CCC, n. 2559). Jesus reminds us during His public ministry, that humility is the foundation of prayer. We see this when he teaches His apostles how to pray. Prayer requires the humility to know that we do not know how to pray, but are open to freely learning how to pray as we ought. Prayer is a gift that surpasses our inner being. In fact, prayer is what we all seek, even those who do not really know it yet.
This is made known in the story of the woman at the well. The woman came in search of earthly water, but her interaction with Jesus transformed her earthly thirst into a thirst for prayer. Prayer, living water within us, wells up from time to time. This is the work of the Lord who comes in search of us. Even as Jesus hung on the cross, He was still searching for our love. One of His last words spoken was, “I thirst!” Even as He was about to breathe His last breath, Jesus was inaugurating for us a way to communicate with Him. The gift of prayer is the combination our God’s thirst for us, and our thirst for God. Ironically, the gift of prayer is but a question away! Prayer is our response to faith and the promise of salvation.
The Depths Of The Heart
Another way we can think of prayer is as a covenant. Where is this covenant made? It begins in the depths of the heart. Prayer, as either words or gestures, are always united to the “whole person” of man. Our prayers do not come from just our minds or our thoughts. Prayers, if truly prayerful, come from the heart. When man is praying, his heart is loving. If we find prayer difficult, that is because we ourselves are far from God. The heart is the dwelling place where Jesus lives. This is so important; I explain this to my first communicants each year.
I remind them, the day of their First Holy Communion is the day Jesus moves into the house of their hearts. In their preparation to receive Jesus for the first time, they learn how to communicate with their hearts. Today’s culture defies the idea of prayer because today’s culture no longer knows how to love. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter, where we see the image of God: it is the place of covenant.
Not only is prayer an individual act of the heart, but it is also the action of an entire community. Whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament, prayer becomes the living instrument of the relationship that exists between God and His children. Prayer is the work of the entire Trinity. During the Introductory Rite of the Mass, this is proclaimed by the priest. The greeting, “The Grace of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you” is an example on this communion.
As we begin our prayers of the Mass, we offer ourselves as individuals united as one “in the Mystical Body of Christ.” For together, we unite ourselves as one! Prayer is the “living” relationship of us as children of God. I use the word “living” here because we cannot live unless there are others to live for and with. Prayer as “covenant” unites us to the Blessed Trinity, but this doesn’t happen by chance. It is through Baptismal grace we become children of God and are united to Christ.
In next week’s column we will begin a deeper look at the many aspects of prayer. We will pay particular attention to the importance of prayer as revealed to us by God. Until then, keep praying and pray some more!
