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Three

A Tradition of Prayer

1. How to Make a Prayer of Thanksgiving

Western society has lost the true notion of thankfulness. Yes, we set aside a day once a year when we try to focus on being grateful. Most children are still taught to say “please” and “thank you.” Still, we have been so blessed over the last generations that we tend to take for granted our material comforts. Worse yet, many people have begun to view what we have as a right rather than a gift. This is not a Christian way of thinking. Good Christians cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

Prayers of thanksgiving should have a place in our relationship with God every day. “Thanksgiving characterizes the prayer of the Church which, in celebrating the Eucharist, reveals and becomes more fully what she is” (CCC, n. 2637). To pray with the Church, to be a Eucharistic people, requires that we be thankful. The word eucharist literally means “thanksgiving” in Greek.

There are some gifts of God for which we should be especially thankful. Among them are our families, the sacraments, God’s mercy and forgiveness, the Scriptures, and the Church.

Scripture directs us: “Always and for everything [give] thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father” (Eph 5:20). And: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Col 4:2). Scripture also gives us many prayers that we can use in thanksgiving. Good starters can be found in Psalms 107, 136, 138, 145, and 147.

We can also simply say “thank you” whenever good things come our way — and even when trials come our way. For all things work together for the good of those who love God (see Rom 8:28). When we cultivate the habit of saying “thank you” to God, we’ll see that other virtues follow afterward. Humility, for example, comes more easily to someone who is grateful, who sees himself always on the receiving end of God’s favors.

Thankfulness as a Lifestyle

We easily accept that it is appropriate to give thanks when we experience blessings. But spiritual writers tell us that our gratitude needs to go beyond this. Scripture, when speaking of thanksgiving, includes such phrases as “in all circumstances” and “at all times.” Even when we are in the midst of struggle or hardship, God is still with us. He still cares for us, even when we don’t readily sense His care. Accordingly, it is appropriate to thank God even amid difficulties and trials. Praying a prayer of thanksgiving at these times not only attests to the reality of God’s love and constancy, but it also helps us to have the right perspective. We can be secure in the knowledge of our Lord’s presence with us.

O Give Thanks

“In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”

— 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NABRE)

“Let us all, everywhere, in every place

At every hour and at all times,

Daily and continually,

Believe, truly and humbly, and let us hold in our hearts,

And love, honor, adore, serve,

Praise and bless, glorify and exalt,

Magnify and give thanks to the Most High and Supreme Eternal God,

In Trinity and Unity,

To the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

To the Creator of all,

To the Savior of all,

Who believe and hope in Him,

And love Him.”

— St. Francis of Assisi

2. How to Read the Bible

St. John Chrysostom tells us that the Holy Scriptures are letters sent by God to humanity. Have you been reading your “mail” lately? In the Scriptures, inspired by the Holy Spirit, we learn of God, His ways, and His will for us. St. Jerome tells us that ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.

Reading from the Bible must be a regular part of our devotional life. A little time set aside each day, perhaps in conjunction with a time of prayer, is a wise practice. Our reading should always be done prayerfully. Since it is God’s desire to speak to us and form us through His word, we need to have expectant hearts each and every time we pick up the Bible.

If you are not accustomed to reading the Bible, it is important to choose wisely where to begin. Starting with one of the four Gospels is a good beginning. After the Gospels, some of the epistles of St. Paul would be a good next step.

Before you actually begin to read, take a moment to recollect that you are about to take in the living word of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and form you as you read. You can do this with your own words or by using a prayer like the one below:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

V. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created. R. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray: O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of your faithful, grant us in that same Spirit to be truly wise and ever to rejoice in his consolations, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Then read slowly and let the words penetrate your thoughts and heart. Scripture is a precious gift from God, to be savored.

It’s important to approach Scripture with a humble heart. God will speak to us through His word, but our knowledge and understanding are limited. We best apply the word of God to our lives with the help of spiritual direction. Personal interpretation must always yield in obedience to the teaching of the Church. It is the Church that has been appointed the protector of God’s word and, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the final interpreter of the Word.

There are many translations of Scripture, but only certain versions are approved for liturgical use in the Church. Since these versions have been scrutinized by Church authorities for accuracy of translation, it is best to use these versions for personal devotion as well. In this book, we’ve used the Revised Standard Version of the Bible — Second Catholic Edition and the New American Bible, revised edition (from which the Scripture readings at Mass are taken).

You should also know that not all Christians accept the full text of the Bible as the Tradition has preserved it for us. It is best to find a Bible that is explicitly Catholic. Sometimes you can tell by the words on the cover; sometimes you can tell by the presence of an imprimatur, or statement that the book is consistent with the teachings of the Church, on the Bible’s copyright page.

Some people use the daily readings from the Mass as their daily scriptural reading. Doing this can help us to participate more fully in the Church’s liturgical life. The Mass readings are easily found under the Bible tab of the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (usccb.org).

Make It Your Own

A religion teacher wanted to impress upon his students the value of God’s word in the Bible. He told them that the book was useless unless it was used. “If a passage of Scripture touches you,” he said, “tear it out of the book and carry it with you and read it regularly.” We don’t necessarily need to destroy a book, but carrying Scripture with us is a good idea. There are pocket New Testaments that fit easily into a coat, a briefcase, or a purse. Various apps and downloads will make Scripture accessible on your cell phone or tablet. How often do you find yourself waiting — for a bus, for your doctor, for someone to pick up a phone? What a wonderful opportunity to read a few passages of the New Testament.

The Bible can also be invaluable in family devotions. Reading a short passage, perhaps from the Book of Proverbs or the Psalms, at the end of a meal, will help family members grow in knowledge and appreciation of Scripture.

The Word of God

“I pose a question to you: do you read a passage of the Gospel every day? Yes, no … yes, no … half of the time … some yes, some no. It is important! Do you read the Gospel? It is so good; it is a good thing to have a small book of the Gospel, a little one, and to carry in our pocket or in our purse and read a little passage in whatever moment presents itself during the day. In any given moment of the day I take the Gospel from my pocket and I read something, a short passage. Jesus is there and he speaks to us in the Gospel!”

— Pope Francis

“Read very often the divine Scriptures; never abandon the sacred reading.”

— St. John Chrysostom

“Divine Scripture is like a field in which we are going to build a house. We cannot be lazy and be happy to build just on the surface: we have to dig down until we reach the living rock, and this rock is Christ.”

— St. Augustine

3. How to Practice “Mental Prayer”

Have you noticed how some longtime friends can communicate without words? A gesture, a glance, a movement conveys all the information they need. The truth told in a handshake or an embrace perhaps could never be put into words.

In our relationship with God, our words are invaluable. But they are not everything. Our recited, formal prayer is sometimes called vocal prayer. There is another kind of prayer that is offered in silence. Vocal prayer has its limits, and sometimes words and forms can be more of an obstacle than a help. In addition to vocal prayer, we must also communicate with God in a way that does not primarily depend on words.

This is mental prayer. In mental prayer, the mind and heart do the work of communication. Perhaps this sounds exotic, but it really shouldn’t. You’ve probably already experienced mental prayer without being fully aware of it. Perhaps you were trying to understand the seemingly senseless suffering of a friend, and you found yourself mentally raising the situation up to God, asking Him to give you light.

Or maybe you experienced mental prayer while looking at a crucifix. You began to think about the sacrifice of Jesus — that He became a man and bore our sins. You considered the love He showed to you in submitting himself to men and carrying the cross. As you considered those facts, your heart stirred with love. Your affections reached out to embrace the God who has done so much for you. This is mental prayer. Although words may play a part, it is your mind, heart, and will that communicate directly with God.

Another example: It is right before Communion at Mass. As you pray the “Lamb of God,” you are struck by your unworthiness to receive the all-holy God. You heart again is moved to revulsion toward your sins and gratitude for the mercy of God. As you consider God’s love for you, your affections “speak” love to Him. You experience a strong desire to be more faithful. Almost imperceptibly you recommit yourself to God.

Mental prayer is the conversation with God that takes place in the quiet of your own mind and heart. It is more than running down a mental list of gratitudes and grievances; it is speaking your mind, speaking from the heart — it is giving God the time and the silence to answer you in the depths of your soul.

Mental prayer is something we can cultivate. Sometimes, it just seems to happen, as in the above examples, because in all prayer, God is taking the initiative. We enter into the communication that He has already begun. Yet we should never see prayer as a passive activity. We can set specific times when we engage in mental prayer. During these times, we specifically turn our hearts and minds to God. At the beginning of our time of mental prayer, we make an act of the will, giving our full attention to God. We acknowledge His presence and His love. Then we open our thoughts to God and allow our heart to respond. We are moved to godly intent, decisions, and action. This type of focused mental prayer is sometimes called meditation and will be discussed in greater detail in the next chapter.

We have said on several occasions that prayer is a two-way relationship — God speaks to us and we speak to God. Often the question is: “How do I hear God?” It probably won’t be by audible words. Yet we can and should expect to “hear” God in our mental prayer.

Consider the one person to whom you are closest. Don’t you sometimes communicate without words — by a smile, a wink, a nudge? Some communication transcends words. Communication from God to us normally transcends words. Moreover, communication from God normally transcends the senses of sight and touch as well. That link between you and your friend, although deeper than words, still depends on the senses. Your communication with God, on the other hand, can go beyond all senses. He can communicate fully at the level of heart and mind.

Most people have experienced this to some degree. For example, you may be prayerfully reading a passage from the Bible when some line seems to jump off the page. You experience urgency about the passage, or you come to a new level of understanding. Is it merely your mind working on the Scripture? Maybe, but it is also quite possible that the new insight has its origin in the Holy Spirit working within you — God speaking to your heart and mind.

At other times, maybe, you’ve prayed intensely about something, but received no discernible answer to your prayers. Then, days or weeks later, while you are going about your business, you suddenly see the solution you had sought weeks before in prayer. It is entirely possible that God had planted His response in your soul during your prayer, only to have it blossom in season.

“Those that seek shall find; and finding Him they will praise Him.”

— St. Augustine

Hearing is a sense that functions automatically. Truly listening, however, requires a conscious effort on our part. When a teacher speaks to us, we need to pay attention, focus, and integrate what we hear into our experience and understanding. It is the same way with nonverbal communication. We learn over time what our friend means by a certain facial expression or action. The parallel continues in our relationship with God. We need to be active listeners when we pray. We need to learn to sense the movement of His Spirit in our hearts and minds. This comes only by our sustained, disciplined, loving, and faithful efforts at prayer. Mental prayer grows as we develop a deeper relationship with God; our relationship with God grows deeper as we remain faithful to spending time with Him in mental prayer.

Shhh!

Inner silence, reflection, and stillness of spirit are essential components of mental prayer. These are commodities that are often difficult to find in our busy days. There are many demands on our time and energies. We must often fight for the opportunity to practice regular mental prayer. Setting a fixed time is very helpful. First thing in the morning is often the best time, because we are rested physically and our minds are relatively uncluttered. The concerns of the day have not begun to consume our thoughts. But for some people, the time immediately after work provides the best opportunity for mental prayer. Use this simple rule as your guide: The best time for you to pray is the time when you’ll pray. Consider your circumstances and your own mental rhythms; then set a time that works for you.

The right place is also important. There is no better place for mental prayer than before our Lord in the tabernacle. Twenty minutes of daily, quiet meditation and mental prayer before the tabernacle is a powerful practice that will certainly strengthen your relationship with Jesus. If time in church is simply impossible, then a quiet room in your home or workplace may suit you.

“Crying to the Lord is not done with the physical voice, but with the heart. Many whose lips are silent cry out with the heart; many are noisy with their mouths but with their hearts averted are able to obtain nothing. If, then, you cry out to God, cry out inwardly where He hears you.”

— St. Augustine

We said that mental prayer is an opportunity to hear God speaking to us or to gain a sense of how He is working in our lives. We must raise a caution here. First, we always keep in mind that God reveals himself to those who seek Him. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide us in the way of truth. So it’s healthy to expect that God will communicate with us. But we should always temper that expectation with humility. We are all subject to deception. Even in prayer, we can deceive ourselves or allow the devil to deceive us. Mental prayer, like all forms of prayer and devotion, fits into an overall plan of life. Spiritual direction can help us best discern what God is saying to us.

Conversations with God

“As a deer longs

for flowing streams,

so longs my soul

for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God,

for the living God.

When shall I come and behold

the face of God?”

— Psalm 42:1-2