Introductory Prayer: Heavenly Father, once again I renew my faith in your plan for my life. I trust in your loving providence, and I know that no one can snatch me from your hands. You know well that I love you. I wish to be more open and docile to your plan and action in my life. Take this time that I now set aside for prayer. Take my mind, will, and heart; take my gifts and talents. I lay them at your feet through this prayer. Do with me today according to your holy and loving plan. Amen.
 
Petition: Lord Jesus, deepen my faith in your resurrection.
 
1. Do You Believe This? This is the fundamental question in our life of faith: do we, in fact, believe it all? Do we really believe that the human race was mysteriously subjected to the catastrophic consequences of our first parents’ disobedience to the divine will? Do we really believe what we say in the Creed every Sunday? Do we believe that Jesus of Nazareth died and rose from the dead to conquer sin, and now lives to draw all people to himself as their savior? The great challenge for the Christian in our thoroughly post-modern, post-Christian, technical age is to unabashedly say “Yes!”
 
2. Keeping Faith Simple: One of the greatest challenges in the Christian life is to keep our faith simple. Our tendency is toward sophistication and complication. While certainly the ability to think and reason well is a gift and has its place in the Christian life, we must be equally aware that the inborn tendency to rationalism can be a non-starter for a genuine life of faith. We cannot afford to fall into today’s error of trying to size God down according to our meager perceptions and self-centered attitudes. Christ is much more; God ways are far more sublime than what our limited vision can create. A simple faith is so pleasing to God because then he has leeway for his supernatural action. Then he can do something within us and through us.
 
3. Keeping Faith Robust: This simple faith can and must launch us upward and outward in the task of bringing Christ’s love to every soul. Our simple faith can rapidly ignite and convert us into relentless apostles of the Kingdom, like St. Paul. We need to make his words our own: “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? (…) No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39).
 
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, give me strength to bear the burden of drawing others closer to you. Let me feel, with St. Paul, the sting of “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” And when I do set out to give others reasons for my faith, accompany me with your Holy Spirit to give success to my poor efforts.
 
Resolution: For love of Jesus, I will renew, refresh and invigorate the act of faith with which I begin every day in my morning offering.

Introductory Prayer: Heavenly Father, once again I renew my faith in your plan for my life. I trust in your loving providence, and I know that no one can snatch me from your hands. You know well that I love you. I wish to be more open and docile to your plan and action in my life. Take this time that I now set aside for prayer. Take my mind, will, and heart; take my gifts and talents. I lay them at your feet through this prayer. Do with me today according to your holy and loving plan. Amen.
 
Petition: Lord Jesus, deepen my faith in your resurrection.
 
1. Do You Believe This? This is the fundamental question in our life of faith: do we, in fact, believe it all? Do we really believe that the human race was mysteriously subjected to the catastrophic consequences of our first parents’ disobedience to the divine will? Do we really believe what we say in the Creed every Sunday? Do we believe that Jesus of Nazareth died and rose from the dead to conquer sin, and now lives to draw all people to himself as their savior? The great challenge for the Christian in our thoroughly post-modern, post-Christian, technical age is to unabashedly say “Yes!”
 
2. Keeping Faith Simple: One of the greatest challenges in the Christian life is to keep our faith simple. Our tendency is toward sophistication and complication. While certainly the ability to think and reason well is a gift and has its place in the Christian life, we must be equally aware that the inborn tendency to rationalism can be a non-starter for a genuine life of faith. We cannot afford to fall into today’s error of trying to size God down according to our meager perceptions and self-centered attitudes. Christ is much more; God ways are far more sublime than what our limited vision can create. A simple faith is so pleasing to God because then he has leeway for his supernatural action. Then he can do something within us and through us.
 
3. Keeping Faith Robust: This simple faith can and must launch us upward and outward in the task of bringing Christ’s love to every soul. Our simple faith can rapidly ignite and convert us into relentless apostles of the Kingdom, like St. Paul. We need to make his words our own: “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? (…) No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39).
 
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, give me strength to bear the burden of drawing others closer to you. Let me feel, with St. Paul, the sting of “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” And when I do set out to give others reasons for my faith, accompany me with your Holy Spirit to give success to my poor efforts.
 
Resolution: For love of Jesus, I will renew, refresh and invigorate the act of faith with which I begin every day in my morning offering.

Good Works in the Light of Divine Love

Do you work hard?  Do you strive to be good?  Do you want to make a positive difference?  It is certainly good to try to be good.  But in so doing, we must never think that our “goodness” is truly good in the eyes of God, unless it is Divine Love that has become the source of all activity in our lives.  Humility enables us to turn our eyes to the One and Only source of goodness in our lives.  And that source is the abundant Mercy of God.  We cannot decide, on our own, to do even one single act that is good or beneficial to others.  We cannot please God by our own effort, and most certainly, cannot attain Heaven or any eternal reward by our works.  All is a gift and all is grace.  Only the humble soul sees this and believes it.  But when it sees it and believes it, great things will happen for the Kingdom of God (See Diary #1092).

Reflect upon the good works you do.  As you do, see them for what they are, nothing less and nothing more.  If there is goodness in your life, humble honesty will enable you to understand that this goodness is 100% dependent upon the Goodness of God.  Without Mercy, you cannot do any good work.  With Mercy, you can do every good work.  God, at work in your soul, produces abundant blessings in this world.  Reflect upon your desire to be an instrument of the abundant blessings of God in this world and rejoice, humbly, that God has chosen to use you.  Say “Yes” to Him and you will see beautiful fruits for all.

Lord, please give me a humble heart.  Help me to see that all good things begin with You and are only accomplished by You and Your Mercy.  I give myself to You so that You may use me for Your glory.  And I thank You for the privilege of being used as an instrument of Your unfailing Love.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Good Works in the Light of Divine Love

Do you work hard?  Do you strive to be good?  Do you want to make a positive difference?  It is certainly good to try to be good.  But in so doing, we must never think that our “goodness” is truly good in the eyes of God, unless it is Divine Love that has become the source of all activity in our lives.  Humility enables us to turn our eyes to the One and Only source of goodness in our lives.  And that source is the abundant Mercy of God.  We cannot decide, on our own, to do even one single act that is good or beneficial to others.  We cannot please God by our own effort, and most certainly, cannot attain Heaven or any eternal reward by our works.  All is a gift and all is grace.  Only the humble soul sees this and believes it.  But when it sees it and believes it, great things will happen for the Kingdom of God (See Diary #1092).

Reflect upon the good works you do.  As you do, see them for what they are, nothing less and nothing more.  If there is goodness in your life, humble honesty will enable you to understand that this goodness is 100% dependent upon the Goodness of God.  Without Mercy, you cannot do any good work.  With Mercy, you can do every good work.  God, at work in your soul, produces abundant blessings in this world.  Reflect upon your desire to be an instrument of the abundant blessings of God in this world and rejoice, humbly, that God has chosen to use you.  Say “Yes” to Him and you will see beautiful fruits for all.

Lord, please give me a humble heart.  Help me to see that all good things begin with You and are only accomplished by You and Your Mercy.  I give myself to You so that You may use me for Your glory.  And I thank You for the privilege of being used as an instrument of Your unfailing Love.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Overcoming the Habit of Sin

Overcoming sin requires the Mercy of God.  Too often we attempt to overcome sin through our own effort.  This is a futile exercise in that you will never overcome your own sin through your own effort.  There is one way and one way only to rid yourself of the sin you struggle with, and that is done by turning to the transforming power of God poured out through the Mercy of the Cross of Christ.  It’s entirely possible that you have identified some habitual sin in your life, have confessed it, and then, within the next day, fell into that sin again, over and over.  This is because you have attempted to rely upon your own strength and not the power of God.  Jesus is the only means by which you can overcome your sin.  Turning to Him for the Mercy to eliminate sin from your life requires commitment and focus.  It requires total trust in Him and a complete surrender to Him.  You cannot do this on your own (See Diary #1087).

What is it that you struggle with each and every day?  Whatever your sin may be, you can overcome it, but only by relying on Mercy and the purifying power of the Cross.  This is done by fixing your eyes on Jesus and relying on Him alone.  Your responsibility is to turn to Christ.  His action is one of purification.  Do not doubt the power of our Lord and His ability to purge sin from your life.  It may “hurt” to be purified, but it is obtainable.  It requires sacrifice on your part and Mercy on His part.  Reflect upon this internal struggle you encounter and resolve, deeply, to abandon yourself to Him.  He will begin to lift this burden in your life when you do so.

Lord, I give You my sin and beg for the grace to overcome it.  I know that I am weak, but that You are strong.  Lift this heavy burden and bring purity and sanctity to my soul.  I love You my Lord and I surrender my sin to You.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Overcoming the Habit of Sin

Overcoming sin requires the Mercy of God.  Too often we attempt to overcome sin through our own effort.  This is a futile exercise in that you will never overcome your own sin through your own effort.  There is one way and one way only to rid yourself of the sin you struggle with, and that is done by turning to the transforming power of God poured out through the Mercy of the Cross of Christ.  It’s entirely possible that you have identified some habitual sin in your life, have confessed it, and then, within the next day, fell into that sin again, over and over.  This is because you have attempted to rely upon your own strength and not the power of God.  Jesus is the only means by which you can overcome your sin.  Turning to Him for the Mercy to eliminate sin from your life requires commitment and focus.  It requires total trust in Him and a complete surrender to Him.  You cannot do this on your own (See Diary #1087).

What is it that you struggle with each and every day?  Whatever your sin may be, you can overcome it, but only by relying on Mercy and the purifying power of the Cross.  This is done by fixing your eyes on Jesus and relying on Him alone.  Your responsibility is to turn to Christ.  His action is one of purification.  Do not doubt the power of our Lord and His ability to purge sin from your life.  It may “hurt” to be purified, but it is obtainable.  It requires sacrifice on your part and Mercy on His part.  Reflect upon this internal struggle you encounter and resolve, deeply, to abandon yourself to Him.  He will begin to lift this burden in your life when you do so.

Lord, I give You my sin and beg for the grace to overcome it.  I know that I am weak, but that You are strong.  Lift this heavy burden and bring purity and sanctity to my soul.  I love You my Lord and I surrender my sin to You.  Jesus, I trust in You.

God’s mercy: 

a single just man, “the Servant of Yahweh,” already foretold by the prophets, is sufficient to save not two cities, nor a country, but the whole of humanity. 

God has forgiven all the sins of men in virtue of Christ’s passion, “having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands: this he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Col 2: 14) 

St. Paul’s imaginative sentence gives a good explanation of how the enormous weight of the sins of the whole human race has been canceled by Christ’s death. 

Nevertheless, not even his superabundant expiation will be of use to individual souls if these do not cooperate with their own personal renunciation.

God’s mercy: 

a single just man, “the Servant of Yahweh,” already foretold by the prophets, is sufficient to save not two cities, nor a country, but the whole of humanity. 

God has forgiven all the sins of men in virtue of Christ’s passion, “having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands: this he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Col 2: 14) 

St. Paul’s imaginative sentence gives a good explanation of how the enormous weight of the sins of the whole human race has been canceled by Christ’s death. 

Nevertheless, not even his superabundant expiation will be of use to individual souls if these do not cooperate with their own personal renunciation.

Three Teachings from the Lord on Prayer

Last week’s Gospel featured the Lord insisting that prayer was “the one thing necessary.” This week, we see the disciples’ request that the Lord teach them on prayer. In answer, the Lord gives three basic teachings or prescriptions for prayer.

I. Pattern of Prayer – The Gospel opens in this way: Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

We must be careful to understand that in giving us the “Our Father,” the Lord Jesus is not simply providing us with words to say. He is giving us a pattern for prayer; He is “teaching us to pray.” The disciples did not ask to be given words to say but to be taught how to pray.

Thus, while the words of the Our Father are precious, it is also important to look at the underlying structure implicit in the prayer so as to learn “how to pray.” Through these words, Jesus is illustrating what should be going on in our mind and heart as we pray.

There are five basic disciplines taught in the Our Father, and they form a kind of pattern or structure for prayer. I use here the Matthean version of the prayer only because it is more familiar to most people, but all the basic elements are the same.

1. RELATE – Our Father who art in Heaven – Here begins true spirituality. Relate to the Father! Relate to Him with familial intimacy, affection, reverence, and love. We are not merely praying to “the deity” or “the Godhead.” We are praying to our Father, who loves us and provides for us, and who sent His only Son to die for us and save us. When Jesus lives His life in us and His Spirit dwells in us, we begin to experience God as our Abba, our Father.

As developed in other New Testament texts, the deeper Christian word Abba underlies the prayer. Abba is the familiar form of the more formal “Father.” When my own father was alive, I called him “Dad” not “Father.” The word Abba indicates family ties, intimacy, close bonds. Why Abba is not used in the Our Father is uncertain. St. Paul develops the theme: For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15) And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Gal 4:6)

Ask God for the gift to experience Him as Abba. At the heart of our worship and prayer is a deep and personal experience of God’s love and fatherly care for us. The first discipline or practice of the spiritual life is to relate to God as to a father who loves us, and to experience Him as Abba.

2. REJOICE – hallowed by thy name – Praise of God is an essential discipline and element of our spiritual life. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift and to Him our praise is due. Praise and thanksgiving make us people of hope and joy. It is for this that we were made. God created us, so that we … might live for his praise and glory (Eph 1:12).

Our prayer life should feature much joyful praise. Take a psalm of praise and pray it joyfully. Take the Gloria of the Mass and pray it with gusto! Rejoice in God; praise His name. Give glory to Him who rides above the clouds.

There may be times when we do not feel like praising God. Praise Him anyway! Scripture says, I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34:1). Praise is to be a regular discipline of prayer, rooted even more in the will than in feelings. God is worthy our praise.

Ultimately, praise is a refreshing way to pray because we were made to praise God, and when we do what we were made to do, we experience a kind of satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment.

3. RECEIVE – thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven – At the heart of this petition is an openness to God’s will, His instruction, and His plan for us and this world. When Jesus lives in us, we hunger for God’s Word; we strive to know His will and make it operative in our life.

A basic component and discipline of prayer and the spiritual life is receiving the Word and instruction of God so that His will is manifest to us and we can obey. We ought to pray the Scriptures (lectio divina) and study the faith through the Catechism or other means. These are ways that we become open to God’s will, that His Kingdom might be manifest in our lives.

4. REQUEST – Give us today our daily bread – Intercessory prayer is at the heart of the Christian life. Allow “bread” to be a symbol of all our needs. Our greatest need, of course, is to be fed by God, and thus bread also points to the faithful reception of the Eucharist.

Through intercessory prayer, we ask for God’s help in every need. Take every opportunity to pray for others. When watching or reading the news, pray. Pray for victims of crime, natural disaster, or war. Pray for the unemployed, the homeless, the afflicted. Pray for those locked in sin, bad behavior, corruption, confusion, misplaced priorities. Many are away from the sacraments and no longer seek their Eucharistic bread, who is Christ. Pray, pray, pray.

There are also good things we hear and read about, and we should be grateful, asking that solutions be lasting. Intercessory prayer flows from our love for and solidarity with others. We see the world with the compassion of Christ and pray, for others as well as ourselves.

5. REPENT – and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil – Sin is understood on two levels here: (1) sin (lowercase) refers to our personal sins (referred to here as “trespasses”), and (2) Sin (upper case) refers to the whole climate of sin, the structures of sin (referred to here as “evil”) that reinforce and underlie our own personal sins.

An essential element of our spiritual life is recognizing our sins and the deep drives of sin in our life so that we can beg for mercy as well as for deliverance from them.

We live in a sin-soaked world, a world in which the powers and principalities of evil have great influence. We must recognize this and pray that this power will be curbed.

We must also pray for the grace to show mercy to others, for it often happens that sin escalates through resentment and the desire for retribution rooted in an unforgiving attitude. We must pray to be delivered from these in order to break the cycle of violence and revenge that keeps sin multiplying.

We must pray for the Lord’s grace and mercy to end evil in our own life and in the whole world.

This, then, is a structure for our prayer life and our spiritual life, contained in the Our Father. Jesus teaches us to pray and gives us a basic pattern. Some may use it as an actual structure for daily prayer. For example, if praying for twenty-five minutes, one might spend about five minutes on each aspect. Others may use it as an overall pattern for their spiritual life in general, trying to reflect these aspects and disciplines well.

II. The Persistence of Prayer – Jesus goes on to say, Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,” and he says in reply from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.” I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

The teaching that we persist in prayer is something of a mystery. God is not deaf, or forgetful or stubborn, yet He teaches in many places that we are to persevere, even to the point of pestering, in our prayer.

Some may wonder why our prayers are not always effective. Here are some of the usual explanations from Scripture:

• • Our faith is not strong enough. Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). The Book of James says, But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-7). There is also the sad case of Nazareth, where the Lord could work few miracles so much did their lack of faith disturb him (Matt 13:58).
  • We ask for improper things or we ask with wrong motives. The Book of James says, When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (James 4:3).
  • Unrepented sin sets up a barrier between us and God so that our prayer is blocked. Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities (sins) have separated you from God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that He will not hear (Isaiah 59:1-2).
  • We have not been generous with the requests and needs of others. If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered (Proverbs 21:13).
  • God cannot trust us with blessings because we are not conformed to His word or have proved untrustworthy with lesser things. If you remain in me and my word remains in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you (John 15:7). So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? (Lk 16:11-12)

There is nothing wrong with any of these explanations, but even if not a single one of themapplies to us, God often delays anyway.

There’s an old joke that goes something like this:

One day a man prayed to God and asked,“How long is a million years to you?” The Lord replied, “About a minute.” The man then asked, “How much is a million dollars to you?” God answered, “About a penny.” Seeing an opportunity, the man then asked, “Well, then, may I have a penny?” And God said, “In a minute.”

God’s “delay” and our need to persist and persevere in prayer are mysterious aspects of God’s providence, but they are taught; there is no doubt about that.

Pray, Pray, Pray! Persistence is taught to us all, not just to the sinful and the weak in faith. Realize that this is part of what is required of the Christian. Prayer is about more than “calling and hauling” or “naming and claiming.” It is also about persevering, persisting. St. Monica prayed for thirty years, it would seem, for her son Augustine to accept the Faith. Some of us have prayed even longer for loved ones. In the end, God seems to require persistence for some things, and we dare not give up or become discouraged. We just have to keep praying.

III. The Point of Prayer – Jesus then concludes, What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?

The rhythm of the Lord’s analogy seems a bit odd here. If an earthly father knows how to “give good gifts” to his son, then we would expect Jesus to say that the Heavenly Father also knows how to give “good gifts” to those who ask. But Jesus does not say this. Rather, He says that the Father gives “the Holy Spirit.”

Why is this? Because it is the highest gift and contains all others. To receive the Holy Spirit is to receive the love of God, the glory of God, the life of God, and the wisdom of God. It is to receive God Himself, who comes to live in us as in a temple. And with this gift comes every other gift and consolation, for by the Holy Spirit we begin to think and see more as God does. We attain to His priorities and desire what He desires. We see sins and worldly attachments begin to go away; the world loses its hold on us and can no longer vex us.

Jesus says elsewhere, Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matt 6:33). Yes, to receive the gift of God the Holy Spirit is to receive all other things as well, for nothing more can disturb us. One day, St. Thomas Aquinas sensed that the Lord was asking him what he would like. St. Thomas replied, Nil nisi te, Domine (Nothing except you, O Lord). For those who love God and have progressed in prayer, that really is all that is wanted. God can give cars, jobs, and financial blessings—and for some people such things are needed—but why not aim for the highest and best gift as well? Ask for the Gift of the Holy Spirit: Nil nisi te Domine!

Ultimately, the point of all prayer is deep communion with the Lord. This is our high calling: to be in communion with the Lord here in this world and one day fully in the glory of Heaven. Don’t miss the ultimate point of prayer.

Three Teachings from the Lord on Prayer

Last week’s Gospel featured the Lord insisting that prayer was “the one thing necessary.” This week, we see the disciples’ request that the Lord teach them on prayer. In answer, the Lord gives three basic teachings or prescriptions for prayer.

I. Pattern of Prayer – The Gospel opens in this way: Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

We must be careful to understand that in giving us the “Our Father,” the Lord Jesus is not simply providing us with words to say. He is giving us a pattern for prayer; He is “teaching us to pray.” The disciples did not ask to be given words to say but to be taught how to pray.

Thus, while the words of the Our Father are precious, it is also important to look at the underlying structure implicit in the prayer so as to learn “how to pray.” Through these words, Jesus is illustrating what should be going on in our mind and heart as we pray.

There are five basic disciplines taught in the Our Father, and they form a kind of pattern or structure for prayer. I use here the Matthean version of the prayer only because it is more familiar to most people, but all the basic elements are the same.

1. RELATE – Our Father who art in Heaven – Here begins true spirituality. Relate to the Father! Relate to Him with familial intimacy, affection, reverence, and love. We are not merely praying to “the deity” or “the Godhead.” We are praying to our Father, who loves us and provides for us, and who sent His only Son to die for us and save us. When Jesus lives His life in us and His Spirit dwells in us, we begin to experience God as our Abba, our Father.

As developed in other New Testament texts, the deeper Christian word Abba underlies the prayer. Abba is the familiar form of the more formal “Father.” When my own father was alive, I called him “Dad” not “Father.” The word Abba indicates family ties, intimacy, close bonds. Why Abba is not used in the Our Father is uncertain. St. Paul develops the theme: For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15) And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Gal 4:6)

Ask God for the gift to experience Him as Abba. At the heart of our worship and prayer is a deep and personal experience of God’s love and fatherly care for us. The first discipline or practice of the spiritual life is to relate to God as to a father who loves us, and to experience Him as Abba.

2. REJOICE – hallowed by thy name – Praise of God is an essential discipline and element of our spiritual life. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift and to Him our praise is due. Praise and thanksgiving make us people of hope and joy. It is for this that we were made. God created us, so that we … might live for his praise and glory (Eph 1:12).

Our prayer life should feature much joyful praise. Take a psalm of praise and pray it joyfully. Take the Gloria of the Mass and pray it with gusto! Rejoice in God; praise His name. Give glory to Him who rides above the clouds.

There may be times when we do not feel like praising God. Praise Him anyway! Scripture says, I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34:1). Praise is to be a regular discipline of prayer, rooted even more in the will than in feelings. God is worthy our praise.

Ultimately, praise is a refreshing way to pray because we were made to praise God, and when we do what we were made to do, we experience a kind of satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment.

3. RECEIVE – thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven – At the heart of this petition is an openness to God’s will, His instruction, and His plan for us and this world. When Jesus lives in us, we hunger for God’s Word; we strive to know His will and make it operative in our life.

A basic component and discipline of prayer and the spiritual life is receiving the Word and instruction of God so that His will is manifest to us and we can obey. We ought to pray the Scriptures (lectio divina) and study the faith through the Catechism or other means. These are ways that we become open to God’s will, that His Kingdom might be manifest in our lives.

4. REQUEST – Give us today our daily bread – Intercessory prayer is at the heart of the Christian life. Allow “bread” to be a symbol of all our needs. Our greatest need, of course, is to be fed by God, and thus bread also points to the faithful reception of the Eucharist.

Through intercessory prayer, we ask for God’s help in every need. Take every opportunity to pray for others. When watching or reading the news, pray. Pray for victims of crime, natural disaster, or war. Pray for the unemployed, the homeless, the afflicted. Pray for those locked in sin, bad behavior, corruption, confusion, misplaced priorities. Many are away from the sacraments and no longer seek their Eucharistic bread, who is Christ. Pray, pray, pray.

There are also good things we hear and read about, and we should be grateful, asking that solutions be lasting. Intercessory prayer flows from our love for and solidarity with others. We see the world with the compassion of Christ and pray, for others as well as ourselves.

5. REPENT – and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil – Sin is understood on two levels here: (1) sin (lowercase) refers to our personal sins (referred to here as “trespasses”), and (2) Sin (upper case) refers to the whole climate of sin, the structures of sin (referred to here as “evil”) that reinforce and underlie our own personal sins.

An essential element of our spiritual life is recognizing our sins and the deep drives of sin in our life so that we can beg for mercy as well as for deliverance from them.

We live in a sin-soaked world, a world in which the powers and principalities of evil have great influence. We must recognize this and pray that this power will be curbed.

We must also pray for the grace to show mercy to others, for it often happens that sin escalates through resentment and the desire for retribution rooted in an unforgiving attitude. We must pray to be delivered from these in order to break the cycle of violence and revenge that keeps sin multiplying.

We must pray for the Lord’s grace and mercy to end evil in our own life and in the whole world.

This, then, is a structure for our prayer life and our spiritual life, contained in the Our Father. Jesus teaches us to pray and gives us a basic pattern. Some may use it as an actual structure for daily prayer. For example, if praying for twenty-five minutes, one might spend about five minutes on each aspect. Others may use it as an overall pattern for their spiritual life in general, trying to reflect these aspects and disciplines well.

II. The Persistence of Prayer – Jesus goes on to say, Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,” and he says in reply from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.” I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

The teaching that we persist in prayer is something of a mystery. God is not deaf, or forgetful or stubborn, yet He teaches in many places that we are to persevere, even to the point of pestering, in our prayer.

Some may wonder why our prayers are not always effective. Here are some of the usual explanations from Scripture:

• • Our faith is not strong enough. Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). The Book of James says, But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-7). There is also the sad case of Nazareth, where the Lord could work few miracles so much did their lack of faith disturb him (Matt 13:58).
  • We ask for improper things or we ask with wrong motives. The Book of James says, When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (James 4:3).
  • Unrepented sin sets up a barrier between us and God so that our prayer is blocked. Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities (sins) have separated you from God; your sins have hidden his face from you so that He will not hear (Isaiah 59:1-2).
  • We have not been generous with the requests and needs of others. If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered (Proverbs 21:13).
  • God cannot trust us with blessings because we are not conformed to His word or have proved untrustworthy with lesser things. If you remain in me and my word remains in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you (John 15:7). So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? (Lk 16:11-12)

There is nothing wrong with any of these explanations, but even if not a single one of themapplies to us, God often delays anyway.

There’s an old joke that goes something like this:

One day a man prayed to God and asked,“How long is a million years to you?” The Lord replied, “About a minute.” The man then asked, “How much is a million dollars to you?” God answered, “About a penny.” Seeing an opportunity, the man then asked, “Well, then, may I have a penny?” And God said, “In a minute.”

God’s “delay” and our need to persist and persevere in prayer are mysterious aspects of God’s providence, but they are taught; there is no doubt about that.

Pray, Pray, Pray! Persistence is taught to us all, not just to the sinful and the weak in faith. Realize that this is part of what is required of the Christian. Prayer is about more than “calling and hauling” or “naming and claiming.” It is also about persevering, persisting. St. Monica prayed for thirty years, it would seem, for her son Augustine to accept the Faith. Some of us have prayed even longer for loved ones. In the end, God seems to require persistence for some things, and we dare not give up or become discouraged. We just have to keep praying.

III. The Point of Prayer – Jesus then concludes, What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?

The rhythm of the Lord’s analogy seems a bit odd here. If an earthly father knows how to “give good gifts” to his son, then we would expect Jesus to say that the Heavenly Father also knows how to give “good gifts” to those who ask. But Jesus does not say this. Rather, He says that the Father gives “the Holy Spirit.”

Why is this? Because it is the highest gift and contains all others. To receive the Holy Spirit is to receive the love of God, the glory of God, the life of God, and the wisdom of God. It is to receive God Himself, who comes to live in us as in a temple. And with this gift comes every other gift and consolation, for by the Holy Spirit we begin to think and see more as God does. We attain to His priorities and desire what He desires. We see sins and worldly attachments begin to go away; the world loses its hold on us and can no longer vex us.

Jesus says elsewhere, Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matt 6:33). Yes, to receive the gift of God the Holy Spirit is to receive all other things as well, for nothing more can disturb us. One day, St. Thomas Aquinas sensed that the Lord was asking him what he would like. St. Thomas replied, Nil nisi te, Domine (Nothing except you, O Lord). For those who love God and have progressed in prayer, that really is all that is wanted. God can give cars, jobs, and financial blessings—and for some people such things are needed—but why not aim for the highest and best gift as well? Ask for the Gift of the Holy Spirit: Nil nisi te Domine!

Ultimately, the point of all prayer is deep communion with the Lord. This is our high calling: to be in communion with the Lord here in this world and one day fully in the glory of Heaven. Don’t miss the ultimate point of prayer.

How is it possible then that we can still be offended by others?

If Self-Abandonment and Obedience to the Divine Will means accepting His Will totally then, practically speaking, it should be impossible to be offended. 

If we truly renounce our self-will and freely accept the Divine Will, then the self-love that is the driving force in our self-will has been annihilated. 

If we find that we are still often offended then perhaps our commitment to His Will needs to be reexamined. For it is inevitable that God's Will will be accomplished with or without our approval. But His Will will only be a source of Grace and Merit if we accept it with a willing heart.

Everything that happens, happens for a purpose. Our God is a personal God and does not allow things to happen by chance. 

We must trust in God's design and be faithful to His Will right now! Right at this present moment. I am meant to be at this keyboard right now at thismoment just as you are meant to be at your screen at the moment you read this.

Total Self-abandonment to Divine Providence (God's Will or Design)

is very much misunderstood by many souls. 

Why complain or be anxious about aridity if it is God's Will for us atthis moment? Why be offended or hurt at another's comments or ridicule? Why complain, Beloveds, or be anxious about the state of our souls? All of that is in His hands once we have TOTALLY committed to the accomplishment of His Will. 

All can be grasped joyfully if is His Will for us in this moment because IT HIS WILL THAT MATTERS!

How is it possible then that we can still be offended by others?

If Self-Abandonment and Obedience to the Divine Will means accepting His Will totally then, practically speaking, it should be impossible to be offended. 

If we truly renounce our self-will and freely accept the Divine Will, then the self-love that is the driving force in our self-will has been annihilated. 

If we find that we are still often offended then perhaps our commitment to His Will needs to be reexamined. For it is inevitable that God's Will will be accomplished with or without our approval. But His Will will only be a source of Grace and Merit if we accept it with a willing heart.

Everything that happens, happens for a purpose. Our God is a personal God and does not allow things to happen by chance. 

We must trust in God's design and be faithful to His Will right now! Right at this present moment. I am meant to be at this keyboard right now at thismoment just as you are meant to be at your screen at the moment you read this.

Total Self-abandonment to Divine Providence (God's Will or Design)

is very much misunderstood by many souls. 

Why complain or be anxious about aridity if it is God's Will for us atthis moment? Why be offended or hurt at another's comments or ridicule? Why complain, Beloveds, or be anxious about the state of our souls? All of that is in His hands once we have TOTALLY committed to the accomplishment of His Will. 

All can be grasped joyfully if is His Will for us in this moment because IT HIS WILL THAT MATTERS!

HAVE IT YOUR WAY?

"Would that we had died at the Lord's hand in the  land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!" -Exodus  16:3

The Israelites had been freed from slavery in Egypt.  Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, so oppressed them that he had their foremen beaten  for not producing their quota of bricks, although Pharaoh did not provide the  straw needed to make bricks (Ex 5:14). Pharaoh also commanded that every  Israelite baby boy be thrown into the river (Ex 1:22). Pharaoh so hardened his  heart that he still pursued the Israelites even after every Egyptian first-born  male was killed (Ex 12:29ff). Obviously, slavery under Pharaoh was a living  hell.

However, the Israelites wanted to return to slavery  because they liked the food. So God gave the Israelites manna from heaven -  "bread from heaven, ready to hand, untoiled-for, endowed with all delights and  conforming to every taste" (Wis 16:20). Yet, the Israelites wanted meat on  their manna sandwiches, so the Lord sent them quail (Ex 16:13). However, the  people were still dissatisfied. Food was more important to them than freedom.  "Their god is their belly and their glory is in their shame. I am talking about  those who are set upon the things of this world" (Phil 3:19).

We too may have put greater value on the things of  the world than on freedom in Jesus. If so, repent! "It was for liberty that  Christ freed us. So stand firm, and do not take on yourselves the yoke of  slavery a second time!" (Gal 5:1)


Prayer: Father, may I "live in freedom - but not a  freedom that gives free rein to the flesh" (Gal 5:13).

HAVE IT YOUR WAY?

"Would that we had died at the Lord's hand in the  land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!" -Exodus  16:3

The Israelites had been freed from slavery in Egypt.  Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, so oppressed them that he had their foremen beaten  for not producing their quota of bricks, although Pharaoh did not provide the  straw needed to make bricks (Ex 5:14). Pharaoh also commanded that every  Israelite baby boy be thrown into the river (Ex 1:22). Pharaoh so hardened his  heart that he still pursued the Israelites even after every Egyptian first-born  male was killed (Ex 12:29ff). Obviously, slavery under Pharaoh was a living  hell.

However, the Israelites wanted to return to slavery  because they liked the food. So God gave the Israelites manna from heaven -  "bread from heaven, ready to hand, untoiled-for, endowed with all delights and  conforming to every taste" (Wis 16:20). Yet, the Israelites wanted meat on  their manna sandwiches, so the Lord sent them quail (Ex 16:13). However, the  people were still dissatisfied. Food was more important to them than freedom.  "Their god is their belly and their glory is in their shame. I am talking about  those who are set upon the things of this world" (Phil 3:19).

We too may have put greater value on the things of  the world than on freedom in Jesus. If so, repent! "It was for liberty that  Christ freed us. So stand firm, and do not take on yourselves the yoke of  slavery a second time!" (Gal 5:1)


Prayer: Father, may I "live in freedom - but not a  freedom that gives free rein to the flesh" (Gal 5:13).

What is it that seeks to destroy your peace?  What shakes you and disturbs you from within?  Know that the Lord wants to protect you and to give you refuge.  Seek His peace.  Seek Him and He will give you His peace.  Peace is a gift that is beyond description and human comprehension.  It’s a place of safety that will shield your soul from the daily vices and attacks of the evil one.  Do you know the Lord’s peace?  Are your eyes firmly fixed on this gift of His Mercy?  Seek Jesus with all your heart and you will, indeed, know His peace.  And in the shelter of that peace, the Lord will do great things to you, if you let Him.

Lord, I entrust to You the protection of my soul.  I give to You all of my inner longings, hopes, desires and weaknesses.  Please come and form a barrier of protection around me so that I may meet You in this sanctuary within.  I thank You for the love of Your Mercy that envelops me and produces sweetness and strength.  I love You, my Lord, and entrust myself to Your perfect care.  Jesus, I trust in You.