Summer Snippets: Prayer That Makes a Difference

Summer Snippets: Prayer That Makes a Difference

Last week I mentioned three ways to pray: verbal/vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer. This week I would like to talk a bit more about contemplative prayer and the difference it can make in your life.

Matthew, in the sixth chapter of his gospel (verses 5-8), seems to be speaking of contemplative presence when he has Jesus say, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

There is something very powerful about going to your “inner room” and praying to your Father “in secret.” This is the sort of prayer that Jesus espoused before having to make big decisions or when needing the reassuring presence of his Father. He would leave the crowds and go off by himself to be with God. In such moments his prayer “request” was simply to rest in God’s presence. The “answer” to his prayer was a presence that uplifted, gave hope, bestowed grace. It is similar to being in the presence of someone whom we love and revere. Just resting in him or her is enough to face life’s challenges.

So what can we do to dispose ourselves to a God who is always there awaiting us? What might we do to cooperate more fully with God’s grace, with God’s drawing us?

Step 1: The first thing that I find helpful is simply to breathe gently in and out five times. Note in your breathing the muscular work of inhaling and as you do so extend your tummy, and draw in air. As your lungs fill, bend your shoulders back and raise your chin. Pause, and gather all the tension in your face, neck, shoulders and abdomen and gently relax, slowly, as all the tension drains out of you. Pause, and begin the process again. After five times you should be completely relaxed.

Step 2 is to take one of the readings of the coming Sunday and read it through slowly twice. The first time is for a general understanding of what’s being said and the second to find three or four words that “shimmer” for you, works that stand out or catch your eye. Repeat the phrase a couple of times.

Step 3 Now synchronize the short phrase to your breathing in and breathing out. Repeat it several times breathing in with half the words, breathing out with the second half of the words; in and out, in and out.

Step 4 Continue with the phrase and the breathing until you can let go of the words, being aware only of breathing in and breathing out. Once you are able to let go of awareness of the breathing, imagine yourself falling into the arms of God, or simply say, “Here I am, Lord” or “Take me Lord” or “Lord, show me your face.” To let go, use a phrase or image, whichever works better for you.

Step 5 Involves handling the distractions and thinking that are sure to come up. When moving from phrase-that-shimmers to breathing-awareness and you become distracted, simply return to the phrase linked to your breathing. Do the same thing when you are distracted by voices outside, traffic, or noise from the heating or air conditioning.

 Step 6: Once you are experiencing simple awareness, just rest in God’s presence, tasting and savoring the goodness of the Lord.

Alternatives to repeating a shimmering phrase from sacred scripture linked to breathing, you may find it easier to gaze at an icon or statue, use a phrase from a hymn or chant, or simply gaze at the monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament.

I also find it very helpful to have a structure for contemplative presence, that is, a regular time of day, a specific chair or place to be still, use of a scented candle as ways to encounter God’s presence.

In summary, the possible structure could be:

Ø  1 min Grounding – Take several deep breaths and then simply notice your breathing

Ø  2 min Slow Reading of Sacred Scripture – On Mondays, use next Sunday’s 1^st reading; on Wednesdays, Sunday’s 2^nd; on Fridays, Sunday’s Gospel

Ø  5 min Sitting-in-Silence – Avoid “thinking” and instead foster “awareness.” When thinking slips in, revert to a word/phrase that shimmers, or image from the Scripture reading and repeat it in sync with breathing in order to return to awareness. When awareness has become still, ask for the grace to see God.

Fondly,