Come, think of Yahweh’s marvels, the astounding things he has done in the world; all over the world he puts an end to wars, he breaks the bow, he snaps the spear, he gives shields to the flames. ‘Pause a while and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted over the earth!’ - Psalm 46:8-10
DEVELOPING STILLNESS IN POSTURE:
Novices in the art and practice of prayer struggle with a wandering mind as they try to stay focused on God. This difficulty creates restlessness in their bodies and they tend to fidget and move about. Sometimes they are so scattered they are not able to immerse themselves into prayer. Hence developing stillness in prayer is a priority, as it paves the way towards creating a listening heart. As previously mentioned, paying attention to a proper transition to prayer is an effective way of creating stillness. Another big help is to practice remaining motionless for the whole period of prayer. Initially, your threshold might not extend beyond a few minutes. With perseverance you will gradually be able to sit still for thirty minutes. Your body will become an integral part of your prayer and no longer a hindrance to your communion with God. You will pray with your whole being- heart and mind and spirit. Psalm 46 encourages us to heed Yahweh’s advice to develop stillness in prayer: “Pause a while (or be still) and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted over the earth!”
PRAYING WITH YOUR HEART:
Scripture is replete with instances where the disciple is encouraged to relate to God with the heart which is the core of one personality and being. In psalm 51 the psalmist proclaims: “A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me… My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn (Psalm 51: 12, 19).” In Luke 18, the tax collector “kept his distance, not even daring to raise his eyes to heaven. All he did was beat his breast and say, ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’” Jesus pronounced judgment on him by saying that this man went home from the temple justified because he was humble of heart.
The saints offer the unanimous opinion that prayer is a matter of the heart as well. Our minds serve an important function in that they help to satisfy our curiosity about God and spiritual matters. But it is repentance or a life pointed in the direction of God that really matters as it leads to love and service of God. Repentance is a matter of the heart. The saints encourage us to use methods in prayer that quicken our hearts, or else no conversion will take place. The anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing states quite categorically that God can be reached only by love and not by intellectual knowledge. And in The Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius says, “It is not much knowledge that fills and satisfies the soul, but the intimate understanding and relish of the truth (paragraph 2).” Prayer from the heart lets God’s word seep into our beings the way a slow, steady drizzle sinks into the soil, to bring about the required change of heart.
However, there are exceptions. Some people are very intellectually oriented. Their wills are moved to commitment and action through a thorough probe of the reasons as to why they should do something. They take the same approach to their discipleship. It is important to respect one’s approach to God and trust one’s insights into oneself.
INTEGRATING YOUR BODY INTO YOUR PRAYER:
As humans we are creatures who are determined by space and time. Our bodies express who we are in concrete and tangible ways. Our bodies tell us much about ourselves, and life in general. We can only come to God in and through our bodies. Many prayers have failed to germinate because the disciple sought to keep the body outside the realm of prayer. During prayer it is important that you listen carefully to what God might be saying to you through your body. It is equally important to see what your body is saying to God about you. Listen to both your feelings, moods, and bodily sensations and you will better understand the book of your life authored by the Holy Spirit.
PRAYING WITH YOUR BODY:
The wandering mind is an issue for many. They seek different ways of quieting the mind, to no avail. The wandering mind gets the better of them and creates fatigue and discouragement. A simple and effective way of dealing with distractions is to take an indirect approach. Let the body bring about a creative solution. During your periods of distraction in prayer, pay attention to the body by focusing on your breathing or bodily sensations, and remaining still during prayer. As a result of engaging the body actively in your prayer, you will begin to notice some changes taking place. Your mind is ceasing from its restlessness and is becoming more focused. You are now better able to return to God’s presence and your heart is experiencing increased devotion.
CREATING A CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR PRAYER:
As human beings we are greatly influenced by our environment. The sights and sounds around and within us influence our prayer positively or negatively. This is one important reason why our churches are built in such a way that they create the proper sacred space for us to encounter God. Similarly in her liturgy, the Church has always striven, in keeping with Biblical tradition, to provide the ideal environment so that God’s life can be appropriately celebrated in the Eucharist. Through form and ritual the Church has given great importance to fostering a sacred environment. When worshippers are ignorant of the Sacred in our liturgical celebrations, their participation in and benefit from the Eucharistic celebration run the risk of being minimal. It is very helpful, therefore, to get to Church several minutes before the commencement of Eucharist in order to transition properly into the Sacred Space within which the Eucharist is offered.
It makes sense to create a proper environment for prayer at home as well. Some like to pray in the same place where they have a candle burning before a crucifix or icon. Others like to pray in the dark, assuming that they have done their spiritual reading earlier. As creatures of habit, praying in the same place and possibly at the same time will foster an easier transition into communion with the Divine.
HELPFUL ATTITUDES FOR PRAYER:
· Make sure you learn to make your body an ally and not your enemy when you pray. By learning to keep motionless for longer and longer periods, you will help your wandering mind stay more focused on God.
· Stillness in time of prayer is best engendered when there is stillness in your heart and mind during the day as you are immerse yourself in the affairs of your life.
· Developing acts of constant gratitude and trust in God’s love for you will create this stillness in your soul during the day.
· Scripture is replete with instances where the disciple is encouraged to relate to God with the heart which is the core of one personality and being. Psalm 51 proclaims: “A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me…a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn (Psalm 51: 12, 19).”
· Our minds serve an important function in that they help to satisfy our curiosity about God and spiritual matters. But it is repentance or a life pointed in the direction of God that really matters as it leads to love and service of God. Repentance is a matter of the heart.
· Prayer from the heart lets God’s word seep into our beings the way a slow, steady drizzle sinks into the soil, to bring about the required change of heart.
· During prayer it is important that you listen carefully to what God might be saying to you through your body. It is equally important to see what your body is saying to God about you. Listen closely to both your feelings and bodily sensations and you will better understand the book of your life authored by the Holy Spirit.
· As a result of engaging the body actively in your prayer, you will begin to notice some changes taking place. Your mind is ceasing from its restlessness and is becoming more focused; your heart has experienced increased devotion and your awareness of God’s presence has become a reality once again.
· Similarly if you were to examine the painstaking way in which the Church has organized the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist and other sacraments, you will see that she gives great importance to making the sacred a reality of our worship.
GUIDELINES FOR PRAYER:
· Be faithful to your time of prayer, and make it between 20 and 30 minutes daily.
· Begin every prayer session with an earnest prayer to the Holy Spirit like the one I have composed for you: Come, Holy Spirit, and overshadow me with your gentle wisdom and power as I endeavor to sit at the feet of Jesus during this period of prayer. Purify my mind and heart as I seek to make the teachings of Jesus my priority in life, thinking, speaking and doing as He desires. You are the keeper of my soul, leading me into God’s heart. May I be docile and submissive to your wisdom and guidance. May my life be a pleasing offering in your sight. Amen.
· Take one of the passages suggested for prayer. During the week you might want to ponder the question, “What have you been doing to develop stillness of mind and heart both in prayer and in everyday life?”
· Lastly, during your prayer make sure you also address God directly and listen for the Holy Spirit’s responses.
· You can end your prayer with the following: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I thank you for your gracious companionship. I praise you for being my Creator, Savior and Lord. May I take your blessings to my day, and may your presence envelop and permeate all my thoughts and actions. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
PASSAGES FOR PRAYER:
Psalm 15: The Guest of God
Psalm 16: God the Supreme Good
Psalm 23: The Lord, Shepherd and Host
Psalm 84: Desire for the Sanctuary
Psalm 103: Praise of Divine Goodness
Matthew 6: 5-15: Prayer
I Corinthians 2: 6-16: True Wisdom
SPIRITUAL READING:
The Imitation of Christ:
After the Bible, this classic is the most widely read. There are four books and 114 chapters in all. You could savor this book three times over if you read a single chapter each day of the retreat. For this week the following chapters might be useful:
Book I: Useful Reminders for the Spiritual Life:
Chapter 10: Of Avoiding Unnecessary Talk
Chapter 11: Of Finding Peace and Making Spiritual Progress
Chapter 13: Of Resisting Temptations
SCRIPTURAL READING:
The Bible:
It would be even more important for you to become familiar with the Bible, especially with the New Testament. Similarly, beginning with the New Testament you can choose to read a few chapters on a daily basis, and/or the ones recommended during this week.
Old Testament:
Proverbs Chapters 10 through 22:16: First Collection of the Proverbs of Solomon
New Testament:
Matthew: Chapters 5-7: The Sermon on the Mount
Luke: Chapter 6: The Great Discourse
JOURNALING:
· Journal for a few minutes daily about your experience with God in prayer and during the day.
· Your journal will help you with your sharing in spiritual direction
· Gradually patterns of insights, themes, consolations, and resistance to God’s promptings will emerge.
· Your journal will help you appreciate the Holy Spirit's action in your being.
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