The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. … He has pitched a tent there for the sun, which comes forth like the groom from his bridal chamber and, like a giant, joyfully runs its course. At one end of the heavens it comes forth, and its course is to their other end; nothing escapes its heat” (Psalm 19: 2, 5-7).
COMMUNICATING WITH GOD:
Probably the easiest way to describe prayer would be to call it our relationship to God. How we pray depends on what kind of relationship we have with God. When our relationship is superficial and stagnant, our prayer will tend to be shallow and ritualistic, mere words that don’t really impact our lives and worldview. On the other hand when we have entered into a serious and committed relationship with God, our prayer tends to include God into every dimension of our lives. We are keen on making ourselves subordinate to God’s will in every aspect of our lifestyle. In this kind of intimate relationship with God prayer has become a matter of the heart; it wells up from the depths of our being. Communication has become union and in such an instance prayer has gone beyond methods and rituals. However, until that time it is good to see how Scripture invites us to communicate with God. It is good for us to know as well how holy men and women have prayed and arrived at deep union with God.
GOD AS OUR CREATOR:
The Book of Genesis is central to the understanding of Scripture, especially the story of God’s creation. The story moves inexorably from chaos and void to order and harmony. In this story some of God’s deepest yearnings for humans are revealed. The story moves on with compelling intensity, from one building block to another, laying the groundwork for the grand finale in this awesome scheme of divine planning: the making of humans in God’s very own image and likeness. God empowers us with a sacred mission. We are told that God blessed them, saying: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.” God also said: “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food.” And so it happened. God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good” (Genesis 1: 28-30).
Several truths become apparent from this quote. God saw creation as a very significant event and humans as the crowing jewel. By giving us dominion over creatures God let us know that we were to act on God’s behalf in taking care of creation, much the same way as God would. Secondly, God has made sure to provide for every creature’s every need. God is indeed our Provider par excellence. Lastly, creation is God’s handiwork. Every creature bears God’s imprint. In every creature we can recognize God’s presence and face. Indeed, all of creation is sacred and if we keep our sense faculties wide open and receptive, we will be awed by God’s presence and providence.
PRAYING WITH CREATION:
Scripture encourages us to find God in creation. Several psalms emphasize this method of deepening our relationship with our Creator by looking at the divine handiwork and being overwhelmed by God’s goodness. In Psalm 8 the psalmist cannot fathom the fact that this great God who has made the heavens, the moon and the stars, would then decide to make humans “little less than the angels.” He seems to be awestruck. He then goes on to say that God has given us rule over the work of God’s hands, putting all things under our feet. His final exclamation at the end of the psalm is, “O Lord our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth!” (Psalm 8: 10).
The words of Jesus remind us as well to live our lives without worry because God will never fail to provide for our every need: “Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Which of you by worrying can add a moment to his life-span? As for clothes, why be concerned? Learn a lesson from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work; they do not spin. Yet I assure you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was arrayed like one of these. … The unbelievers are always running after these things. Your heavenly Father knows all that you need. Seek first his kingship over you, his way of holiness, and all these things will be given you besides (Matthew 6: 26-33).
Saint Teresa of Avila advocated the practice of recognizing God’s presence and providence in the marvelous divine handiwork all around us. She believed that meeting God in creatures was an important stepping-stone towards developing a more intimate and personal relationship with God.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola was adamant about seeking and finding God in all things. He encouraged the practice of developing a grateful heart by recognizing God’s generosity and munificence in the way we are constantly provided for on a daily basis.
HELPFUL ATTITUDES FOR PRAYER:
·Probably the easiest way to describe prayer would be to call it our relationship to God. How we pray depends on what kind of relationship we have with God.
·When our relationship is superficial and stagnant, our prayer will tend to be shallow and ritualistic, mere words that don’t really impact our lives and worldview. On the other hand when we have entered into a serious and committed relationship with God, our prayer tends to include God into every dimension of our lives.
·The words of Jesus remind us as well to live our lives without worry because God will never fail to provide for our every need: “Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
·A good relationship hinges on healthy attitudes, two of which are developing a grateful heart and believing that all will be well. Recognizing the loving presence of God in the largesse and bounty we see all around us should help us to develop a grateful heart and trusting spirit.
·Saint Ignatius of Loyola was adamant about seeking and finding God in all things. He encouraged the practice of developing a grateful heart by recognizing God’s generosity and munificence in the way we are constantly provided for daily.
· Prayer cannot be an activity that is either sporadic or limited to certain times of the day or week, if one is serious about developing deep intimacy and union with God. Advanced disciples have developed the practice of living and being constantly in God’s presence. One suitable way of doing this is by learning to recognize God’s love and passion for you by seeing how constantly and overwhelmingly your Creator provides for you.
·An essential feature of your identity as God’s image and likeness is that you have been chosen to be creation’s caretaker, taking God’s place in maintaining and ensuring the permanence of God’s creation handiwork: “God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good (Genesis 1:31).
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, “How important has creation become in revealing to you the Face of God?”
- 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:
Genesis 1: 1-31: The First Story of Creation
Genesis 2: 4-25: The Second Story of Creation
Psalm 8: The Majesty of God and Dignity of Man
Psalm 19: God’s Glory in the Heavens and in the Law
Psalm 33: Praise of the Lord’s Power and Providence
Psalm 145: The Greatness and Goodness of God
Psalm 148: Hymn of All Creation to the Almighty Creator
Matthew 6: 19-34: True Riches
John 1: 1-17: Prologue
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 III: Of Inner Comfort:
Chapter 22: Of remembering God’s Many Blessings
Chapter 31: Of setting aside all Created Things that we may find the Creator
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:
Psalms 8, 19, 29, 33, 93, 96, 139, 145, 148
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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