MERRY CHRISTMAS

(our friary Christmas tree)

 

From all your Franciscan brothers at the Prayer Fraternity here in AVA,  MO -- a Most Blessed Christmas,  a Most Holy Day when we celebrate the birth of our salvation, a Day to unite (or re-unite) hearts with family and friends in prayer that this Prince of Peace will shower his Peace over our un-peaceful world.    May you come to know and love EMMANUEL -- God-with-Us -- in ever newer and deeper ways!   MERRY CHRISTMAS from all of us here!   Thank you for being GIFT in our lives!

 

Grant, we pray, almighty God,

that, as we are bathed in the

new radiance of your incarnate Word, 

the light of faith, which illumines our minds,

may also shine through in our deeds.   

 

(Opening prayer from Christmas Mass at Dawn)

"O" Antiphons for Advent

 

(Advent snow on trees)

 

We are -- again -- grateful to Fr. Austin Fleming -- pastor at a parish in Concord, MA -- for this wonderful reflection for these last 8 days of Advent;  a reflection on the "O Antiphons"  and a prayer to accompany them.

 

In the last seven days of Advent the Church prays with seven "titles" of the Lord in anticipation of celebrating his birth at Christmas.  During this week before Christmas my Pause for Prayer will reflect each day on one of these titles, the first of which is Wisdom; the second, Adonai; the third, Root of Jesse; the fourth, Key of David; the fifth, Radiant Dawn; the sixth, King of All Nations; and the seventh and last, today, Emmanuel...

Isaiah had prophesied, "The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel." (7:14).  Remember that "Emmanuel" means "God with us."


O Emmanuel

Come, Emmanuel, and be true to your name:
be our God-with-us!

God, be with us in war:
and show us the path to peace...

God, be with us in every joy
and show yourself its source...

God, be with us in our grief
and lead us through its darkness to light...

God, be with us in our loneliness
and wrap your arms around us in warmth
and in compassion...

God, be with us in our hopes and dreams
and teach us to trust
that we will have what we truly need...

God, be with us when we fail you
and our neighbor and ourselves:
forgive us and mend us with your mercy...

God, be with us in our weakness:
be strong for us, be strong in us 
and show your strength through us... 

God, be with us in the Church:
in the power of your Spirit lead us to truth
and to peace among ourselves...

God, be with us in our heart of hearts
and teach us to long for all that's yours to give...

Come, Emmanuel, and be true to your name:
God, be with us this Christmas
and in the new year before us...

We rejoice even now
for at the end of all days you will come again,
Emmanuel, God-with-us, 
and you will set us free...

God, be with us in these last hours of Advent
and bring us to the dawn of new life,
the birth of your Son, Jesus,
our brother and our Lord...

Amen.

PRAYING IN MONASTIC TIME

 

 

(a winter, no, well an advent, or fall snowfall)

 

 

PRAYING IN MONASTIC TIME

 

3rd Sunday in Advent:  "Be patient, therefore, until the coming of the Lord"   (James 5:7)

 

(This reflection by Amy Welborn appears in the Third Sunday of Advent and suggests something important by way of our tendencies in prayer to set a pretty rapid pace when we pray.   Maybe we have something to learn from 'monastic time' in prayer.   This appeared in the LIVING WITH CHRIST  missalette for December,  p.  105.)

 

I once gave a talk in a parish on what I call "monastic time."  That is,  prayer in a monastery is much different than in a normal parish, and not just because it happens around the clock.

 

Prayer in a monastery is .... relaxed.   It is deliberate.   There is absolutely no rush.   There are pauses between the lines of prayers and between responses. 

 

At the end of my talk, the pastor suggested that the group pray the Lord's Prayer on "monastic time";  slowly,  pausing between the stanzas.

 

It was hard.   The pull to just jump into the next line without even a breath was fierce and difficult to resist.   But gradually, we fell into the rhythm and learned patience.

 

The pull to see what comes next is strong -- both in prayer and in life.   But the Lord tells us:  patience.   Let go.   In the pauses,  in the silence,  in the waiting,  God is working.

 

Lord,  teach me patience as I wait for you;   teach me patience in my prayer.

 

 

 

PRAYER and 'the flash of a red cardinal'

 

(friary chapel with Advent wreath and colors)

 

 

GOD LEADING US -- IN PRAYER

 

(This reflection was based on Isaiah 48:17:   "I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go."   This was written by Sr. Melannie Svoboda, SND, and appeared as the December 13th reflection on the daily scriptures in the LIVING WITH CHRIST missalette.    www.livingwithchrist.us )

 

Sometimes in life we don't know what to do.   The path we are on changes radically,  ends abruptly,  or is enveloped in darkness.   At such times, how does God lead us?   How does God show us the way?   One way God leads us is through our personal prayer.   By sitting patiently and trustingly in prayer, we sometimes gradually see or feel the next step to take.

 

Other times God leads us through Scripture,    the sacrament of reconciliation,   a line from a spiritual book,  a comment from a good friend,  or even "the flash of a red cardinal against the white snow."  Someone once said,  "The best spiritual director is life itself."   I agree.   God often uses the people and happenings in our daily life to teach us and lead us on the way we should go.  

 

Prayer:   God, help me to be more attentive to all the ways you are teaching and leading me through the people and events in my daily life.

 

 

A BLESSED ADVENT prayer

 

(Advent wreathe in a Franciscan parish)

 

 

May this Advent season be a time to reflect on the many blessings that you have received from the Lord.

 

May each one of your actions reflect the love that you have for God, especially when treating one another.

 

May you be a sign of hope for the sad, the desperate, the lonely, the abandoned, but most especially for those whose faith is weak.

 

May Jesus be born every time you teach, preach, or interact with one another in the places where God has put you.

 

May all your life be blessed now and always.    AMEN

 

(This prayer appeared in Sacred Heart Province's Dec. 3rd newsletter)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving from all the friars at the Interprovincial Formation House in Ava!   LET US BE GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US!

SO HELP ME GOD: a 'hands-on' prayer

 

A HANDS-ON PRAYER:

 

"So help me God."  

 

This traditional conclusion to the oath of truthfulness that includes placing the right hand on the Bible can be an ideal prayer reminder.  This short  "hands-on prayer"  has great possibilities for awakening you to an essential and undeniable reality:  your absolute dependence on God.  

 

To help awaken you to this reality, you might try beginning each task that involves your hands by saying,  "So help me God."     Use that four-word prayer as you grasp the steering wheel of your car,   finger the keyboard of your computer  or   place the kitchen pot on the stove for the evening meal.   "So help me God" is both a prayer to God and a reminder to yourself of your absolute dependence on God.

 

(by Fr. Ed Hays,  in  A Book of Wonders)

A PRAYER FOR VETERANS DAY 2013

Prayer for Veterans Day 2013

God of peace,
we pray for those who have served our nation,
who laid down their lives
to protect and defend our freedom...

We pray for those who have fought,
whose spirits and bodies are scarred by war
and whose nights are haunted by memories
too painful for the light of day...

We pray for those who serve us now,
especially for those in harm's way:
shield them from danger
and bring them home,
soon...

Turn the hearts and minds
of our leaders and our enemies
to the work of justice and a harvest of peace...

Spare the poor, Lord, spare the poor!

May the peace you left us,
the peace you gave us,
be the peace that sustains,
the peace that saves us.

Christ Jesus, hear us!
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer!

Amen.

 

(This Veterans' Day prayer is a gift from our favorite pastor from Concord,  MA)

 

PRAYER WALKS

 

Sr. Jose Hobday,  OSF

 

PRAYER WALKS

 

My mother (a Seneca-Iroquois Native American) used to take me on prayer walks.  She would say:  "We won't talk.  We shall just walk and look and thank God for everything beautiful.  Let's think about how God loves us." 

 

My father (a Southern Baptist), much more comfortable with prayer formulas, was somewhat skeptical of this kind of praying.  One day he asked my mother,  "How do you know she is really praying when you go on those walks?"  

 

And my mother answered,   "How do you know she is not?"

 

(This brief personal story about 'PRAYER WALKS' was told by  Sr. Jose Hobday  in an introduction she wrote for the book:  WHO WE ARE IS HOW WE PRAY:  Matching Personality and Spirituality,   by Dr. Charles J. Keating, published by Twenty-Third Publications.)

NOVEMBER and A GRIEVING PRAYER

 

 

Good morning, gracious God...

November wraps its dampened shroud
'round nature's hunched shoulders:
our souls know well the chill
of summer's passing and winter's drawing near...

Bare limbs scratch against gray skies,
and snatch the mourner's veil
from hearts laid bare in shivering loss,
alone, exposed in grief…

November, Lord: no other month
could better claim the name All Souls
or set the scene for weeping, praying,
rememb'ring those before us gone
and marked with signs of faith…

So this November morning, Lord,
I offer you my loved ones:
created from your hand,
claimed by grace and carried now
in your arms' strong embrace...

I lift to you in prayer today
my family members and friends
who've died, for whom I grieve...

(remember your loved ones here, by name...)

I offer you from my heart's depths
the ones I struggle to let go…

I offer you a prayer of tears
for those whose absence fills my silent hours…

I offer from my hands to yours
the ones whose hands held mine
until you called them home…

I offer from a contrite heart
the ones I bruised and hurt:
I pray that all the wounds I caused
your mercy now might heal...

I offer up a prayer
for those who've none to pray for them:
brothers, sisters never met;
sisters, brothers mine,
for all are one in you...

Receive into your arms, O Lord,
receive into your peace and joy
the souls of those who've gone before
who wait to meet you face to face...

I offer you my grief, O Lord,
refresh me in your tender care;
make deep my trust I'll see again
all those I've lost when,
gathered in your kingdom's joy,
your mercy brings us home...

Beneath November's canopy walk others, Lord,
who know as well as I the depths
of this month's memories,
the souls for whom we pray:
keep us gentle with each other, Lord,
and mindful of what binds us in your love…

Accept my mourning offering, Lord,
this day and through the night
until it dies and wakes again, a new day born,
a day that you have made...

Amen.

(This prayer comes from the blog:  A Concord Pastor Comments;  you can access and subscribe to this blog by googling the name.)

FRIARY RETREAT

 

(Fr. Wayne Hellmann, OFM Conv.)

 

Fr. Wayne Hellmann, a Conventual Franciscan,  who is part of the faculty at St. Louis University in St. Louis, MO,   and a noted Franciscan scholar,  was the presenter for the annual retreat here at the Interprovincial Prayer Fraternity held from October 28 to November 2.    The theme of the retreat was "St. Francis and Prayer" and focused on the number of different prayers that are in the Franciscan sources and attributed to St. Francis of Assisi.  

 

Fr. Wayne began by reflecting upon Francis'  Prayer before the Crucifix, mapped out  the developments that we can find in Francis' own prayer as told by St. Thomas of Celano in his LIFES OF ST. FRANCIS, and then he reflected upon a number of different prayers of St. Francis all leading up to the great Canticle of Creatures that was written by Francis shortly before his death in 1226.

 

As a community, we say THANK YOU to Fr. Wayne for the gift that he gave to us and to the three friars who were also present for the retreat.   We wish him grace and blessings upon his ministry to the students at St. Louis University and to his work for Franciscans around the world.   

 

 

 

   

PRAYER IS NOT A TECHNIQUE

 

PRAYER IS NOT A TECHNIQUE,  BUT A RELATIONSHIP

 

Most of us find it almost impossible not to think of prayer as a special activity in life:  an art that can be taught or learned rather as we can learn to play a musical instrument.   Because of this, some of us are quick to feel we are proficient, others that we are painfully handicapped,  are missing out on some secret or have some lack in our nature which makes prayer difficult if not impossible for us.   We feel there are certain laws governing prayer, and techniques to be mastered, and, when we have got hold of these, we can pray.

 

Thus we tend to look around for the guru,  for the one who has mastered the art and its techniques, and eagerly look to be taught.   When we take up a book or article on prayer,  we shall probably detect, if we stop to think, that we are looking for the key,  the magic formula that is going to put our prayer right, enable us "to make a go" of this mysterious activity called prayer.   We may feel that others seem to take it in their stride but somehow it does not work for us, and anxiously we look hither and thither for someone who will hand us the secret.

 

All this is proof enough that we are overlooking the fundamental fact:  that  prayer is not a technique but a relationship.   There is no handicap,  no obstacle,  no problem.  The only problem is that we do not want God.   We may want a "spiritual life,"  we may want "prayer,"  but we do not want God.  All anyone can do for us, any guru can teach us, is to keep our eyes on Jesus.

 

(This reflection is by  Sr. Ruth Burrows  and appears in her work:   Essence of Prayer.  It appears in the October 30th reflection in GIVE US THIS DAY,  a monthly missalette from Liturgical Press,  www.giveusthisday.org.   Sr. Ruth is a Carmelite nun at Quidenham Monastery in Norfolk, England, and is the author of several best-selling books on spirituality and prayer.)

 

 

PRAYING WITH THE FALL SEASON

 

 

Before you strip the trees of all their color, Lord,
before the branches shed their fallish frocks,
take out your brush once more and camouflage my life...

Blend me in and hide me in the colors all around
and clothe me in a jacket dyed bloodred:
fall's final affirmation, autumn's triumph,
nature signing as the artist on all the work you've done,
your promise of life's victory over any season's passing...

Paint me in the scene and let me see within
the beauty all about me, the colors of your life
bleeding out from my soul's palette, mixed and
brightened in this late October's light...

Camouflage my life in shades and hues of grace, Lord,
and blend me into your embrace as my heart sheds
its fallish frock and looks to winter's coming
and its gray and shorter days...

Clothe my soul in bloodred love
and plant the seeds of spring within where they might sleep
'til light and warmth again will tease and rouse them
and they wake to bloom, springing up,
a garden of your colors, of your beauty...

 

(This picture and reflection comes from a daily blog by a Boston, MA pastor called:   A Concord Pastor Comments;  it includes wonderful daily prayers, reflections on the scriptures, etc   You can go to the website and subscribe to it for free.   It is highly recommended.)

COMPASSIONATE PRAYER

 

WHAT CAN WE LEARN ABOUT COMPASSION AND PRAYER?

 

Compassionate prayer on behalf of others is central to the Bible.  Abraham intercedes for the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah and thereby saves them from God's anger  (Gen. 18:32).  When the Israelites break the covenant of Mt. Sinai by worshiping the golden calf, it is only the intercession of Moses that prevents their destruction (Exod. 32: 11-14)...

 

As  disciples of the compassionate Lord who took upon himself the condition of a slave and suffered death for our sake, there are no boundaries to our prayers.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer expressed this with powerful simplicity when he wrote that to pray for others is to give them "the same right we have received, namely, to stand before Christ and share in his mercy."

 

When we come before God with the needs of the world, then the healing love of God which touches us touches all those whom we bring before him with the same power.  This experience of God's healing love can become so real, so immediate, that at times we can even sense God's healing grace in the lives of others., although they may be far away physically, mentally, or spiritually.

 

Thus compassionate prayer does not encourage us to flee from people and their concrete problems into a self-serving individualism.   By deepening our awareness of our common suffering, it draws us all closer together in the healing presence of God.  It reaches out not only to those whom we love and admire, but also to those whom we consider our enemies.

 

Prayer cannot exist together with hostile feelings.   The fruit of prayer is always love.   In prayer, even the unprincipled dictator and the vicious torturer can no longer remain the objects of our fear, hatred, and revenge, because when we pray, we stand at the center of the great mystery of divine compassion.

 

 

(reflection is by Fr. Henri Nouwen and appears in his work:  "Anchored in God through Prayer")

PRAYER NEEDS A COMMUNITY OF FAITH

 

( a picture of the friars and the hermits at Nazareth Hermitage)

 

Prayer and its need for a Community of Faith

 

Just because prayer is so personal and arises from the center of our life, it is to be shared with others.   Just because prayer is the most precious expression of being human, it needs the constant support and protection of the community to grow and flower.   Just because prayer is our highest vocation needing careful attention and faithful perseverance, we cannot allow it to be a private affair.  Just because prayer asks for a patient waiting in expectation, it should never become the most individualistic expression of the most individualistic emotion, but should always remain embedded in the life of the community of which we are part.

 

Prayer as a hopeful and joyful waiting for God is a really unhuman or superhuman task unless we realize that we do not have to wait alone.  In the community of faith we can find the climate and the support to sustain and deepen our prayer, and we are enabled to constantly look forward beyond our immediate and often narrowing private needs.  The community of faith offers the protective boundaries within which we can listen to our deepest longings, not to indulge in morbid introspection, but to find our God to whom they point.   In the community of faith we can listen to our feelings of loneliness, to our desires for an embrace or a kiss, to our sexual urges, to our cravings for sympathy, compassion, or just a good word;  also to our search for insight and to our hope for companionship and friendship.  In the community of faith we can listen to all these longings and find the courage, not to avoid them or cover them up, but to confront them in order to discern God's presence in their midst.   There we can affirm each other in our waiting and also in the realization that in the center of our waiting the first intimacy with God is found.   There we can be patiently together and let the suffering of each day convert our illusions  into the prayer of a contrite people.   The community of faith is indeed the climate and source of all prayer. 

 

(quote by Fr. Henri Nouwen in his book,   Reaching Out,  copyright 1975.)

FALL IS COMING TO AVA

 

FALL AND ITS COLORFUL VESTURES IS ARRIVING AT OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS FRIARY AND THE MONASTERY GROUNDS!    WISH YOU WERE HERE TO ENJOY IT WITH US!

 

 

 

 

PRAYER and ACTION quote

PRAYER  &   ACTION

 

"Prayer ought to carry over into our words, our thoughts, and our actions.   We must strive to reflect on whatever we ask or promise."

 

(Quote by St. Marguerite Bourgeoys)

 

 

PRAYER AS ALL OF LIFE

(Bryant Creek -- a favorite place for retreatants to pray)

 

 

PRAYER AS ALL OF LIFE

 

When we think about prayer, we usually regard it as one of the many things we do to live a full and mature Christian life ...  If we are fervent in our conviction that prayer is important, we might even be willing to give a whole hour to prayer every day,   or a whole day every month,  or a whole week every year.   Thus prayer becomes a part, a very important part, of our life.

 

But when the apostle Paul speaks about prayer,  he uses a very different language.  He does not speak about prayer as a part of life, but as all of life.  He does not mention prayer as something we should not forget, but claims it is our ongoing concern.   He does not exhort his readers to pray once in a while, regularly, or often, but without hesitation admonishes them to pray constantly, unceasingly, without interruption.   Paul does not ask us to spend some of every day in prayer.    No,  Paul is much more radical.    He asks us to pray day and night, in joy and in sorrow, at work and at play, without intermissions or breaks.   For Paul, praying is like breathing.  It cannot be interrupted without moral danger.

 

(This quote is by Henri Nouwen and is from his book,  Clowning in Rome,  published in 1979  by Doubleday, a division of Random House.)

 

 

Preparing for Prayer by Creating the Space for Quiet

 

 

CREATING A PLACE FOR INNER STILLNESS

 

"Through a rhythm of quieting and "stilling," of systematic preparation for prayer, we can attune ourselves to the mystery within us.  

 

Contemplation begins with the quieting of one's whole lifestyle and being.  

 

The following exercise will help you to cultivate this habit of inner stillness.

 

1.       Prepare yourself.   Sit, kneel, or lie for awhile in a quiet, comfortable place.  Perhaps you'll choose a chair with a straight back;  perhaps you'll take a cup of tea out on the back porch.   Be comfortable.   Be alone.   Slow down.

 

2.      Be aware.    Notice what is around you.   Observe how you are feeling.  Systematically focus your attention on each part of your body:  shoulders,  neck,  arms,  hands,  stomach,  feet ....  tell each part to relax.

 

3.      Breathe.    Take four long breaths.   These can help you distance yourself from the speed and confusion of the office,  of getting kids off to school,  or of dealing with traffic.

 

(This reflection is by Sr. Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP, and appears on page 18 in her book:  BEGINNING CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER:  Out of Chaos into Quiet.   The book is published by Servant Books. an imprint of St. Anthony Messenger Press.)

HAPPY ST. FRANCIS FEAST DAY to you

(Transitus service on Oct. 3, 2013)

 

 

from the friars here at OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS PRAYER FRATERNITY:

 

 

A BLESSED FEAST OF ST. FRANCIS to you!

 

    Let us ask St. Francis to bring PEACE to the troubled parts of our world!

    Let us ask St. Francis to continue BLESSINGS for his namesake, Pope Francis!

    Let us ask St. Francis to bless our Franciscan Family all over the world!

    Let us ask St. Francis to teach us all how to love ALL OF GOD'S CREATION!

    Let us ask St. Francis to continue to RENEW OUR CHURCH in all sorts of ways!

    Let us ask St. Francis to show us the WAY TO ETERNAL life!

 

 

Prayer Quote from St. Teresa of Avila

 

St. Teresa of Avila:

 

"Prayer is, in my  opinion, nothing else than a close sharing between friends;  it means taking the time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us."

 

 

POPE FRANCIS & 'courageous prayer'

 

MORE from Pope Francis on 'Prayer'

 

(This comment appeared in the June/July 2013 issue of INSIDE THE VATICAN  -- www.insidethevatican.  It  is written by Angela Ambrogetti and appeared in an article entitled:  Homilies from the Heart ;  pp. 12-13.)  

 

 

Pope Francis is creating his own small school of prayer.   He encourages all Catholics to engage in "a courageous prayer,"  a prayer that "struggles to achieve a miracle, not prayers of courtesy.   'Ah, I will pray for you.'   I say an Our Father,  a Hail Mary, and then I forget.

 

No:   a courageous prayer, like that of Abraham, who struggled with the Lord to save a city;  like that of Moses, who held his hands high and tired himself out, praying to the Lord;  like that of many people, so many people who have faith and pray with faith."

 

 

 

Pope Francis and Prayer

(Pope Francis on the day of his election being introduced in Vatican Square)

 

 

POPE FRANCIS and PRAYER

 

In the September 30, 2013 issue of AMERICA magazine, there was an extensive interview with Pope Francis by a fellow Jesuit, Antonio Spadaro, SJ;  at the end of the interview,  Pope Francis was asked about his preferred way to pray; this was his response:

 

"I pray the breviary every morning.  I like to pray with the psalms.  Then, later, I celebrate Mass.  I pray the Rosary.  What I really prefer is adoration in the evening, even when I get distracted and think of other things, or even fall asleep praying.   In the evening, then, between seven and eight o'clock,  I stay in front of the Blessed Sacrament for an hour in adoration.  But I pray mentally even when I am waiting at the dentist or at other times of the day.

 

"Prayer for me is always a prayer full of memory,  of recollection, even the memory of my own history or what the Lord has done in his church or in a particular parish.  For me it is the memory of which St. Ignatius speaks in the First Week of the Exercises in the encounter with the merciful Christ crucified.  And I ask myself:  'What have I done for Christ?  What am I doing for Christ?   What should I do for Christ?'   It is the memory of which Ignatius speaks in the 'Contemplation for Experiencing Divine Love,' when he asks us to recall the gifts we have received.   But above all, I also know that the Lord remembers me.   I can forget about him, but I know that he never, ever forgets me.   Memory has a fundamental role for the heart of a Jesuit;  memory of grace, the memory mentioned in Deuteronomy, the memory of God's works that are the basis of the covenant between God and the people.  It is this memory that makes me his son and that makes me a father, too."   

 

 

PRAYING IN THE GROCERY STORY

(produce and herbs from the friary garden)

 

AN EXERCISE IN GRATITUDE

 

"Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."   (Colossians 3:17)

 

Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D., writes a reflection  on Paul's words to the Colossians in the daily devotional:  LIVING FAITH that we might take with us grocery shopping.  You might want to read the whole passage from St. Paul for today:  Colossians 3:12-17.   It's always a rich scripture text to bring to prayer. 

 

"Three times today St. Paul tells the Colossians to be thankful.   Gratitude is the hallmark of our faith.

 

For me, grocery shopping is an exercise in gratitude.  As I enter the store, I remind myself how lucky I am to have so much food readily available.  As I push my cart through the produce section, I marvel at the beautiful array of apples, oranges, bananas, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, corn.   And I pray for all those individuals who played a part in bringing this precious food to this store -- farmers, pickers, processors, truck drivers.   Rather than always complaining about the prices,  I try to thank God that I can still afford to buy good food -- and I pray for those who can't.   Every week I also try to buy a few non-perishables for our church's food pantry.   When I get home and put all the groceries away, I always have a deep sense of just how blessed I really am.

 

What experiences evoke gratitude in you?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

HENRY NOUWEN ON 'PRAYER'

PRAYER as  THE ONLY NECESSARY THING

 

Since Henri Nouwen's death in 1996,  his Henri Nouwen Society has continued to make access to his writings, etc. available;  in the book THE ONLY NECESSARY THING:  Living a Prayerful Life, we are greeted with an INVITATION on page 25 that is worth pondering:

 

"The invitation to a life of prayer is the invitation to live in the midst of this world without being caught in the net of wounds and needs.   The word "prayer" stands for a radical interruption of the vicious chain of interlocking dependencies leading to violence and war and for an entering into a totally new dwelling place.   It points to a new way of speaking, a new way of breathing, a new way of being together,  a new way of knowing, yes, a whole new way of living.

 

It is not easy to express the radical change that prayer represents, since for many the word "prayer" is associated with piety, talking to God, thinking about God, morning and evening exercises, Sunday services, grace before meals, sentences from the Bible, and many other things.   All of these have something to do with prayer, but when I speak about prayer .... I speak first of all about moving away from the dwelling place of those who hate peace into the house of God .....  Prayer is the center of the Christian life.   It is the only necessary thing (Luke 10:42).   It is living with God here and now."   

PRAYER; 'LORD, TAKE OVER'

 

LORD, TAKE OVER

 

One of my favorite prayers is only three words long,  and I feel the need to say it often;  "Lord, take over."   I need God's guidance and inspiration to help me make good decisions.  I need him to take over so I can give to others what they need from me.   My experience has taught me that I cannot do this by myself.   The insights must come from God.

 

The good news is that God's guiding wisdom is within all of us.  The bad news is that we're often unaware of its presence in our minds and hearts.  It seems that we can only discover this if we're willing to spend time silently with God.   In silent attentive prayer, we learn how to recognize and accept the guidance that God wants to give.

 

(This reflection appeared in the LIVING FAITH daily devotional;  it is written by Fr. Kenneth E. Grabner, C.S.C.)

JOY AND PRAYER

 

JOY AND PRAYER

 

"I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete."    That's Jesus in the Gospel of John   (15:11).   Do we believe him?

 

Joy runs like a bright thread through the Old and New Testaments.   Abraham and Sarah laugh for joy at the improbable birth of their son Isaac.   The very first word of the very first psalm is "happy."   Jesus speaks of joy, the disciples experience joy at the resurrection,  and St. Paul lists joy as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.   So why do we have a hard time including joy in our prayer?

 

Perhaps because we sometimes forget that Jesus of Nazareth was joyful, delighting in the company of children,  enjoying himself at wedding parties,  and visiting friends like Mary and Martha and Lazarus.   He is not just the "Man of Sorrows" but the "Man of Joys."

 

So the next time you pray,  why not make a list of the things that bring you joy?   That list could include something funny that your children or grandchildren,  or nieces or nephews, said to you.   Or things that consistently cause joy, like the good human of a close friend.  Or the deep-down knowledge that Christ is risen and that he has promised to be with you always.   Make a "joy inventory," and then share that with God in prayer.   Think of God listening to you and being joyful with you in turn.

 

Smile with God, and imagine God smiling with you.   And let your joy be complete.

 

 (written by Fr. James Martin, SJ,  p. 7 in the August issue of GIVE US THIS DAY, a daily missalette from Liturgical Press.) 

PRAYING FAITHFULLY, even with the monkeys

PRAYING FAITHFULLY

 

(This reflection was written by Sr. Chris Koellhoffer, IHM, for the daily Catholic devotional:  LIVING FAITH - written for the August 31st readings, it offers an important reflection for us about distractions and other issues that arise in our prayer lives.)

 

At the conclusion of a contemplative prayer session I was leading, a woman approached and asked if I might share with her what was unfolding in me as I sat in perfect stillness in the chapel.   After a pause,  I replied,  "Monkeys."   In response to her rather confused expression, I explained that, although exteriorly I may appear to be centered and quiet in prayer,  I continually struggle with what the Buddhists call "monkey mind," that interior chatter that goes on within me when I engage in meditation, as if a dozen monkeys were all clamoring for attention.

 

Years ago I was quite discouraged at my failure to silence the monkey mind and live a tranquil prayer life.   With wisdom,  I've come to believe that God calls us not to perfection, but to faithfulness, to continually starting over, starting fresh, starting anew, and not giving up.

THE SUNFLOWER PRAYER

(sunflower in the friary garden)

 

THE SUNFLOWER PRAYER

 

I turn my face to you, O Lord,

Source of all light,

Source of all living.

 

Small though I may be,

Meager my offerings,

I stretch out my arms to offer You

All that I have, all that I am.

Though my soul be weak and weary,

Bent by heat and wind and rain,

I am your humble servant, Lord.

May my simple gifts be pleasing in your sight.

 

Guide my growth with gentle hands, O Lord.

Feed me full with your sustaining light.

Quench my thirst, O radiant Life-giver.

Raise me to thrive, steady and sure,

On your infinite love and mercy.

 

And when, at last, my little life has passed again to earth,

Gather me to your heart and set me at your table,

that I may gaze forever, Lord --

O Light,  O Love,  O Infinite Life --

On your ever glorious face.

 

(This poem was composed by Julie L. Rattey and appeared in the March 2009  CATHOLIC DIGEST)

NEW LOOK AT THE FRIARY

(main building with chapel  &  guest rooms)

 

This summer found the friars here at Our Lady of the Angels rolling up the sleeves and attending to the needs of our 40 + year old buildings;   all the buildings were pressure washed, a wall was taken off and replaced in the two story section, and the main building and the guest wing were stained and water sealed.    Br. Steve Dupuis, OFM and his maintenance crew from the Franciscan parish in Greenwood, MS came and spent a week doing the largest part of the project.   The remainder of the job (the 3 smaller buildings need to be stained and water sealed and another wall needs to be replaced) will hopefully be done sometime in 2014.

 

 

IMAGES OF GOD AND PRAYER

IMAGES OF GOD AND PRAYER

 

What's your favorite image of God?   Creator?   Source of All Being?   Father?  Mother?

 

Our images of God naturally influence our relationship with God in prayer.   For example, if you think of God as angry or vengeful, it may be difficult to be open and honest in prayer or to feel intimacy with God.   In my experience,  people sometimes relate to God in the ways they have related to other authority figures in their lives.   If your parents or teachers were demanding, you may be inclined to see God as demanding.   But this can severely limit our understanding of God because, needless to say,  God is not our mother or father.  God is always bigger than our experiences,  and our imaginations, too.

 

One all-too-common image is God as the unforgiving judge, ready to pounce on you for the slightest transgression.   Yet in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus presents us with a completely different image (Luke 15: 11-32) .  The father welcomes home his wayward son not with condemnation and vengeance but with love and mercy.   And for those who have a difficult time imagining God,  I always suggest the same thing:   Look at Jesus in the Gospels.   Look at Jesus and you will see God.

 

Over time, our images of God may change, which is all to the good.   As the Jesuit Carlos Valles wrote:  "If you always imagine God in the same way,  no matter how true and beautiful it may be, you will not be able to receive the gift of the new ways God has ready for you." 

 

(This reflection is by Fr. James Martin, SJ,  and appears in the July issue of  GIVE US THIS DAY,  p. 7, a  missalette published by Liturgical Press -- www.giveusthisday.org)

 

MUSIC AND PRAYER

"GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD ON THE HARP;
WITH THE TEN-STRINGED LYRE CHANT HIS PRAISES.
SING TO HIM A NEW SONG;  PLUCK THE STRINGS SKILLFULLY,
WITH SHOUTS OF GLADNESS."   (Psalm 33: 2-3)

PSALM 33 urges us to use music with our prayer and worship.   It tells us to give thanks on the harp,  to pluck the strings of the lyre skillfully, and to sing a new song to God.   Some anthropologists believe the origin of all music lies in religious worship.   For many people,  music enhances prayer -- or even becomes prayer itself.  

Take time today to listen to a favorite religious piece.   Or simply sing or hum one of your favorite church hymns.  Or listen to any so-called "secular" song that speaks to your heart and raises your thoughts to God.    "God of melody, cadence, and song, thank you for music."

(This reflection appears as the reflection on the readings for today, July 10th,  in the LIVING WITH CHRIST missalette,  p.  94)

Happy 4thof July

(fireworks over our Douglas County, MO)


A PRAYER FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY

God,  Source of all Freedom,
this day is bright with the memory
of those who declared that life and liberty
are your gift to every human being.
Help us to continue a good work begun long ago.
Make our vision clear and our will strong:
that only in human solidarity will we find liberty,
and justice only in the honor that belongs
to every life on earth.
Turn our hearts toward the family of nations:
to understand the ways of others,
to offer friendship,
and to find safety only in the common good of all.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.   AMEN.


(from    CATHOLIC HOUSEHOLD BLESSINGS & PRAYERS)

A REFLECTION TO PRAY WITH!

THE TREASURE OF THE HEART
         (read:  Matthew  6: 19-23)

Nothing is more practical than finding God,
than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way.

What you are in love with,  what seizes your imagination,
will affect everything.

It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,  how you spend your weekends,
what you read,  whom you know,  what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in Love,   stay in love,   and it will decided everything.

(This reflection is by Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., former Father General of the Jesuits)

THE HEART OF PRAYER

WHAT IS AT THE HEART OF OUR PRAYER?

The Gospel for today is Matthew's  THE LORD'S PRAYER  (Mt: 6: 7-15);  in a  short reflection on the readings for today in the LIVING WITH CHRIST missalette, p. 141,  we read:

Jesus reminds us that real prayer is not about the number of words we use.   God doesn't need all those words:   God already knows what we need before we even ask.   Rather, our prayer should open us to acknowledging God as God -- and to acknowledging our fundamental dependence on God.  Let us also ask God to help us forgive the sins of others so that we might be forgiven for our own sins.   Just as love of God and love of neighbor are the heart of the Law,  acknowledging God as God and learning to forgive are the heart of prayer.

(Fr. Donald Espinosa, AA)

PRAYER AND PERFECTION

(closer view of day lilies in front of friary)

"So,  be perfect,  just as your heavenly Father is perfect."    Matthew  5:48

BECOMING PERFECT -- authenticity in prayer

For a long time, today's Gospel was a stumbling block for me.  Then, one day,  I suddenly remembered advice I was given many years ago, that a good way to judge the authenticity of prayer was to ask:  "Am I paying attention to God or to myself?"

If I pay attention to myself I see someone trying hard to be perfect but becoming trapped in perfectionism.   I see someone striving to be good but becoming discouraged and cynical.   I see someone whose painful efforts to be charitable yield a pitiful, meager harvest, a few good deeds scattered among a thorny litany of excuses.

But if I pay attention to God I become less interested in myself and my religiosity.  I begin to enjoy what Julian of Norwich called the "courteous love" of Jesus.  I begin to see how his love sustains all of creation, the just and unjust alike.  The longer I look at God, the more I rejoice in the goodness of the Creator, the easier it becomes to pray for my enemy, to greet with joy the brother or sister I do not love.   Slowly and hesitantly my tongue is loosed and I begin to sing with the psalmist,  "Praise the Lord, my soul!"

We were created to praise, and when we become what we are meant to be,  then we will be perfect.  It may happen today or at the hour of our death or after the longing of purgatory, but we will become perfect, because that is God's will for us.

(reflection above is by Rachelle Linner and appears on page 201 in the June 2013 issue of GIVE US THIS DAY, a daily missalette from Liturgical Press)

JUNE LOOK

DAY LILIES ARE IN FULL BLOOM IN FRONT OF CHAPEL

PRAISE OF CREATION

(red hot poker and lily)

 

Spring into summer always brings lots of flowers to the Ozarks;  along with spring rains (tornadoes, too), mild to warm to hot temperatures, lots of green and all the colors of God's splendor.   How do we let this lead us to wonder and awe  -- and prayer?

 

I thank you, O God, for the pleasures you have given me through my senses;  for the glory of thunder,  for the mystery of music,  the singing of birds and the laughter of children.  I thank you for the delights of color, the awe of the sunset, the wild roses in the hedgerows, the smile of friendship.   I thank you for the sweetness of flowers and the scent of hay.   Truly, O Lord, the earth is full of your riches.

 

( prayer by Edward King  -- 1829-1910   --  taken from THE BOOK OF A THOUSAND PRAYERS  by  Angela Ashwin,  p. 87)

 

 

 

PRAYERS of PRAISE AND GRATEFULNESS

(dam at Rockbridge grist mill)

 

LIFE PRAYERS  -- now praise and gratefulness: 

 

Over the course of our life we continually offer up prayers -- whether we call them that or not -- prayers spontaneous and urgent,  prayers written and thoughtful,  prayers of petition and of peace.  These are our life prayers.   They express our deepest intentions, values, and wishes.  Their scope and beauty are in evidence throughout the pages of this book,  LIFE PRAYERS from around the world.   Now, in this final chapter, we turn to what has been called the very heart of prayer:  praise and gratefulness.

 

In a world that puts great value on material acquisitions, progress, and power, why praise the Earth?   Why give thanks?   It has been said that praise and gratefulness complete creation.   When our hearts receive the beauty of the world, then the circle of gifting is complete, and we become fully present to life.

 

This simple grace reminds us that the food we eat and the life we are given become a blessing when we are thankful.   Our gratitude transforms the world from objects and mundane experiences to blessings  -- it sacralizes the world.  Our joy in the beauty of the Earth is an essential part of that beauty.

 

Prayers of gratitude and praise are a gateway through which this beauty enters our lives.   They give us a common vision of the wondrous blue-green planet that is our home.   We are born of the Earth.   The Earth is our origin, our nourishment, our support, and the container of all spiritual revelation.  Our spirituality itself has arisen from the spirituality of the Earth.   We are totally implicated  in one another's presence and identities. 

 

Touched by gratitude we realize that we belong here, and in our mutual dependence we are freed to love this world wholeheartedly.  It may be that the greatest gift we humans can give the rest of creation is our love and our heartfelt appreciation.  Our love is as essential a part of life's give-and-take as the cycles of water and oxygen or any other nourishment flowing through the biosphere.  And for millennia prayers and songs of praise have been offered up to celebrate the miracle of existence:

 

...I know nothing else but miracles .... To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,  every cubic inch of space is a miracle, every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with miracles.   Every foot of the interior warms with miracles.  (Walt Whitman)

 

May our voices join in this lineage of prayer celebrating the ordinary miracles of our lives!

 

(except taken from LIFE PRAYERS,  by Elizabeth Roberts & Elias Amidon,  published by Harper One in 1996,)

 

 

SPRING & DOGWOODS IN AVA

 

Springtime and dogwoods are pretty synonymous here in southern Missouri!

 

What was unusual about this year was SNOW AND SLEET the first week of May;  though nothing compared to the snow blanketing the upper Midwest yet into May.

 

Creation is always full of surprises;  as is our CREATOR!   No surprise!

 

 

DESIRES IN PRAYER

DESIRES IN PRAYER   by  Fr. James Martin, SJ

 

Desire is an essential part of a healthy spiritual life.   For in our deepest desires God's desires for us are revealed.   A married couple, for instance, is drawn together out of multiple desires -- physical, emotional, spiritual -- in order to live a life of mutual love.   Desire plays a critical part in discerning any vocation:  a particular job or profession, or the priesthood or religious life.

 

So pay attention to the holy desires that arise in prayer.   You may experience a longing to follow Jesus more closely.  To emulate one of the saints.  Or simply to become a more loving person.   This is one reason why St. Ignatius Loyola asks us to "pray for what you want and desire" when approaching God:   your holy desires reveal God's desires for you.   And over time,  you'll gradually learn how to discern between selfish wants (I want a new smartphone)  and holy desires  (I want to become a better Christian).

 

It's also important to pray for the simpler things you desire, as long as they are not immoral.  Sometimes Catholics feel guilty about praying for healing from an illness, for example.   But asking humbly for what you desire is part of being honest with God.

 

Ultimately, your deepest desire is for God.   the insatiable longing for union with the divine comes from the core of your being.   And that longing is planted within you by God.   For God's deep desire is union with you.

 

(This meditation on 'desires' in prayer appeared in the April issue of GIVE US THIS DAY,  a monthly missalette published by Liturgical Press in Collegeville, MN:   www.giveusthisday.org.)

PRAY A SIMPLE PRAYER

 

May I be held safe in the arms of God!

May I be open to God's guiding presence!

May I be an instrument of peace at all times!

 

Sr. Helen Cote in Holding on to Hope writes these thoughts  (they appear in GIVE US THIS DAY as the 4/13/13 meditation):

 

Fear, panic, and anxiety touch each of us at certain times in our lives.  For some people these emotions are especially frightening because they open the door to a place of great darkness.  It is no wonder the words "be not afraid" and  "fear not"  are written 365 times in Scripture.   In our fragile human existence, we need daily confirmations of God's presence and provident care.

 

God is indeed present in every cell of our body and is as close to us as our very breath.   Breathing is as essential to spiritual life as it is to physical life.   When we panic,  we forget to breathe.   And so, one way of reminding ourselves that we are always in the presence of the Holy One is to stop, breathe, and listen.

 

Stop whatever you are doing and put a halt to the chatter in your mind.

 

Breathe deeply....

 

Listen to the voice of Holy Wisdom from deep within you.....

 

Pray a simple prayer ....

 

May I be held safe in the arms of God!

May I be open to God's guiding presence!

May I be an instrument of peace at all times!

 

 

 

 

PRAYING THE TRUTH

(chapel here at Ava)

 

 

DEEPENING YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH HONEST PRAYER

 

I believe that God wants a personal relationship, an adult friendship, with each of us and that prayer is the best way of engaging in that friendship.  By prayer I mean what occurs when I am conscious in some way of God's presence.  So prayer can be as simple as watching a child trying to speak words, looking at sunlight glancing off snow-covered trees, playing with your dog, feeling the wind on your face, hearing birds sing, smelling bacon sizzling in a frying pan, looking at someone you love;  all can be prayer if you're aware of God's presence as you take in these experiences.

 

For Lent of 2010 I decided to ask God every day:  "What do you want for our friendship?"   Almost as soon as I began to focus on this question, I felt God's love for me, and then experienced some tangible examples for that love both in prayer and daily life.   I took these experiences as God's response.   Then my prayer took its usual route of distractions about worries or things to do;  when I noticed this and turned back to God,  I said something like this,  "There I go again."   God seemed to reply,  "Why don't you talk to me about these distractions."    When I did, I noticed how the concerns evaporated;  moreover,  I often knew how to approach, in a more positive and less absorbed way, what I was going to do or the people I was concerned about.  When I began to talk to God about my distractions, they were no longer distractions;  they became openings to dialogue and greater transparency with God.

 

So, in this book, I intend to engage in a conversation with you about what it might mean for your prayer life to engage in a friendship with God, a friendship God wants very much.   To grow in that friendship, you and God will have to tell the truth to each other.  In the process, I believe, you will find yourself slowly transformed.

 

(The quote above in an excerpt from a new book by Fr. William A. Barry, S.J., entitled:  PRAYING THE TRUTH.   It is published by Loyola Press.)