MY LEGS WERE PRAYING ....

 

a quote by  Rabbi Abraham Heschel  to ponder:

 

"When I marched with Martin Luther King in Selma,  I felt my legs were praying."

 

 

TWO-WORD PRAYERS

 

 

 

Calm me,  quiet me,  settle me..

Steady me,  balance me,  ground me..

Plant me,  root me,  embed me..

Support me,  sustain me,  protect me..

Forgive me,  pardon me,  free me..

Refresh me,  restore me,   heal me..

Enfold me,  embrace me,   hold me.. 

 

 Lord, hear my prayer today!

 

(These two-word prayers are from Fr. Austin Fleming's daily blog, A Concord Pastor Speaks,  for June 24th)

 

 

PRACTICES IN PRAYER

 

(This reflection by Alice Camille appears in "Exploring the Sunday Readings" for this past Sunday, July 20th.)

 

Scripture:   "The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray."

 

Some people seem to pray as naturally as they breathe.   That may come from long practice, or it may be a special gift they've always had.   But lots of us struggle in prayer, even to surrender fifteen minutes daily to the practice.   This is where rosaries help;  you don't have to come up with the words, just put in the time!  

 

The Liturgy of the Hours is another practice that invites us to give the personal fumbling a rest, and let the professional psalmists show us how it's down.

 

Page-a-day reflection books or e-services may help.

 

Daily Mass is still available in many parishes.

 

Silent meditation may not involve words at all, which for many of us in a word-saturated world is a relief.

 

And, for those who can carry a tune,  Augustine did say that singing is praying twice.

 

But sometimes we have to tell God how we feel, in our own words.   Not because God doesn't know, but because we're compelled to say.   Because sometimes friends must speak, and other friends will listen.   Don't worry about the words.   The Spirit is here to help.  

 

(final questions from Alice Camille:  "What context, formal or informal, assists you in prayer?   How often do you pray in a spontaneous and personal way?")

 

 

 

 

 

 

SETTING ASIDE TIME FOR PRAYER

IDEAS FOR PRAYER --  by Bishop Joseph Siegel

We all can claim that we are too busy to pray.  The reality is that we are all too busy not to pray.   If your parish is blessed to have an Adoration Chapel,  it would be wonderful to visit it each day or even commit to making a Holy Hour each week.

You can make a "shrine" at home,  a quiet corner where you can have a crucifix, an image of Our Lady and other saints to whom you have devotion, your Bible,  rosary, and other prayer books.  Make that your place of prayer.

If you are a morning person,  try to get up a half hour early for your time with the Lord.    If you are a night person, take some time when everyone else has gone to bed.

If you have trouble sitting quietly,  then start with just five minutes and let the time grow.  If we believe that prayer is as essential to our lives as eating and drinking,  then we will find time for it.

Once we make the decision to consciously take more time with the Lord,  we will be amazed how He will touch our lives, and we will feel his presence and influence throughout the day.   He will help us to keep our priorities straight and remain focused on why we do all that we do.

Let's not forget to take time for the Lord and spend quality time in prayer -- individually,  as a family, and of course, with your parish family at Sunday Mass.   Then we will find ourselves truly refreshed and renewed, in body, mind, and spirit.

(These  words by Bishop Siegel, Auxiliary Bishop from Joliet, IL,  appeared in the Summer 2014 Catholic Forester magazine,  p. 15.)