Our Heart Must Enter Into It

by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

"Why in our fear of not praying as we should, do we turn to so many things, to find what we should pray for? Why do we not say instead, in the words of the psalm: I have asked one thing from the Lord, this is what I will seek: to dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, to see the graciousness of the Lord, and to visit his temple?"

Very often, especially on a quiet day at home, I feel the desire to pray, but I do not know what to pray. Instead of praying a short mental prayer or whatever comes to mind, at that moment, I look for my prayer book, get distracted on the way to the prayer book, and go off to pursue some other tangent. The desire to pray is forgotten. It is an opportunity lost in answering God's call to His servant.

But then the Lord gives us this beautiful invitation: "There, the days do not come and go in succession, and the beginning of one day does not mean the end of another; all days are one, simultaneously and without end, and the life lived out in these days has itself no end." The Lord is talking about His temple, His home in heaven. St. Augustine goes on: "So that we might obtain this life of happiness, he who is true life itself taught us to pray, not in many words as though speaking longer could gain us a hearing. After all, we pray to one who, as the Lord himself tells us, knows what we need before we ask for it. Why he should ask us to pray, when he knows what we need before we ask him, may perplex us if we do not realize that our Lord and God does not want to know what we want." (1)

Our Lord and God does not want to know what we want. He knows what we need. He did not create us in order for us to tell Him what we want, but he created us, in His image, as men and women eager to follow His Commands and to spread the Good News to others.

Of course we can pray for an intention. We can ask for good health for us and for each other, or for our family or friends, but, as the psalmist says, "I have asked one thing from the Lord, this is what I will seek: to dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of my life"... Because, my friends, that's really what it's all about... Salvation. Some people subscribe to the notion that once you give yourself to the Lord you are saved. Once you accept His Cross, you are redeemed. Yes, but it goes deeper than that... If you love the Lord Our God, it is also necessary to live a life filled with His goodness, be an example to others of God's peace within us. Our heart must enter into it.

If you feel the urge to pray, DO IT. Don't let distraction take you somewhere else. But if you can't find the starting point, don't become anxious. Ask Jesus, "Lord what would you have me say to you?" Let Him tell you what he wants. One of the first things I ask for in the morning is that He be with me that day. That he walk with me that day wherever I may go. And He'll often do that. I feel it in my demeanor. When He's with me, I don't get into temper tantrums when things don't go my way. Up until two weeks ago, when I first got the idea to ask Him to be with me on a daily basis, I used to get very upset when little things didn't go my way. I'm not doing that anymore, and I feel a great deal more peaceful now. I even, at times, feel the sensation that I am smiling, even laughing out loud at things that used to upset me not that long ago. Praise the Lord. We should praise Him more often. He does many things for us and he deserves our appreciation. He doesn't need our thanks but I think it's nice to be happy about the many favors He brings to us.

Whatever you do, reactions to what happens during the day, our heart must be in it. What I mean is that it cannot be automatic, but we must be genuine in what we do. That's true in how we treat others as well. Be "natural", smile often,

and as St. Francis said, many words aren't necessary. We teach by example, by our behavior, backed up by a thorough knowledge of His Word (Holy Scripture). From Gospel to Life...from Life to Gospel!

Peace and Good
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
10/30/2021

1. From a Letter to Proba, by St. Augustus of Hippo