Jesus calls us to “pray always, without becoming weary.” Prayer has “reverently” been described as wasting time with God…I like to think of it as a “blessed” waste of time. Our Scripture this weekend offers us an opportunity to think about “prayer”…to reflect on our relationship with God.
One thing I have come to believe is that God desperately desires us to engage with Him. God loves us deeply and passionately, just the way we are, and desires us, for we are “God’s beloved”!
And because we are God’s beloved, God wants to communicate to us, to commune with us…and this communication and communing, we call prayer. Prayer happens when we are willing to open our hearts and minds to God’s presence…right in the midst of the ordinariness of our daily lives. God seeks us out but we have to stop running…we need to sit down and just “waste time” with God.
We are called to engage in the mystery of the Divine indwelling, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, within each one of us! Think about that; sit with that sacred reality, that God is very truly within each one of us, as we are the temples of the Holy Spirit! How does that truth of Divine indwelling shape my life, how does it shape my relationships with others, how does it shape my relationship with God, and with how I see and understand myself?
How much time have I “wasted” with God lately? What could I do to deepen my prayer life? Especially now in the midst of
this political chaos that we are struggling through. We need to draw nearer to God more than ever, to draw strength and
guidance on how to navigate this chaos.
How does God most often speak to me…through the celebration of the Eucharist, through listening to music, through nature, perhaps through a loving relationship I experience God’s love, maybe in and through caring for others, or simply by sitting in the silence?
Jesus exhorts us to “pray always, without becoming weary.” So, can I fit 5 minutes, 5 times a day into my busy schedule to acknowledge God’s presence, just to turn my attention to God’s presence within me and around me?
As we think about praying throughout the day, often we say, my day is so full and it just gets away from me. One suggestion might be to schedule it on your smart phone, just like you would schedule a meeting, or dinner or lunch with friends. Or put a post-it-note in a place that you will see often throughout the day that reminds you to take five minutes to acknowledge God’s presence, within you and around you. A few minutes to ask for help if you need it, to reflect on what you are grateful for in your life, in that day and to say “thank you” to God.
It is about taking a few minutes to connect with God. It is a way of keeping God at the center of our day and at the center of our life. It can have an amazing impact on the quality of our relationship with God and the quality of our relationships with others.
Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray always because he knew that it would continue to deepen their relationship him and transform their lives. And it can do the same for us, especially in these dark and difficult times.
May God’s most abundant blessings be upon us and our nation and may our leaders minds and hearts be opened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as they govern and make decisions for our country’s future.
Fr. Tim
One thing I have come to believe is that God desperately desires us to engage with Him. God loves us deeply and passionately, just the way we are, and desires us, for we are “God’s beloved”!
And because we are God’s beloved, God wants to communicate to us, to commune with us…and this communication and communing, we call prayer. Prayer happens when we are willing to open our hearts and minds to God’s presence…right in the midst of the ordinariness of our daily lives. God seeks us out but we have to stop running…we need to sit down and just “waste time” with God.
We are called to engage in the mystery of the Divine indwelling, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, within each one of us! Think about that; sit with that sacred reality, that God is very truly within each one of us, as we are the temples of the Holy Spirit! How does that truth of Divine indwelling shape my life, how does it shape my relationships with others, how does it shape my relationship with God, and with how I see and understand myself?
How much time have I “wasted” with God lately? What could I do to deepen my prayer life? Especially now in the midst of
this political chaos that we are struggling through. We need to draw nearer to God more than ever, to draw strength and
guidance on how to navigate this chaos.
How does God most often speak to me…through the celebration of the Eucharist, through listening to music, through nature, perhaps through a loving relationship I experience God’s love, maybe in and through caring for others, or simply by sitting in the silence?
Jesus exhorts us to “pray always, without becoming weary.” So, can I fit 5 minutes, 5 times a day into my busy schedule to acknowledge God’s presence, just to turn my attention to God’s presence within me and around me?
As we think about praying throughout the day, often we say, my day is so full and it just gets away from me. One suggestion might be to schedule it on your smart phone, just like you would schedule a meeting, or dinner or lunch with friends. Or put a post-it-note in a place that you will see often throughout the day that reminds you to take five minutes to acknowledge God’s presence, within you and around you. A few minutes to ask for help if you need it, to reflect on what you are grateful for in your life, in that day and to say “thank you” to God.
It is about taking a few minutes to connect with God. It is a way of keeping God at the center of our day and at the center of our life. It can have an amazing impact on the quality of our relationship with God and the quality of our relationships with others.
Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray always because he knew that it would continue to deepen their relationship him and transform their lives. And it can do the same for us, especially in these dark and difficult times.
May God’s most abundant blessings be upon us and our nation and may our leaders minds and hearts be opened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as they govern and make decisions for our country’s future.
Fr. Tim
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