Fr. Don's Daily Reflection - September 8, 2024
Psalm 62: “In you alone is my soul at rest. My help comes from you.”
"In your prayer do not rattle on like the pagans. They think they will win a hearing by the sheer multiplication of words. Do not imitate them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Jesus introduces the Our Father this way in Matthew's Gospel (6:7-8).
Prayer has to consist in some listening as well as in words. We act in prayer at times like a person sitting nervously with a new acquaintance. We feel we have to be saying something every minute; we find little pauses embarrassing. How different it is with someone we know well. We can sit together, listening to music or driving without feeling that one of us has to be saying something every second.
Prayer seems often to lack a bit of space, some silence, some room for God to influence us or get a word in. True prayer has to be a dialogue. God's work in us requires that we leave God some opening, a chance to influence us, a chance to be heard.
In our world of so much noise and so little tolerance for silence it might be hard for us to learn to be quiet before God, but take a phrase from Scripture and keep coming back to that gently while trying to concentrate our attention. Silence and attentiveness can be learned.
Psalm 27: “I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness / in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong; / be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!”
