The four chapters I am reflecting on this week are a bit more weighty, which is befitting Lent and the start of Holy Week on Sunday. Prayer and self-denial are an integral part of Lent, as are the Gospels which are, of course, about the life and teachings of Jesus himself.
Chapter 25
Delve into the Gospels is the title of the chapter, and it suggests that we do more than follow the readings that are proclaimed at Mass. For a deeper experience, it suggests reading them as you would read any other book or short story -- straight through.
Author's point to ponder: Jesus' teachings are astoundingly practical when we pause to reflect on them.
Verse: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." One of my favorite verses, from Psalm 119:105
Have you ever really read the Gospels?
I did this once, but it was back in the 1990s when I did it. I think I will do this during the Easter season. I tried to read the entire Bible. I must have had a lot of free time on my hands back then. And maybe I need a bit MORE free time now.
The author of the book suggests that we get just enough from the Sunday readings to end up immune to the message contained therein, that millions who have rejected Christianity have no clear idea what they are rejecting. That's because reading only snippets that someone else has chosen for us causes us to miss some of the important points. The Gospel readings at Sunday Mass (and daily Mass, if you go) are important, but not the whole story.
Read the Gospels as if you were reading any other book or short story, from start to finish, in shortis snippets as your schedule allows. The author suggests 15 minutes a day.
I am a participant in a Live Jesus group through my parish. .Once a month, we get a pamphlet published by the Salesians that focuses on a topic. This month, it was Practice, as in "practice makes perfect." We talked about how the Gospels provide for us a different meaning each time we read them, and we may struggle with certain passages at various points in our lives, and then hear something completely different the next time we hear or read it.
Maybe a better saying would be "practice makes habit." Because that's really what our guidelines were talking about this time. Practice and strive for perfection, but not the kind of perfection that makes us anxious or controlling. Rather, the kind of perfection that makes us able to love more perfectly, to reach out to others, the "neighbors" who are unloveable, especially those we consider our enemies.
So yes, read the Gospels like a book.and also read the footnotes, if you have an annotated version. Lots of helpful context can be found in the footnotes!
Chapter 26
This chapter is titled "The Prayer Process."
Prayer is not something I had ever thought of as a process, but having a structure is certainly helpful. This chapter is about structured, scheduled prayer, which is a great foundation for a fulfilling prayer life. The fourth chapter in this blog entry is about spontaneous prayer.
So how do you pray? We all know (or should know) The Lord's Prayer, the Our Father as it is often called. We can recite the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be and many others.One of my favorites is Anima Christe.
But reciting someone else's words, while great for the purpose of public prayer such as is done at Mass or whenever a group wants to pray together, or when we're feeling lost in the desert and in need of something to grasp, a rope to hang onto until the storm passes. But it's not the whole story, even for scheduled prayer that we do in private.
Here, in a quick nutlshell, is the Prayer Process:
1. Gratitude: Thank God for whatever you are most grateful for this day.
2. Awareness: Revisit your past 24 hours, the good, bad and ugly. Talk to God about it and what you have learned.
3. Significant moments; Identify something you experienced today and explore what God may be trying to say to you.
4. Peace: Ask God to forgive you for any wrong you committed and fill you with peace.
5. Freedom: Ask God how he is inviting you to change your life and thus experience freedom to become all you can be.
6. Others: Petition God on behalf of whomever you wish to lift up this day.
Sounds complicated, but I suspect if we can make a habit of it, it is a comfort and spiritual aid.
Are you making spiritual progress?
Only you can answer this one. Am I making progress? I sure hope so. I think so. I like to think I know so. The most obvious progress I ever made was from the time we started the RCIA process until we finished it. There was a lot of pain, but a lot of progress. I would say that I have made progress since then. But the more I learn, the more I know how much I do NOT know yet, or how much more progress I need to make.
And I also believe that to make progress is to be alive. I am on a journey and as long as I continue on that journey, I will make progress. When I finish the journey, I will be at the end of my Earthly life.
Chapter 27
Deny Yourself: That's a stark name for a chapter. Some people look at me as if I waI s an alien when I suggest that self-denial is a means of spiritual discipline. But it is.
This chapter (short one, only 2 pages) also suggests that it's a very practical discipline, too. You can't be successful in any endeavor if you lack self-discipline, and that's really all this is talking about. Saying no can mean saying yes, in one sense, because the author points out that you can say NO to laziness and start exercising, for example. But of course, if you say NO to someone, it means no.
In what area of your life do you exhibit the most self-control? The least?
I'm pretty good at focusing on helping others, and I no longer feel a need to indulge myself in many ways. Probably that's partly my age and partly my decades of parenting. And it's a lot easier to deny yourself when it's your choice, and not because you have no means. And I've gotten pretty good at calming myself in frustrating traffic, compared to when I was younger. That was one of my Lenten sacrifices one year: I gave up road "rage" and paid attention for an entire Lent. Another Lent, I gave up holding grudges. That was somewhat less successful, long term. And I have developed excellent self-control when it comes to my diet.
Least? I do have trouble not eating snacks at work. But I guess the least self-control has to go to developing a good exercise habit. I start things, and then either the opportunities disappear, the class ends or I just don't stick to it.
So, as you can see, there's still plenty of work to be done here.
Author's verse: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23
Chapter 28
Spontaneous prayer is the easiest, most natural form of prayer for me. I have to differ with the author here. I have not developed a strong focused daily prayer time. My lifestyle doesn't work that way. I don't have a focused daily anything beyond drinking coffee and showering in the morning. My work hours are erratic, my husband's work hours are even more erratic, we both are sort of on call a lot vor various reasons, and we just don't have a settled anything much. Maybe that will come with retirement.
But the author says if you think you are conversing with God daily but do not have a focused prayer time, you are deceiving yourself. I have not for years neglected to be aware of God's presence in my life, at work, at home, everywhere I go. The closest I have to focused prayer is to listen to the Jesuit podcast "Pray As You Go". It's a good 10 minute reflection. And while I cannot get lost in it while driving, I do listen and reflect. But I don't do it every day, just several times a week.
My conversations with God, even contemplative ones, are daily, at odd times. This has been going on for more than two decades, and it has transformed my life completely. I am stronger, more flexible, less defensive, my self-esteem is much better, I am more humble, more forgiving, more giving, and am involved in very different things in my spare time as a result.
The author mentions early prayers, and he mentions a childhood memory of an altar with a banner that said "My Lord and my God" on it. Here's what I remember: not childhood, but in the past, there was a banner hanging from the lectern at church. It referenced the Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary, whose motto, as it were, is "Cry the Gospels with your life." It is my own rock.
And yes, I even complain to God. I try to pray better to him, to ask him to teach me to love better, to be more patient, to let things go, whatever is needed. OR just to provide what I need to get through, because I don't always know.
Verse: "Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances." Thessalonians 5:16-18
What are you most grateful for today?
Without elaborating, I am most grateful today for a conversation between myself and my older son. I am also most grateful that he and his girlfriend found each other, profoundly grateful. I am also most grateful for the many people and opportunities in life that have been handed to me. And every day, I am grateful for God's presence in my daily life. What I want to do is not to appear pious or wise or all-knowing, not to preach at others, but to always cry the Gospel with my life. Actions speak louder than words.
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