PRAYER LIFE: A CONSTANT AND EVER GROWING DEEP COMMUNION WITH GOD

PRAYER LIFE: A CONSTANT AND EVER GROWING DEEP COMMUNION WITH GOD.
[To learn how to pray we look to Jesus, the God-Man, who was always in deep Communion with the Father.]

It all begins with always being in the presence of God, that is, having a lively sense and awareness of the presence of our Lord, for "in Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). A mental image, for instance, of humanity being held by a gigantic hand which represents God would help. This does not mean constantly thinking of God at the expense of losing focus in a task at hand, but rather trying as often as possible to be conscious of God's presence, while at other times such an awareness practically remains in the subconscious level. Such a habitual turning of our attention to God's loving presence leads us to spontaneously converse with him every so often, even amidst our daily activities. For how is it that we wouldn't speak with Someone Who we know is present and loves us most dearly?

It is of course easiest to speak with Jesus, the God-man. We can easily practice short ejaculations like the 'Jesus prayer' even while driving, or doing some menial tasks. As St. Alphonsus Liguori exhorts us: "Acquire the habit of speaking to God as if you were alone with Him, familiarly and with confidence and love, as to the dearest and most loving of friends." Besides, "it is possible to offer frequent and fervent prayer even at the market place or strolling alone. It is possible also in your place of business, while buying or selling, or even while cooking.” (St. John Chrysostom) We are well advised to bring Jesus (and Mary) into our every and any activity. In other words we can habitually raise our minds and hearts to God by our ordinary activities (offered) of the day, as well as by our trustful surrender to God's holy will in all the adversities and misfortunes that may come our way. All these, done for love of God, is what it means to pray without ceasing.

This habitual spontaneous conversation with Jesus will then lead us to realize our need for formal acts of prayer to punctuate even more our union with God, as in our regular Sunday Mass, daily family Rosary, or periodic Adoration, even from afar, when we do not have access to an Adoration chapel. We can just mentally transport ourselves to the nearest tabernacle. There is also the regular heart to heart talk with Jesus in the privacy of our rooms any time of the day– All these climaxing periodically in the reception of Jesus, truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, in the Holy Eucharist.

Overall this effort to commune with God constantly results in Him being the atmosphere in which we breathe. Little by little this lingering sense of God's loving presence will impact our thinking, speaking, and doing. This doesn't mean there'll be no more temptations. Concupiscence remains due to our wounded nature and the allurements of the world we live in. But the awareness of God's presence ensures a battle, a struggle in our everyday existence in which eventually something's got to give. And God's grace will win the battle for us. Also, being habitually in God's presence, even subconsciously, will lead us to see the worldly allurements for the baubles that they are. In short it lessens or weakens our inclination to sin. As our union
with God deepens the pull of worldly allurements lessens and we come closer and closer to the point of "no gravity" (so to speak).

And so may we heed Pope Benedict XVI 's exhortation to look to and imitate Jesus' prayer "that flows through the whole of his life like a secret channel that waters existence, relationships and actions, and guides them with progressive firmness to the total gift of self in accordance with the loving plan of God the Father”. And again Pope Benedict XVI exhorts us to "train ourselves in an intense relationship with God, with prayer that is not occasional but constant, full of faith, capable of illuminating our lives, as Jesus taught us”.

This is the kind of 'prayer life' that gives depth and meaning to our existence; and without it we are short- changing ourselves. For "nothing is equal to prayer; what is impossible it makes possible, what is difficult, easy… For it is impossible, utterly impossible, for the man who prays eagerly and invokes God ceaselessly ever to sin." (St. John Chrysostom). In this context do we understand St. Alphonsus Liguori when he says: "Those who pray are certainly saved; those who do not pray are certainly damned."