Chapter 20: The ideal of true reverence in prayer
When we come, then, with our requests in prayer before the Lord, who is God of all creation, is it not all the more important that we should approach him in a spirit of real humility and a devotion that is open to him alone and free from distracting thoughts? We really must be quite clear that our prayer will be heard, not because of the eloquence and length of all we have to say, but because of the heartfelt repentance and openness of our hearts to the Lord whom we approach. (From Ch. 20 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
For some time I was confused about the purpose of intercessory prayer because it seemed "inferior" to meditation. But gradually I came to realize that my "requests in prayer before the Lord" actually benefit from meditation, because as a fruit of meditation, my "requests" become less controlling, more compassionate and communal. And here, although Benedict seems to me to recognize the very human urge to use prayer as a way of asking God for something, in fact I see him leading his monks through their intercessory prayer, to repentance (humility) and openness of heart, free from distracting thoughts. Such a disposition seems to me to be the poverty of spirit of the mantra, the poverty of spirit necessary to realize the presence of God.
For some time I was confused about the purpose of intercessory prayer because it seemed "inferior" to meditation. But gradually I came to realize that my "requests in prayer before the Lord" actually benefit from meditation, because as a fruit of meditation, my "requests" become less controlling, more compassionate and communal. And here, although Benedict seems to me to recognize the very human urge to use prayer as a way of asking God for something, in fact I see him leading his monks through their intercessory prayer, to repentance (humility) and openness of heart, free from distracting thoughts. Such a disposition seems to me to be the poverty of spirit of the mantra, the poverty of spirit necessary to realize the presence of God.
When Christ went out to pray, what did he pray for and how did he pray ? I feel like the disciples asking the Lord to teach us to pray. Benedict has given me some keys- humility, faith, love, and poverty of spirit. I feel more and more that when I pray for someone I am a drop of water joining a huge stream of love that pours out over the world enveloping everyone and everything. There are no distinctions- we are all suffering in one way or another. My prayer is joining me to the suffering of another, to the pains of another, to the loneliness, to the persecution just as their prayers (whatever denomination or no denomination) and suffering join me to them. It doesn't matter what words or no words I say. I am beginning to realize that for me I just need to pray. It is a joining to the love-prayer of Christ for the whole world.
ReplyDelete