"...here is the problem..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Pope Benedict's Angelus Address which I read this morning is so thought provoking, I wanted to share it. I posted another excerpt from Pope Benedict on the "Primacy of God in our lives" (see[ HERE](http://forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=707814));  the two threads are related.

… here is the problem: when the people establish themselves in the land and are the depository of the Law, they are tempted to place their certainty and their joy in something that is no longer the Word of the Lord: in possessions, in power, other “divinities” that are not in fact real, that are idols. Certainly the Law of God remains, but it is no longer the most important thing, the rule of life; it becomes rather a veneer, a shell, while life follows others paths, other rules, interests that are often the self-centered ones of the individual and group. And thus religion loses its authentic meaning, which is to live a life of listening to God to do his will – which is the truth of our being – and thus to live well, in true freedom. Religion is reduced to practices of secondary importance that satisfy the human need of feeling right with God. And this is a grave danger in every religion, which Jesus encountered in his time, but which, unfortunately, is also a phenomenon in Christianity. Thus, Jesus’ words against the scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel must make us think too. Jesus made the words of the prophet Isaiah his own: “This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines that are the precepts of men” (Mark 7:6-7; cf. Isaiah 29:13). He then concludes: “Neglecting God’s commandment, you observe the traditions of men” (Mark 7:8).

Full text of the Pope's Angelus Address is [HERE](http://www.zenit.org/article-35457?l=english)

Both threads are related in that, prayer can be so misunderstood and in a sense not really practiced at all if the words are merely said and not lived from the heart. I'm reminded of St. Theresa of Avila's warning that if we do not pray with attention and devotion, we are not really praying no matter how much we move our lips! She says in another place that our lives are the true measure of our prayer.

 

[Christine85]

Very very true. It’s a real eye opener. Vocal prayers can turn into that same with attending Mass, so we need to be mindful of this.

 

[MariaChristi]

Very very true. It’s a real eye opener. Vocal prayers can turn into that same with attending Mass, so we need to be mindful of this.

Dear Christine,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, our prayers are empty if they are not lived. Mass can become mere “ritual” as can any of our prayers. The test will always be in how we live. In the other thread which I posted on the “Primacy of God in our lives”, Pope Benedict said:

…The Christian life requires, as it were, the “martyrdom” of daily fidelity to the Gospel; the courage, that is, to allow Christ to increase in us and to direct our thoughts and actions. But this can only occur in our lives if our relationship with God is strong. Prayer is not time lost, nor does it steal space away from our activities, even those that are apostolic; it is exactly the opposite: only if we are able to have a life of faithful, constant, trusting prayer, will God himself give us the ability and strength to live in happiness and peace, to overcome difficulties and to courageously bear witness to him.

May God’s Grace be fruitful in each of us, as we seek to grow in our relationship with Him.

 

[Christine85]

So true!! Like for instance I would go to Confession and it happened to be the same Priest for a while there, he would always say to me pray for the grace to overcome these things and I said I do pray , I pray 4 Rosaries a day, he said it’s not the amount it’s how you pray it. This is an example of offering lip service but kind of failing to overcome vice. The test truly is how we live. Do we love our neighbour more than ourselves, are we grouchy and moody towards others, do we judge…? Such questions I have had to face a lot lately when I started feeling like I was praying so many vocal prayers, yet I lacked Gods spirit of love within myself. I lacked that deep connection with God, other than after Communion.
I am slowly learning to take the grace I receive from Communion and to bring it into my relationship with others. It takes time but I’m getting there. I also now like to sit in the presence of God in my own room and have a casual conversation with him, I have been told this is contemplative prayer. I am not so hung up on the amount of prayers I say now, but on if I am loving others and loving and trusting God and Mary.
I am also suddenly very keen to step out of my comfort zone and to live the Gospel.
I think my obsession with vocal prayers was a time of self nourishment, though it was making me a little selfish because I was praying to feel good, but yet being moody towards others. I think it’s a gradual growing process

 

[MariaChristi]

So true!! Like for instance I would go to Confession and it happened to be the same Priest for a while there, he would always say to me pray for the grace to overcome these things and I said I do pray , I pray 4 Rosaries a day, he said it’s not the amount it’s how you pray it. This is an example of offering lip service but kind of failing to overcome vice. The test truly is how we live. Do we love our neighbour more than ourselves, are we grouchy and moody towards others, do we judge…? Such questions I have had to face a lot lately when I started feeling like I was praying so many vocal prayers, yet I lacked Gods spirit of love within myself. I lacked that deep connection with God, other than after Communion.
I am slowly learning to take the grace I receive from Communion and to bring it into my relationship with others. It takes time but I’m getting there. I also now like to sit in the presence of God in my own room and have a casual conversation with him, I have been told this is contemplative prayer. I am not so hung up on the amount of prayers I say now, but on if I am loving others and loving and trusting God and Mary.
I am also suddenly very keen to step out of my comfort zone and to live the Gospel.
I think my obsession with vocal prayers was a time of self nourishment, though it was making me a little selfish because I was praying to feel good, but yet being moody towards others. I think it’s a gradual growing process

Dear Christine,

Thank you again for your post. Growth in prayer is very important. The Church has taught for centuries that we grow in prayer through stages. We all begin with vocal prayer as children, but as we grow physically and emotionally through the years, God also expects us to grow spiritually in our relationship with Him. The Gospel reveals Jesus’ patience with his disciples in teaching them how to pray and how to observe all that He commanded them, that they (and we) might live in union with Him and love as He loves.

An excellent book to explain the stages of prayer using Scripture, and the writings of the saints like Teresa of Avila, is a book entitled The Ordinary Path to Holiness It is in both paperback and also e-book if you have a nook or kindle. See HERE

If you read the description of the book, you will notice the author mentions growth in stages, and gives a link to another page on his website, entitled “The Path of Renewal”. If you go to that page, and scroll down to the diagram on the stages of growth, I think you’ll find it very helpful. The author also explains, on that same page, more about these stages in the disciples Jesus formed and in the lives of other saints .

We are all called to holiness, and it is important to be aware of the path we are called to follow. I’ve read the book more than once, and go back to it, as I do the works of St. Teresa of Avila and other saints included in this book. I hope you will find it blesses you, as it surely has blessed me and others who have read it.

Just one more suggestion, and that is to “converse” with Jesus is good, but we need to be aware also that we can be “conversing with ourselves” if we are not careful. Listening to what Jesus has said in His Gospel can help us to keep His words as most important, and not putting too much emphasis on our own “opinions”