The Deacon's Bench - June, 2010

A week or so ago I had the privilege of interviewing a number of confirmation candidates here at St. Patrick. I was impressed by the maturity and poise of the young men and women, and I’m confident they will all do well as they continue to grow.

One of the questions I asked concerned how and when they prayed. In most cases, the young people said they found time for prayer at the close of day, when they were about to turn in for the night. It was a time when no other obligations could intervene, things were peaceful and they could be alone with God. A few said they prayed at various other times during the day, whenever circumstances inclined them to become prayerful.

One of the young people reflected the question back to me and asked when I prayed. I told them that as a deacon I was obliged to pray the Liturgy of the Hours in the morning and at evening. Aside from that time of formal prayer, my day was alive with all sorts of perhaps less formal prayer.

I told them that my first conscious thought in the morning was a prayer of thanks for the privilege of being alive, safe, dry, well-fed and happily next to my lovely wife, Chris. Then, if there was something difficult lying ahead in my day, I might pray about that, too. Just before getting up, there’s a moment of self-offering that generally goes something like this: “Dear Pop, I offer myself as you know that I am to you as you know that you are. Let me be a loving instrument of your peace and joy, kindness and goodness, so that when people see me they see You; when they hear me they hear You; and when they’re touched by me they’re touched by You. May Tim diminish and You increase. I’m yours. Amen.”

During the day I find that informal prayer has something of a life of its own. It’s full of gratitude and praise, wonder and joy. Prayer does for my life what spices do for food. Sure, you don’t need spices, but man, do they make a difference in the way things taste!

I’ve told you about some of the prayers I’ve said in the hospital, too. There’s an awesome overshadowing or overpowering feeling when God takes over. The best kind of prayer just then is an attentive, wordless presence; a sense of simply being ready, letting God take the initiative.

I’d read an article recently in which people who studied prayer across the boundaries of different religions reported that they’d found four common themes among people who pray, that could be summarized lightheartedly as follows (the acronym is 2G):

Thanks. Wow! Oops. Gimme.

Gratitude, praise, repentance and supplication. These four simple themes reflect what people express most frequently in their conversations with their Creator. They sure sound familiar to me. Think about your own prayer life. Are these themes familiar to you, too? What does each theme say about you and what’s going on in your life right now? Where does God’s response take you as you live out your day? Can you taste the spice?