Pray From the Heart 

   “When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard more than the proceedings from the mouth.” (St. Bonaventure) 

   I love the many prayers of the Catholic Church; they bring spiritual peace and comfort, bringing us close to our God.  However, there is a danger in memorized prayers.  They can become just words rather than prayer.

   There are some who regularly say a blessing before meals whether at home or in a restaurant but say it so quickly that it seems simply a habit rather than a prayer.  The same applies to the Rosary and even the Lord’s Prayer.  Regardless the prayer, simply repeating words from memory or as habit isn’t really praying.

   I believe prayers that are simple repetitions, words said as habit rather than with sincerity, insult God.  They tell Him we don’t have the time to place ourselves in His company and truly commune with Him.  It’s no different than when a husband or wife off-handedly tells the other “I love you.”  Without the heart involved the words are belittled and insincere.

   Before beginning our prayer we need to take the time to clear our minds and prepare ourselves to be in communion with God.  The Our Father is a beautiful prayer when prayed as it should be, slowly and thoughtfully.  The Rosary is a meditation, a time to consider the mysteries we are to recall.  Too many times it seems to be a race to get it done so we can move on to something else.

   Life is so rushed, there are always things that need to be done.  We learn to get them done as quickly as possible even if that means doing them in a mediocre manner.  Our spiritual life cannot be that way, we can’t rush our relationship with God.  As with any valued relationship it takes time and love.  Time to speak and to listen with our heart. 

We are so hurried.

We sometimes offer little time to You.

Help us slow down.

To better know and love You. 

Amen