VIRIDITAS: SOUL GREENING
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
As a religious and working professional who is an active person, learning to develop a contemplative side is so important. One of the things I have been working on is Centering Prayer. I appreciate the practice because it takes almost 20 minutes just for my mind to quiet down from “I got to do this … I need to follow up with that person … I must get this ready for class … I have to follow up on that email … I need to tell this to the provincial …” Time goes by so quickly and life goes by so fast. Learning to be in the present moment and finding God in the everyday experience takes grounding in prayer.
Grounding in prayer takes humbleness to let go and let God be the one in charge. This is an important area to grow in. As a perfectionist, I demand excellence in my work. If you look at my academic record you can see how driven I am from being class president at Campbell High School to editor-in-chief of the Chaminade University newspaper and graduating summa cum laude. At present, I hold three jobs. I serve as a provincial councilor to the Marianists, as formator to the aspirants, and as a teacher at St. Mary’s University (San Antonio, Texas). I am not boasting about myself, but my personality is driven with personal high standards. This gift perhaps helps me encourage students to want to succeed.
But, as a religious who prefers being called “Brother Dennis” versus “Doctor Bautista” on campus, how do I slow down from outrunning grace? How do I still my mind that is always processing? As a Marianist brother, our Rule of Life asks us to set aside an hour for personal prayer each day. The format for Centering Prayer recommends taking 20-minute prayer periods each during the morning, afternoon and evening. I try to do that, but at the same time, I am not perfect at it. God does not ask me to be as perfect as I strive to be. God asks us to be faithful.
Last summer, I made a retreat at the brothers’ house in Ewa Beach. During the retreat, as I tried to quiet down and be aware of God in the present moment, I remember recalling the wind and reflecting, “Where is God in the wind? Where is God right now?” Centering Prayer is a mental practice; it’s not like you are going mindless. It is not necessarily about what I am doing, but rather about how God is working through me. Sometimes when the practice isn’t working, I use a mantra or music as an aid to prayer.
Prayer does not have to be complicated. As I tell my aspirants, when they are faithful to prayer, it encourages me to be faithful. My fidelity to prayer is not so much about my own salvation, which is a big part of it, but it also helps support the brothers who are relying on my prayers too. In recognizing God’s presence through our prayers, we help each other. Even though sometimes it might feel like you are not accomplishing much, the point of prayer is to remember who you are as the beloved of God. And, that God is in you and your job is to love others.
Marianist Brother Dennis R. Bautista is from Ewa Beach. He is 12 years professed and is an associate professor of English and communication studies at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.
