IN LITTLE WAYS
As I contemplate the events of Good Friday, I marvel at Jesus’ ability to pray while enduring fear and pain. I believe that inner strength came from the hours he spent in prayer in quieter times. Prayer had become his habitual response to every situation.
Jesus’ family prayed. I assume Mary was praying when Gabriel appeared and that her prayer often included contemplating Scripture. Mary’s words to Elizabeth (Luke 1:46-55) breathe the spirit of the psalms and the prophets. The visionary dreams Joseph received come to people who have a long and close relationship with the Lord. I’m sure Joseph and Mary spent many hours praying over the Christmas events in the years that followed.
So, naturally, after Jesus was baptized by John and heard his father’s voice, his immediate response was to go off alone for a prolonged period of prayer. Even during his public ministry, he repeatedly sought out solitude for prayer. He would come into town and go to the synagogue to teach. After a meal, he would preach and heal in a nearby field. Then he and the disciples would seek privacy in remote places. If he stayed in town, he would go out alone late at night rather than miss prayer time with his Father.
Jesus, of course, said all the traditional Jewish prayers at the appropriate times. He blessed the food when he ate and joined in the prayers at the synagogue and temple. The Passover meal is one long prayer, and Jesus used it to explain his coming sacrifice to his disciples. When Judas’ departure signaled that time was short, Christ’s immediate response was to find somewhere private to pray.
Jesus’ teaching reflected a deep understanding of Scripture that only comes from years of contemplation. In his agony, his mind turned to God’s word. He would have recognized how his mistreatment mirrored that of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah. Twice he directly quoted Scripture. “My God, why have you forsaken me?” is the beginning of Psalm 22. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” comes from Psalm 31.
If we want to follow Jesus, we too must be people of prayer. We will faithfully participate in the prayers of the Mass on Sundays and holy days. We will regularly offer traditional prayers like the Our Father, Hail Mary and Gloria. We will also build a practice of conversational prayer with our God.
One good method is to read and consider the daily Mass readings. It’s astonishing how often at least one passage pertains to our life right now. A daily missal or http://wwwmigrate.usccb.org/ supplies the readings. Magazines like “The Word Among Us” (http://wau.org/ or websites like Sacred Space (http://www.sacredspace.ie/) offer simple, helpful guides for our quiet time.
We can create prayer habits. A crucifix or devotional statue reminds us to pray. Move them regularly so they’re hard to overlook. I sometimes tape prayer reminders to the bathroom mirror. Always saying grace before we eat is a great prayer break. We can recite the rosary in the car or finger the beads on the bus.
A robust prayer life will require sacrifice. We might have to get up before the rest of the family. We might eat lunch alone so we can read and pray over Scripture. A trip to town could include a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. We can train our family to give us 15 minutes alone at the end of the day.
Christ’s life is a model for our own. If we want to imitate his courage and compassion, we must find help where he found it — in prayer.
Kathleen welcomes comments. Send them to Kathleen Choi, 1706 Waianuenue Ave., Hilo 96720, or email: kathchoi@hawaii.rr.com.
