MINIBITES

A heart of prayer precedes a habit of prayer

While discipline can serve as a fuel for prayer, prayer in itself has to become a heart to heart affair with God. ‘A heart of prayer’ is where intimacy leads, and this is preferred over ‘a habit of prayer’ where prayer becomes a mechanical recital of words. In other words, better a heart without words than much words without heart.

Turn distractions into prayer

A story is told of Saint Benedict who on his way to minister, encountered a farmer. He encouraged the farmer to pray one “our father” without getting distracted, promising to give him the horse on which he was riding as a reward. After the first sentence, the farmer paused the prayer to ask “does the horse include the bridle and the saddle?

No matter how focused we desire to be in prayer, every now and again, even in place of prayer, our focus will shift to other things. Instead of worrying then about why our focus keeps swaying and mechanically attempting to thrown out those thoughts, let us intentionally lay them on that same prayer altar.

When every distraction is laid on that altar, the fire from it will consume those that need burning and also raise as incense those that need to reach the throne of God.

#sly