- God doesn't need us to pray. We need it. It's like the electrical outlet doesn't need the lamp. But the lamp needs to be plugged in to shine.
- On that note, my favorite quote about prayer is this one:
"All that exterior activity is a waste of time, if you lack Love. It's like sewing with a needle and no thread. What a pity if in the end you had carried out 'your' apostolate and not 'his' apostolate." The Way, n 967, by Saint Josemaria Escrivá
Our millions of activities, exterior and social life, running around like headless chickens is worth NOTHING if it's not overflowing from somewhere.
- God doesn't need us to go to a church instead of praying at home. We need it. God doesn't need us to carve time out in our lives for Him. We need it. God doesn't need us to dedicate one hour out of seven to Him or one day out of seven to Him. We need it. God is spiritual. We are limited to time and space. If we don't make time and space for Him physically in our lives, we won't have Him spiritually in our lives.
- Prayer is a habit. It took me a long time to figure that one out. If you've read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, it's habit number 7. If you want to make time for other good habits in your life (exercise, personal hygiene, practicing an instrument, reading, etc) this one habit of prayer will multiply your time. The more you pray, the more time you will have. Trust me on this.
I took this picture of the "Seven Daily Habits" pamphlet from the Mary Foundation, which is great. You can find it online at www.catholicity.com and they will mail you some for no cost except shipping. I have a bunch and I keep them on my cabinet entrance with a sign that says "please take a pamphlet". No one ever has... Go figure!
Master list here: https://martajuliemaria.blogspot.com/p/isolation-reflections-and-ideas.html?m=1
We need it, yes. But once you start loving God and letting God love you, you discover God needs it. God needs our love. God is a beggar for our love. God came to Earth to beg for our love. We go to mass because we need it, yes. Every teological study will tell you that. But... once you start loving God, you discover you go to mass also because He needs us to go. He is soooooo lonely. He begs for a drop of our love. He died of thirst for our love, there on the cross. "I thirst!" He said. Oh, if only we would think a bit more about His divine thirst and less about our own needs! We can live without Holy Communion. Of course we can. But we are robbing Him of His happiest moment. Don't we feel not even a little bit His sadness? Of course - God has no feelings, teology will tell you, and so will philosophy and so on. But once you get to know Him.. Oh, how much feeling there is in God!!! How much passion. You just have to read the Bible, to meet this passion, this sadness, this happiness, this God full of spirit, not at all the boring God of abstraction! Go and pray, not because you need it, but to make Him happy. As Francisco Marto would say, to console His heart. Keep up the good work! Teresa
ReplyDeleteThank you Teresa. This is true, yes! Very good points. I love St Teresa of Calcutta... Your namesake!... And "I thirst"...
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