During Lent we are attempting to tone up our prayer life, searching for time and ways to commune more directly with God, to find direction in our lives, to refocus on essentials and thus prepare our hearts for the renewal of our baptismal promises so that the "new person" who had "put on Christ" at baptism can now don the baptismal garment which has been forty days at the "dry cleaners." and now is as clean as new. At least this is our dream, our wish.
So, how do we tone up our prayer life, how do we clean and purify that garment? Fasting, almsgiving and prayer are the traditional three-fold recommendations. Today's Gospel passage from Matthew gives us a simple lesson on prayer so that we do not babble on uselessly like the pagans. Jesus teaches us the Lord's Prayer, the tried and true Our Father. Praying is slowly and attentively, we find that it contains all we need in prayer: a recognition of who God is, and a recognition of our basic needs and dependency on him. Seeking his will and doing it, "as it is done in heaven", will nourish, cleanse us and bring us into the communion with God that we seek from the depths of our hearts. Let us top this little slice of bread by praying, Our Father, who art in heaven.....
Bro. Rene
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment