Prayer

This morning I went to Mass, something I want to do more often during Lent. I love daily Mass. It’s quiet and intimate. Being able to attend Mass during the week is one of the nicer things about being retired.

In today’s gospel from St. Matthew, Jesus tells us when we pray, we shouldn’t babble like the pagans. He said God knows what we need even before we ask. As a Catholic, I learned many prayers from memory, and to this day, those are the prayers I am most comfortable saying. Lately, however, I have been challenging myself to pray from my heart instead of my brain. It’s not easy for me. I find myself praying in sort of stilted language, apparently thinking that if I don’t talk real pretty, God won’t listen.

Today I was reminded that the words I choose don’t make an iota of difference to God. He knows my needs even before I ask. The hardest part to remember is that Jesus said that God knows my needs as opposed to my wants. Undoubtedly, God also knows what I want, but He may also know that what I want isn’t what I need. One of the hardest things to understand about prayer, for me at least, is understanding that God always answers our prayers; however, He may not give us what we ask for. He gives us what we need.

Yesterday as I drove downtown to meet a friend for lunch, I saw a blind man walking down the street, using his white cane for assistance. Unfailingly, when I see a blind person walking confidently down the street, I wonder to myself if I would have the courage to walk blindly and with confidence. I have no idea if the blind man I saw believes in God, but he must be willing to trust in something beyond himself. It seems to me that to have this kind of confidence, it is essential that we turn our lives over to God. Worry about nothing; pray about everything.