Ways of prayer might be finding a moment or two (3-5 minutes) when we can sit in quiet. We might gaze upon the cross. We might read a passage of Scriptures, we might bless ourselves in some fashion, tracing the cross on our forehead, our lips and our heart, or making the sign of the cross over our body, folding our hands on our lap, taking time to breath in a fashion that we have learned or would like to learn from one of the other traditions. Allowing stillness and restfulness to come to our mind and heart, we might pray a simple passage or prayer that is familiar to us now.  

We might find that praying the rosary, or praying the Our Father, or taking time with some other familiar prayer, opens our hearts, allows us to let go of thoughts and anxious feelings, even considerations of success and other things that would turn us to ourselves and becomes a movement of affection for God, hunger for God, which is a further movement of the Spirit even now.  

 

“A few simple words” was the earliest instruction from those who sought out the desert as a place of prayer early in our Christian history. “To pray continually” is to enter simply into continuous prayer. It happens when our hearts are stirred by a few words or a quiet moment. Our hearts are then opening to the God abiding in our presence. We sit … we walk … we listen, more and more we speak, we act, we approach the next moment, task or person with God’s mercy and love. Our original unity that Merton refers to is that which abides within us, formed and shaped by the Holy Spirit of God. Trusting in this more and more is the One who abides in our hearts. Spirit “teaches us this,” teaches us how to pray and act. It is the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God recreating, breathing in us, for us.

 

St. Francis: “Most high, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me, Lord, a correct faith, a certain hope, a perfect charity, sense and knowledge, so that I may carry out Your holy and true will.”

 

Various forms of prayer that are often called, “the Prayer of the Heart” (an ancient name), or “Centering Prayer” or “meditation.” The first invitation to this form of silent meditation is to sit relaxed and allow yourself to become quiet. Breathing, being attentive to your breath, letting the lids of your eyes rest though possibly not completely closing your eyes, we attempt to relax and gentle our spirits, thus opening our hearts. Coming to silence and stillness takes a lifetime of practice.

 

Some humor is very important as we practice this so that it isn’t only “a task,” a new project we have taken on, but it becomes the movement within our lives, opening our hearts to the One who always dwells within us. Our helplessness with this practice can turn ourselves from looking at ourselves to the God who always is “our help, our refuge and our strength.”  

For some a simple “mantra,” a prayer such as “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner” might be our prayer or the simple repetition of a name for God or a word that help us open our heart, moving from our mind to mindfulness, from thoughts to a quiet God-centeredness. Whatever this “love word” might be, our hearts become prepared. We become more present and it helps us in our inner yearning for the quiet place and time where God dwells within our heart.

 

Breathing simply, sitting quietly, taking time like this for 5-20 minutes, a practice many appreciate daily, sometimes twice a day. Humor, gentleness with ourselves, knowing it is God who “________ all things” and works through us in and through Christ will help us open to the One who also is our prayer.