Another Sunday Thought About Prayer That's Simple

Let's extend last Sunday's thought about simpler prayer. If you recall, Abbot Chapman taught us to keep our prayer simple. No need for complicated formulas, getting ourselves worked up by forcing ourselves to extend our time at prayer. Traditional prayers we all know, prayers left us by saints all remain good choices. But at some point we want to say what's in our heart.

Not only do we want to say what's in our heart, but God apparently likes to hear us, even if He already knows coming directly from us. And the best way to talk to Him is the simplest way. 

A good lesson from Abbot Chapman last Sunday.

But what if we get the point about keeping our prayer simple, but still have trouble expressing ourselves? Just because we want to keep things simple, that might not necessarily result in an easy exchange with our Heavenly Father, our dear Savior, or their Holy Spirit. We might still be a bit perplexed or flummoxed when it's time to pray.

Abbot Chapman, clearly one who understands the struggles we frail souls have when it comes to our spiritual life, rides to the rescue again. He's going to tell us when and how we can simply rely on God when we pray, even when we want to keep it simple. We do that by praying the prayer that God allows us. 

Let's let Abbot Chapman describe how this occurs.

We Must Want the Prayer That God Allows Us

Abbot John Chapman, O.S.B. (1865-1933)

    “Don’t’ ask or worry about any kind of prayer or recollection or union, but wish for exactly what God provides you at any given moment. ‘Take no thought for tomorrow.’ Trust in God. You are at each moment in touch with Him through all the arrangements of His Providence, and these include your own state and your own feelings at the moment that you are trying to unite yourself with His will. If you do your best, at the moment, the result (however dry, weak, unsatisfactory) is just exactly what God wants you to have here and now. Worry is useless and harmful. Try to be absolutely at peace, because you are satisfied with God as He is with you at this moment.”
 

Notice that God does provide us with the right prayer at the right time. Never mind that we may not think it right. And who cares about that if God provides? Isn't that more important than what we think?

Notice that we remain recollected in the here and now - sometimes called the Present Moment by various spiritual writers. Tomorrow isn't our concern. The past if finished, done with, kaput. Only in this present moment are we in touch with God. He's here, all around us, as our Holy Catholic Religion teaches us. We don't need to foray out into the world - physical or spiritual - to find Him. He has found us and remains with us at all times. Even if we commit a mortal sin, the moment we make our Act of Contrition He's back, as if He never left us.

What if we don't feel particularly spiritual or close to God as we pray. Never mind. Our feelings can never keep us from Him. He's here. He hasn't left us, turned His back on us, decided we're not worth His time and attention. Indeed, He may be the source of our "unsatisfactory" feelings. So such feelings are what he wants us to have at this or that moment in time. If that's His Holy Will, our choice is to accept it. Thy Will be done.

If only we could absorb this simple, direct advice from Abbot Chapman and make it our own. Our prayer could remain simple and never perplexed - despite how we may feel at any given moment.

Happy Sunday!