Prayer, Sometimes

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

“Prayer cannot be reduced to the spontaneous outpouring of interior impulse: in order to pray, one must have the will to pray. Nor is it enough to know what the Scriptures reveal about prayer, one must also learn how to pray. Through a living transmission (Sacred Tradition) within “the believing and praying Church,” the Holy Spirit teaches the children of God how to pray.
The tradition of Christian prayer is one of the ways in which the tradition of faith takes shape and grows, especially through the contemplation and study of believers who treasure in their hearts the events and words of the economy of salvation, and through the profound grasp of the spiritual realities they experience.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church 2650 and 2651

The place where I pray in my home changes from time to time depending on time of year and my head space. Sometimes it’s the dining room table where all the books are scattered and the journal open, pen in hand. I like the table, yet it has one drawback for my stature, it is pub height, legs dangle or rest on the crossbar of the chair. Many delightful hours of prayer, study and contemplation happened at this table. My Sweetie has recently changed the lighting over the table

Sometimes prayer happens at my desk which is covered with a lot of stuff right now. I kind of miss the desk. There are moments when the sunrise is so big that it is visible through that window.

Right now I’m praying in my creative space, sitting at the cutting table which is currently laden with the computer, thread, books, yarn and other miscellania related to the work I do. It’s showing me a creative lull, which interestingly had a shift when I started quilting while listening to the baseball game. And it is a good place to pray. There is a type of prayer that sometimes happens while quilting that I enjoy deeply and long for in a way that I can not fully describe. This is the prayer of deep silence while working. That getting so engaged in the quilting that there is nothing else around me. It is a sweet silence, that is electric.

My favorite place by far is the front porch. Because sunrises draw my heart upward. To quote St Therese, “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and love, embracing both trial and joy.” It is a place where, similar to the creative space, prayer becomes contemplation. A delightful pondering of this conversation between the Lord and me. For a long time I wondered if God speaks back in this conversation or is it me prattling on. Sometimes it is me using all the words, like a little child telling a parent a story. Because this is who I am, a little child (think in terms of eternity) who is going to Dad and saying all the things while He simply listens and encourages the words to come because what He hears is my desire to be with Him. Sometimes is listening to the Psalmist groaning, Job wondering whatthebleep, reading the books written before Jesus’ time and seeing that we as humans still have a long way to go before we are truly human (blessed are they who mourn!).

Sometimes prayer is taking a good look at Reconciliation, Marriage, etc and seeing that these are forms of prayer that lead us more deeply into relationship with our Creator. Sometimes prayer is, “Lord the one You Love is sick.” (Thanks Elizabeth Scalia for that one!) Three times in the last few years it is seeking very specific intercession. This most recent included the experience of the Father holding me in a hug and kissing the top of my head. It’s so sweet.

As a form of prayer right now, I am going to go spend some time in the kitchen making food for my Sweetie and me.
God bless,
Teri