A few years ago, I was invited to facilitate a five-part short course on prayer for our diocesan diaconate-formation process. I found this a most perplexing endeavor due to the complexity and elusive nature of the subject matter. In the end, it was also wonderfully rewarding, as the deacons-to-be, a few of their wives, and I shared our experiences of awe in God’s presence and of moments in which God seemed very distant. Through our conversations, I began to consider more deeply the ways in which we are formed as people of prayer.

Forming the community

Life in most of our families is filled with the daily comings and goings of each person within the household. Many families take time on Sunday evenings to look at the week ahead, plan drop-off and pickup times, look ahead to important events, and look forward to special moments together. In my family, we identify the evenings we will be able to have dinner together as a family. Even with the demand of two working parents and active children, we value dinnertime as sacred time, beginning with prayer and lingering for as long as possible, telling stories of our day and keeping in mind those who need our help. One way to strengthen prayer in individuals is to develop strong patterns of prayer at home. The prayer does not need to be highly structured or long: a simple offering of thanksgiving for the ways in which we are bountifully blessed (the food at our tables is a sign of that blessing), intercessions for those we know who need Christ’s love (often expressed through our actions), quiet moments to lift our lives to the fullness of the Spirit. In praying these simple prayers at home, we teach one another to “pray always” and to trust in God’s care. My children went through phases when they moaned at the invitation to pray aloud, but both have now become comfortable with spontaneous prayer. I have shared books of prayers with both of them, and my daughter told me recently that she used one of those books in her religion class for her turn to lead the class in prayer. She commented that her peers were quiet and prayerful, and, without saying so, she seemed grateful to be comfortable in voicing prayer with others.

Formed through life within the community

In my parish community, we take time throughout the liturgical year to weave brief moments of morning and evening prayer throughout the year. From the burning of palms the night before Ash Wednesday to the blessing of pets on the feast of St. Francis to night prayer on Holy Thursday and morning prayer on Good Friday, our community is being shaped by patterns of prayer that in turn lead us to our grand prayer together, from the Great Vigil and Easter Sunday to the little Easter of each Sunday. People tell me that these small moments help them to remember to set aside time throughout their days and weeks to turn to God, reflect on sacred Scripture, listen for the guidance of the Spirit, and seek the strength to live as disciples of our Lord.

Forming pastoral practice

Parish leaders must be rooted in prayer. “Of course we are,” we may reply. Yet, how many of us find ourselves struggling to concentrate in liturgical prayer because we’re dissecting the ritual action taking place? How often do we find the demands of multiple celebrations wearing at our ability or willingness to fully encounter Christ? Do we take the time to retreat and allow God to renew our spirit? I’m sure we have all had moments in which we were tired to the bone, going through the motions and counting the minutes until we could go home, when, quite unexpectedly, God broke through, piercing our fatigue. Possibly a conversation with a parishioner triggers an awareness of Christ’s healing presence; maybe an invitation from someone to stop and pray leads to a fresh perspective. Perhaps the best thing we can do is to pause at least once each day and remember that we are only as effective as our willingness to let Christ work through us. In that moment, may our prayer give us the wisdom and courage to serve another day, with hands and heart open to God’s love. ML
 

Leisa Anslinger is pastoral associate for faith formation at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Cincinnati. Author of  Here Comes Everybody! Whole Community Catechesis in the Parish, she is a national speaker on topics including whole-community catechesis and pastoral leadership.

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