“ Prayer is an intimate sharing between friends, it means taking time frequently to be

alone with Him who we know loves us”

This simple sentence by Santa Teresa de Jesús opens up a whole new world for us: an invitation to experience true friendship

with Christ. Our relationship with him will come to form part of our whole life and like any significant relationship, will have an impact on us deep down, that which we care most about, the way

we perceive things. Prayer is one of the many ways of finding ourselves with Him, intimate and special moments, face to face and because of that, in the stillness and solitude, Christ awaits

us in the deepest centre of our hearts and calls us gently because…. He loves us. Prayer introduces us to the depth of this

love

“A firm resolve”

What does this mean? In simple terms, it means making a decision boldly, generously, being ready for the unexpected

adventure ….. in friendship!!

If you just want to have a go, just spend the odd moment with Him, it is better not to set out, as this is lifelong friendship. If you really want to find something of great value, if you are determined to place your stakes in a Friend, unconditionally,

then make a decision.

No relationship can be reduced to a single moment in time. Thus prayer is more than

specific encounters in time and space: it is a path to be experienced in the company of Christ.

Every journey will have its joys, difficulties and doubts… And so if you want to live out this

friendship with Him, you need to begin, in the words of Santa Teresa, with

“In order that love be true and the friendship endure, the wills of the

friends must be in accord”

To undertake the path of prayer, you need to prepare your rucksack. No, don t think about what you should be doing when praying, not just yet. It is all about cultivating a true FRIENDSHIP, a friendship

unlike any other. And all relationships need a few conditions in order to flourish.

Are you open to Christ s friendship? If so, then nurture this relationship in your daily life. It is not possible to foster this

friendship, if the rest of your relationships do not conform to Jesus s way of life. Does it really matter to you whether you try to live with

and like Him. If the opposite is true, what sort of Friend are you looking for? Remember…. Jesus has called you by name.... to follow

Him. Don’t forget that.

And we need to talk about following Him in daily life. Forget about the extraordinary. In simple terms, try to make your relationships

with those around you be truly evangelical. Solidarity, respect, acceptance, dialogue, reconciliation, collaboratio

n, help….. daily life is full of the possibilities of developing all of these qualities. You will soon discover that those who are far

away, those who are different or who are less likeable are the ones for whom you risk part of your relationship with Christ..

You may be surprised by this “condition” imposed by friendship with Jesus. And remember that in life you have to make choice

and with Him there are no half measures.

Today we are surrounded by thousands of messages and offers which enslave us and keep us distant from Jesus or which prevent us from making a decision once and for all. It is possible too that

some of relationships in your life make it difficult not only to approach Him, but even force us into going separate ways.

You have to make a choice. It s not easy, but Someone is waiting for you, offering you true Life, joy in return for overcoming

difficulties in the form of trials. It is an offering of all that your heart could desire, as can be fulfilled by no other person.

Christ is Truth, writ large. To live out your friendship with Him, you need to live out truth every day, in everything even in the most

insignificant things.

Living in truth, involves being who you are, no more no less; being faithful to your values, trying to be consistent; to live without fear or

impositions; closing the door to any form of falseness.

After, you will discover a much deeper truth with Jesus: who He is and who you are before Him, in the way that God wants you to be. The Light of the Lord will gradually reveal what is important in life and what it means. It is a truth which is revealed looking at the

world through His eyes. This is a new truth which is liberating.

Many people have your concerns, your desires. The path of Jesus and prayer will help you to find many companions along the

path, because Jesus always lives in community. Certainly you can pray “freely”, but it is so important to do it as a group!

If you want to be a person of prayer, then be encouraged by working with others who are also living out this adventure as “firm friends of God”. Others will always urge you on and will

help, together “we will support one another”. But, above all, we thus discover that He unites us as a brotherhood, as a church.

Now is the time to prepare for prayer, daily prayer. Try not to improvise, as we already know that the Lord can undertake anything without your help, but seek out some friends who truly want to meet with you freely.

We cannot get there any old how! Therefore we we will start out with some practical advice which could useful to you.

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The first thing you need to prepare is a suitable place, where you can be in stillness, which allows you to be silent and to

centre yourself: a place which is restrained but not neglected.

It is also important to prepare “the material “for prayer. A text from the Gospels would be most suitable. Depending on your

situation and sensitivity a song, hymn picture or symbol might help you. Above all it is about finding the right medium which will help you to return Jesus’ gaze in order to get to know Him

and to be attentive to Him.

Do not be in a hurry to begin prayer or come to it in a distracted way or unable to concentrate. Find a comfortable position, but not too

chilled, but one in which you can be relaxed and attentive at the same time.

Little by little become aware of your breathing, your body, and your interior state. Remain here for as long as is necessary. It is not

about “navel gazing” but about what is present in the centre of your being but without this polarizing your prayer.

This is really important: concentrate on the person of Jesus and do it from your heart.

The feeling of His presence, though you may not always be aware of it, will lead to an encounter, an intimate dialogue…. a prayer. And as always happens with two people who love each other, often a gaze

which encompasses our all, is all that is necessary.

Perhaps you are asking why so much preparation is necessary. Santa Teresa is not one for strict and

rigorous methods, but does offer some ideas which you can use depending on you and your needs. Do not forget that the most important thing is encountering Jesus as the true Friend

and gazing on Him with the hear

Go deep into a scene from the Gospel, become part of it as it will help you to discover Him. You may prefer “to reenact the scene in your

interior” in the way that Santa Teresa liked to do. Contemplating a picture may help you or a short phrase which reflects the way you feel.

Should this not help? Trust me: savour the prayer of Jesus slowly; the Our Father said slowly from within will be a simple and beneficial path.

“It is not about thinking a great deal but about loving a great deal;

and so that which awakens you most to love is what you should do”.

Prayer like friendship comes from the heart. So what really matters is not how you set out or how

you do it rather where you are going. We are making our way to a personal encounter, where

you can discover Jesus, going deeper into his mystery opening yourself up to his acting on you.

Teresa urges us to go deeper into to find Him in the deepest depths of our being, stripped of

other concerns. Allow Jesus to reach and touch you and to move your heart.

We arrive at the centre of the prayer: JESUS.

Go deeper into yourself, ever deeper.

Go deeper into Him, into his Mystery

“Remain there in His presence with the intellect quiet. And look at Christ who is looking at us, and, keep company with Him

and talk and ask him and delight in His presence…”

In the depths of prayer, there may not be many words, but there is always an encounter face to face. It is not about thinking or

uttering important words. No, just talk with the Friend. There is plenty of time to tell Him about your concerns, but most of all listen to Him, converse and delight in each other’s company.

“It is good to reflect awhile, but do not wear yourself out always seeking to do

this”.

Naturally it is important to “reflect for a while” : what I am being asked about, what is being revealed about me, what is moving deep

down, how it effects my life, what is He asking me to do…. But do not wear yourself out in lots of chat or in seeking great novelties. Prayer

is….. something else.

Remain at his side, quietly in order to get to know Him deeply, to know his feelings and what he prefers, to get to know his Truth

“Ask Him to help you seek to please Him always as all good things have come from Him”

Whatever prayer is like, do not let a moment for dialogue pass by. There is no lack of reasons as there is ever an

abundance of gifts. There are always opportunities for recognising the thanks you owe Him for the love which is poured forth in your life. And no need is so important as

seeking to know his plan, his dream for us, discovering how he wants our particular lives to be.

Yes, the Lord touches us inside and his presence stirs our interior. Be aware of it, welcome it and try to distinguish between your feelings which are ever changing and

that which is the work of the Lord, the effect

As you progress along the path of prayer, you will receive light to understand Jesus in a new way, your relationship with Him and the Gospel itself. You will

see the whole of life in a new way! It will not make life easier or mean that you do not need to make an effort, these things are part of the law of life, but

can you can face up to them peacefully, with a hitherto unknown joy and with new strength, which comes from Him. I think that in simple terms we

can say that your life will have highs and low, but above all

prayer illuminates your very being, in another way as if He was gazing on you. That which Teresa calls “self knowledge”, means much more than your qualities and defects although it will help you in this as well.

Above all, prayer will help you not to deceive yourself, to be able to place yourself before yourself, others and God with transparency and truth. At the same time it will open up new aspects of reality, new because they were unknown and because they are transformed. It is not about making a map of your interior, nor should it be an excuse to concentrate on yourself, folding in on your ego

It is about living in truth, distancing yourself from the distorted images you have of yourself, away from the

masques, without justifying yourself or judging others. Quite simply

become who you are, the one whom Jesus is calling to be with Him..

On this basis, it will become easier to distinguish your own history from the history which Jesus is trying to write

with you, calling you to profound knowledge of Him, to follow Him

each and every day from where you are, to live with Him and like Him in

your ordinary life.

Every occasion for prayer is different. Sometimes you will be filled with peace, joy happy revelations or quite simply will be affected deeply.

There may be at other times occasions of worry, disturbance, uncomfortable questions even doubts.

Do not worry about these things. The reality of prayer goes way beyond feelings: it represents the true encounter with Jesus, where friendship

with Him can flourish with the desire to follow Him and to commit oneself to his plan.

The popular concept of success, of being important or of being materially comfortable

will become totally secondary to following and loving Him. For someone who loves the

Lord, only that which He wants is important, because what is really of value in

life is to be found in the light of his gaze. This knowledge grows out of true prayer.

This is what happens after the moment of prayer: welcoming what is coming to birth in your interior, which Jesus is bringing about in you, in order to bring it to fruition in your life with joy, because this all comes

about through his love for you.

Do you know how Santa Teresa defines people who pray and who are friends of Jesus?

“We speak now about those who are beginning to be servants of love. This seems to me to be no other than

to follow resolutely by means of this path of prayer Him who has loved us so much”

All that Jesus makes grow wthin you is stirring as a new life

You can see the effects of prayer above all in the changes within you which will happen over time.

Teresa used to say that prayer “ leaves traces”; it leaves something new which can be perceived little by little. These marks are more than your momentary feelings and more than desires or good

resolutions.

It is about a new way of being and of acting in life, a change of values, of criteria of deep feelings. And this

novelty is translated as “traces confirmed by works”. It is very clear

“I would not want any other type of prayer than that which makes me grow in virtue”

Speaking of virtues may seem somewhat antiquated or

incomprehensible, but it really is about daily life.

Being involved in friendship throws you headlong into Jesus’ unconditional love

for you and you can do no less than respond to his response.

Loving Jesus means loving him with all your imperfections. It is not compairing

yourself with another person or thinking you will be better than

another person. Rather, it’s living with Jesus and as Jesus.

Do you want to know more about virtue? Look at Jesus in the Gospels, there you will learn about it.

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And to be more precise about the “marks” of prayer, let us return to Santa Teresa. She reminds us that

loving Jesus is not demonstrated in heady dreams or words,

“but in serving with justice strength and in humility”

You can see that it is really very simple. On this account do not worry if there are times when prayer seems

very difficult or arid. Santa Teresa

says that “as in the world there are different types of weather, so it

is with our interior life”.

Jesus, the Friend never leaves our side and his love remains forever, throughout all that happens, whatever that may be. So do not fail to respond to Him!