IN MY OWN WORDS Some thoughts about prayer
A series of short
reflections to be
savoured …
Gerard Mahony CP 07.05.2017
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A FEW WORDS …
Someone once wrote: “What! Another book on prayer!”
I know what they meant but my contribution is mine – and mine alone.
So it is an offering of my thoughts on this important subject. What
could be more important than speaking and listening to God?
I have been meditating for more than eighty years. I hope these
thoughts may help you grow.
Gerard CP
Photo taken at family celebration of my 95th birthday.
22nd April 2017
Gerard Mahony CP
mailto:[email protected]
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Real prayer happens when we talk with Jesus –
how he survived, how he felt and what he
learned. It is a matter of talking, thinking
and listening.
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In meditation, we must look honestly at ourselves –
who we are.
We are made in the image of God, sharers of the
God-life, fragile, valuable.
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We need to stir up our faith in God’s love for us.
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We need to realize that it is not only we
who are praying but God is praying in us,
anxious that our prayer is fruitful. I
sometimes imagine, as I approach the chapel
door, that it opens and Jesus is there and
welcomes me and takes me to my place of
prayer to pray together with me.
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We should watch the thoughts that precede our
prayer. These can hinder the smooth running of
our thoughts on prayer.
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At Marrickville, when I was a boy, there was an
antependium hanging from the altar; it was put
there at the end of each Mass to cover the altar cloth.
The words on it were “Magister adest et vocat te” –
“The Master is here and is calling for you.”
Perhaps if you listen quietly, you might hear God
calling your name.
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Meditation is a progressive thing. If we are still
praying the way we have always prayed,
we have failed to grow in prayer.
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Don’t think that you can master prayer in a couple
of attempts.
It takes time and effort.
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The more loving we are in prayer, the fewer words
we need to use.
Slow down your thought processes.
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We need to be captivated by God.
That cannot happen quickly.
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We should focus away from ourselves
and centre on God.
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We must embrace our passion, our fear,
our strengths and our weaknesses and
allow them to shape our world.
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We have to be prepared to
change our lives deeply.
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We must be committed to crystal clear
honesty and that can only come about
when we are stripped down
to the naked reality that is us.
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The indwelling and nearness of God
in our lives need to be the focus.
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The in-breaking of God in to our lives
is our greatest treasure.
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God has every right to reclaim what he gives us
and he asks us to give ourselves to him.
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God has left us free, free to forget him,
free to wander away –
and yet God wants us back.
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God made us special. We are individuals
so God does not appreciate sameness.
God wants our uniqueness and our individuality.
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It is up to us to make judicious choices
about prayer in our lives.
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