Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matt. 7:7
Today is All Souls Day. The Feast of All Souls follows All Saints Day, and commemorates the faithful departed, those who die in God's faith and friendship.
However, Catholics believe that not all who die immediately are ready for heaven. Some of us need a bit more work. We call this time set aside for the fine-tuning of our character purgatory. We don’t really know how long purgatory lasts. Upon our death we leave behind time as we experience it. Our spirits will be outside of “time” – no more clocks or appointment books. For me, that puts the whole dilemma into the category of “time will tell”, not to make a pun.
My favorite aspect of All Souls Day is being told exactly how I am to pray. I am told to pray for all the souls floating around in purgatory, hopefully, cutting some time off of their sentence.
Prayer is very difficult for me and I don’t think I’m the Lone Ranger when it comes to this issue. I never seem to have the time, am too tired, too distracted, and sometimes can’t even figure out what to pray about. I am much more likely to read a book about prayer, of which I have bunches, then I am to just pray.
So, gentle reader, what are we to do?? Perhaps we need to first pray for ourselves. I know, I know – that seems awfully selfish. But, is it really? If we don’t first ask for the help we need in prayer, we’ll never pray. And if we never pray, some poor soul might have to hang around purgatory longer than necessary. I envision a horrible downward spiral in the world in general, all based on our not praying.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matt. 7:7
Today is All Souls Day. The Feast of All Souls follows All Saints Day, and commemorates the faithful departed, those who die in God's faith and friendship.
However, Catholics believe that not all who die immediately are ready for heaven. Some of us need a bit more work. We call this time set aside for the fine-tuning of our character purgatory. We don’t really know how long purgatory lasts. Upon our death we leave behind time as we experience it. Our spirits will be outside of “time” – no more clocks or appointment books. For me, that puts the whole dilemma into the category of “time will tell”, not to make a pun.
My favorite aspect of All Souls Day is being told exactly how I am to pray. I am told to pray for all the souls floating around in purgatory, hopefully, cutting some time off of their sentence.
Prayer is very difficult for me and I don’t think I’m the Lone Ranger when it comes to this issue. I never seem to have the time, am too tired, too distracted, and sometimes can’t even figure out what to pray about. I am much more likely to read a book about prayer, of which I have bunches, then I am to just pray.
So, gentle reader, what are we to do?? Perhaps we need to first pray for ourselves. I know, I know – that seems awfully selfish. But, is it really? If we don’t first ask for the help we need in prayer, we’ll never pray. And if we never pray, some poor soul might have to hang around purgatory longer than necessary. I envision a horrible downward spiral in the world in general, all based on our not praying.
So, tomorrow, first thing you do is ask for the graces you need to improve your prayer life. Your prayers do matter to God, to others, and most of all, to yourself. Just a few minutes in the morning and a few in the evening will be sufficient in the beginning. Most importantly, do not be discouraged by the accountings some people give of their prayer life. You pray in the way that is right for you.
7 comments:
The ardent teacher in you keeps coming out, doesn't it.
How could you think your kidlets would ever view you as mean?
Now look back 2 weeks and see where you were with this blogging thing. Looks and feels like you've conquered all that uncertainty.
Adrienne, I use a simple method to pray. It's called "your hand in prayer."
Your thumb - you pray for your family and friends and those closest to you.(easy to remember as when your hands are folded in prayer your thumb is closest to your body.)
Index finger - for those that teach the faith, for priests, bishops and the Holy Father, for doctors, nurses, police. (they can all point the way to God.)
Middle Finger - our politicians (no joke intended!) I also pray for our armed forces.
Ring Finger - the sick and dying, the hungry and homeless. (the ring finger is the weakest finger - ask any piano teacher)
Baby Finger - now we pray for ourselves.
angela - that is sooooo neat. I'm going to tell the kidlets how to pray like that.
uncle jim, the only thing I'm less uncertain about is where to put all those pesky commas. I'm re-reading Comma Sense, which is one of the funniest and best books I have ever read about puncuation.
...and, it's not the teaching; I'm a control freak.
Since prayer is a dialogue we have with God, I think the struggle, the fierce battles, and restlessness that comes in searching for Him can rank as a prayer in and of itself. Why? Because as we look for Him we find that we change for the better. Those who claim to know God and spew messages of hate have no clue of the sacred.
Tom
tom -- very well said!!
Saint Augustine states "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."
Adrienne, I found the official copy of "Your Hand in Prayer" - here it is....
YOUR HAND IN PRAYER ~ Author Unknown
1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest ones to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C.S. Lewis once said, "sweet duty."
2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom for pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.
3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the prime minister, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.
4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.
5. And lastly comes our little finger, the smallest finger of all, which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.
Thanks angela, I'll be using that tomorrow.
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