2/25/2023 0 Comments Praying in silence![]() “I want to talk about the importance of silence silence,” said Cardinal Dolan during the last of the livestreamed Holy Hours, offered March 4 at St. I open wide the doors of my being to receive the wonderful blessings and goodness prepared for me.In the closing gathering of the archdiocesan Holy Hour monthly series, Cardinal Dolan focused on the sacred significance of silent prayer, silent adoration and silence itself. In it, I experience the gift of Presence, and I find the peace that I am looking for. Guided and inspired, I find the strength to live each day with faith, joy, and enthusiasm.ĭear God, this moment is our moment. Infinite wisdom reveals to me a new understanding of my life and my circumstances. The outpouring of healing and comforting love brings peace and calm to my soul. I surrender myself to the divine presence in the assurance that all sorrow is healed. I close the door to all distractions, to all external issues. That place where the Father and I are one. This kind of prayer is about not being married to a particular outcome, but instead, preparing the way for something better than one can even imagine. I put my heart into believing in a restoration of peace and joy, which has happened not just once but again and again, reassuring me that one cannot not pray.Īs Jesus said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). Through Unity teachings, I have learned to pray affirmatively by acknowledging that my beliefs empower my prayers. It was during a time of silence one morning, lost in my grief, that I received an answer in the form of a scripture: “I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten” (Joel 2:25). Nothing disturbs the deep, calm peace of my soul. I feel an inner knowing that my prayers have been heard, my needs have been met, and the way before me is smooth and easy. When I feel ready, I return my attention to my breathing, open my eyes, and express gratitude for this precious time of sacred communion. Here is where I listen and I wait in the Silence. I am now in my inner room with the door closed to all outer distractions. When thoughts invade my peace, I give them a gentle nod and return my attention to my breathing until I feel poised and centered again. ![]() Following the natural rise and fall of my breath, I sit quietly and listen. I continue to breathe deeply as I begin to feel relaxed and centered. I close my eyes and repeat one of the affirmations that help ground me, such as: I am poised and centered in the Christ mind, and nothing disturbs the deep, calm peace of my soul. Today I consciously begin my daily prayer time by centering on my breathing to quiet my busy mind and relax my body. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:6-8). When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. “But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Without realizing it, I was following the steps that Jesus laid out when the disciples asked him how to pray. I would sit in silence for what seemed like hours, waiting and hoping for answers. For a time, I was utterly speechless as I struggled to find words to ease my sorrow. One of my earliest experiences praying in silence followed the death of my 2-year old son, now more than four decades ago. When she forgets to say grace, I remind her she already prayed without uttering a word. It is rare that she starts eating before she has given thanks to God and for the hands that prepared the meal. ![]() My mother taught me to say grace before every meal. I somehow knew that we do not need to utter a word for our prayers to be heard. I could never bring myself to pray in that way. When I was young, I listened with curiosity as preachers and other adults raised their voices to God to give them this or change that. Many people believe prayers must be wordy, loud, and beseeching for God to hear them. While they yet speak, I will have heard them. Our prayers are as constant and fruitful as our thoughts.īefore they call, I will answer. Just as when we are silent, we are still sending a message, I’ve learned that when we are not speaking, we are still praying. Take a moment for that double negative to sink in. One theory by a noted philosopher in the field is that “one cannot not communicate.” As a communications major in college, one of the first things I studied was theory. ![]()
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