"This is how you are to pray:
'Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come....
Y ou, in our English language, is both singular and plural. It applies to me, when someone addresses me; and to us. When the Lord teaches us to pray to Our Father, we learn to pray separately behind closed doors in the privacy of our hearts; and communally, as the People of God. Catholics never pray alone and, should we attempt it, we threaten the integrity of the Church.
Some adults have entered the Catholic Church without quite getting that message. As Americans, convinced but unaware of the isolating hegemony of individualism, they failed to shed that apartness upon becoming Catholic. Many, I fear, did not learn to recite the prayers of every Catholic: the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Act of Contrition, Apostles Creed, Rosary, etc. They might not have toured any Catholic churches or visited any Catholic shrines. They might not have encountered different races and cultures who share our religion. They might suppose their mumbled, inarticulate invocations of "God" are still sufficient.
In fact, some may still be thinking as SBNR -- spiritual but not religious. It takes a while to shed all the foolish, futile beliefs of a dominant culture and become Catholic.
Jesus insists that our prayer begins with words addressed to His Father and Our Father. Whether we're alone or with others, his Father sees and knows us, and is with us in the Holy Spirit. We are never alone except in our sin. And for that we plead mercy.
As a young, good looking priest fifty years ago, I attracted the attention of older women who regarded me as both a son and a priest. Several shared their misery as they entered menopause. Wise young fellow that I was, I advised them to keep coming to Church despite their inability to pray. "Let us do it!" I said. "Let our prayer flow over, around, beneath, and through you; and just be there in your misery. You don't have to do anything. You don't have to change anything."
Some found it to be helpful advice.
Catholicism doesn't just happen; it's an active passivity and a passive activity. We do it and we let it enfold us. And we thank God for teaching us to pray.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.