LET IT aLL sTART hERE
For Catholics who care...
"I'm not a praying minstrel”. Those were the words of a 93 year old Italian-Catholic friend and fellow parishioner. I was taken aback! I wondered: This man is one of the most generous supporters of our church? A man whose last "outing" in his old life...was to go to Mass? …And he doesn't pray? Who else would he be but a praying minstrel if he truly believed in his Catholic faith? I am afraid that too many of us settle for the religious “tag” of “Catholic,” and too few of us regularly exercise its privilege. While visiting this man in a nursing home, the topic of how we converse with God came up. I wanted to talk about his prayer life and he wanted to change the subject. I don't change subjects readily when I want my way and I suggested that he spend some of his time in prayer – rather than sitting, hour upon hour, feeling alone. I think all of these elders of the Catholic faith who live in such facilities should consider banding together, in teams, to pray – collectively - for our world (A world that is a yardstick away from being the next Sodom and Gomorrah). This world has become one that our older generation can’t even recognize anymore; a world that they will be departing from before most of the rest of us. What better use of their time? I believe that if Catholic senior citizens were to recognize the powers they possess - from a lifetime of being in a relationship with God – and if they would own them, they just might be able to pray this world well. But, alas, that is a whole other topic. "I'm not a praying minstrel!" he reiterated the next time I visited. I asked if he wanted to pray the rosary with me. He frowned, and pushed my suggestion aside with his thick, arthritic hands; strong hands that had tended to the needs of hundreds of cows on his family's dairy farm for two-thirds of a century. Hands that knew hard work, but hands that never fished; hands that never held the hand of his own offspring. These were hands that rarely found themselves woven together in prayer. Or so he said.... Jesus' disciples only asked Him to teach them one thing - how to pray. I once read: "A learned behavior is easier caught than taught." Jesus understood, and prayed as an example to his followers. Pastor Rick Ezell writes this about Jesus’ prayer life: 1) Jesus believed that prayer works. 2) Praying did not make Jesus passive. 3) Jesus prayed alone. 4) Jesus prayed in community. 5) Jesus prayed before meals. 6) Jesus offered thanks. 7) Jesus prayed before making important decisions. 8) Jesus prayed for his disciples. My visit yesterday to the nursing home was a sad one. My "would-be" praying minstrel's health has taken a serious turn for the worse. I held his hand to comfort him as he wept at his own predicament. I struggled to find something meaningful to say, or do. Then, it became clear that solace cannot be offered to an aged, stricken, solitary man with a box of chocolate, a bouquet of flowers, or in the promise of future outings once good health returns. None of that matters. So, I said this: "I love you, and I need you to pray for me. Will you do that? Will you pray for me? I could use some help." I asked him this three times. He agreed. Now, let’s see what happens.
10 Comments
jackie white
4/21/2015 08:13:40 am
Yes, Evelyn I will pray for you if you pray for me. I have been praying for all the people on your parish prayer line as well as all the people on mine and I do this daily. Usually praying the rosary daily is for them.
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Jenny HPraults-Marin
4/22/2015 04:36:39 am
Prayer has helped me through some tough times in my life, just knowing that I can talk to Jesus whenever I need him is a true Blessing. I hope others find the comfort that a prayer can bring to a worried, confused, or upset mind. Sending prayers everyday for you and all God's children.
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Holly Augi
4/23/2015 10:21:43 am
Today is April 23, two weeks ago was on Facebook checking everyone's info, came across the question:
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Elisha Minsal
4/24/2015 08:58:26 am
I have noticed a lack of prayer life in the older generations.Makes me sad,they should be leading us and instead they seem to lag behind.My mom thankfully is the exact opposite she is learning to use her time to pray more.She is disabled and at first of course she was very down.But is learning that she can use her time for the Lord.
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jackie white
4/24/2015 09:28:21 am
Elisha,
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Father Michael
5/5/2015 02:57:36 am
First I'd like to take a moment to thank Evelyn for the time, effort, and inspiration she pours into keeping this blog a wonderful instrument of faith sharing, and of keeping our Catholic hearts, minds, and spirits engaged, challenged and nourished.
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jackie white
5/5/2015 07:14:05 am
Father Michael,
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5/5/2015 08:18:02 am
I'm smiling at you Jackie. And I'm working on a new essay inspired by Fr. Michael's comments. Thank you both. I am in good company. 5/8/2015 04:26:07 am
"The yearning inside" around prayer and spending time discovering the various ways I can find Him and feel His presence has become something like learning about an unrealized talent. Once I recognized I could do it... I felt His grace-- that is peaceful and joyful simultaneously. Now, I think about taking brief pilgrimages within my day ALL of the time. And you know what? Because I've practiced and practiced and I'm finally good at this, I find I want to do it again and again... just like anything else I enjoy doing. Always, I can't wait for the next opportunity to go off to seek Him. Yet my life seems always too busy to do the work I need to do to get back to Him As often as I'd like. That is something I never felt before. Anyway, that has been my journey around and through prayer. Your response was thought provoking Fr. Michael. Thank you. I wish more of my readers would initiate a dialogue. What are they afraid of?
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