Pics of Val and Jim at the Catholic Fraternity conference

Here. (look near the lower left corner)
Looks like Val in the upper left of this one.
They’re near the upper right in this one.
Almost dead-center here.
Here‘s Val just a tad right of center.  Jim must have levitated out of camera view.
And a last one with Val hidden but Jim visible slightly southwest of center.

Update 5/4:

Just found this bigtime close-up from the Meeting with the Bishops!

2012 Way of the Cross at the Colosseum

By now you probably know that this year’s prayerful meditations for the Good Friday Way of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome were written by a married couple.  You can find the text here or here.

The Zanzucchi's

I found the family-centeredness of the reflections to be very moving.  One of my personal favorites, which gave rise to an extended period of gratitude-filled reminiscing, was the concluding section of the Fifth Station:

The Cyrenean also brings to mind the faces of all those people who have been close to us at times when a heavy cross befell us or our family. He calls to mind the many volunteers throughout the world who generously devote themselves to comforting and assisting those suffering and in distress. He teaches us humbly to let ourselves be helped at times of need, and to be Cyreneans to others.

Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation at the conclusion of the Via Crucis is also worthy of reflection, highlighting truths that we should never forget or take for granted.

“Discovering Christ” — Session 6

Last Tuesday evening (March 27) was the sixth and FINAL session sponsored by our Community during which we previewed ChristLife’s “Discovering Christ” program.

After some prayer and praise, the group viewed the eighth video entitled “New Life in the Spirit: Being a Catholic Disciple,” by David Nodar, and then the ninth and final video entitled “Community and the Sacraments:  Why We Need the Church,” by Father Erik Arnold.   After the videos, the group discussed the presentations.

Some of the impressive qualities of the program which were highlighted by those in attendance:

1. Someone commented that at least one point in each talk has “touched him in a very deep way.”
2. Fr Arnold’s “Church without Christ” comments were especially timely in light of recent internet buzz on “faith in Christ without religion.”

Some of the challenges that were surfaced:

1. There were still comments in favor of LIVE presentations, and something else was needed to “Mix-up” (i.e., add variety to) the constant DVD presentation.  To balance this, the point was also made that we are NOT seeing the true effectiveness of the program because we do not know what happened in the share groups.  
2. While there was some concern over the lack of reference to the parish for community, it was believed the participants in these particular videos were probably students who would not find community at a local parish, but at home. 
3.  This point helped us all realize that this presentation is very important and usually “tailored” to the situation.  Where there is strong opportunity to experience community in the parish, direction is given; if that encouragement needs to be directed to another group (i.e., prayer group, covenant community, etc.), then that suggestion can also be made.  Ideally, a parish would have ways to bring in those completing the seminar, but that is not always the case.
4. Some questioned if the ChristLife approach falls short our expectations of the Life in the Spirit Seminar in the Catholic Charismatic renewal.
5. The point was made that any concerns about the DVD vs. Live presentations should be carefully discerned.  Can our own desire to give talks be in the way?  Do we have too much ownership? 

What is Next?

Jim

Jim Gialanella thanked the attendees for their steady participation in the project, and had everyone complete a questionnaire on the presentations.  Jim has subsequently tabulated these responses, and will report them to the CCR Life in The Spirit Committee that will meet on Wednesday, April 11.  Hopefully, the committee can come to some conclusion about using the ChristLife Program in any future Life in the Spirit Seminars.  Finally, many thanks to all at ChristLife for making this tool available to the Church!

“Discovering Christ” — Session 5

Yesterday evening (March 20th) was the fifth of the sessions sponsored by our Community during which we’re previewing ChristLife’s “Discovering Christ” program.

After some prayer and praise, the group viewed the seventh video presentation entitled “The Holy Spirit and You,” by Father Erik Arnold. After the video, the group discussed the presentation. 

Some of the impressive qualities of the program which were highlighted by those in attendance:

1. Many commented on the easy, positive flow of the presentation. 
2. There is a definite “gentleness” in the approach of this program. It is not a hard sell, but still gets to the heart.
3. The reference to Church Tradition in the “laying on of hands” was very effective. 
4. Fr Arnold made reference to the “Act of Faith” involved when the participant comes forward and makes the “Prayer for Renewal.”  Some in the group saw that same “Act of Faith” in the prayer teams when they depend more on the providence of God, than on the depth and duration of their own prayers. 
5. Many noted the inclusion of the 2008 Pentecost quote by Pope Benedict XVI.
6. One person was very touched by Fr Arnold’s story of his crisis of faith.  It was an emotional connection to his own experience.

Some of the challenges that were surfaced:

7. While there was general agreement on the approach not to get into too much depth regarding the spiritual gifts at this point, several still felt a little more preparation was necessary before the prayers for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. 
8. There was some thought expressed that talks six and seven could be combined, with a live witness.  This would allow for an eight week program.
9. Since the ChristLife materials actually state that 25 to 40% of participants do not attend the special Holy Spirit Retreat day, there was general consensus that this may not be the better context in which to offer the prayers for the baptism in the Holy Spirit.  The personal experience of just about everyone in the group was that the attrition rate was usually less than 10% when done in the routine weekly schedule instead of a separate retreat. 

The Prayer for renewal in the Holy Spirit:

There was overwhelming support for the format for the Prayer for Renewal.  The group thought it was very “participant centered.”  Items especially noted were:

10. Clear instructions for prayer teams and participants
11. Being sensitive to participant approval for laying on of hands
12. Specific direction for prayer teams to be supportive, loving and confident in their prayers, keeping it simple and direct. One commented “God is bigger than our attempts at perfection.” 
13. Keeping the TOTAL time frame under five minutes (including explanation/instructions to participant)
14. There was a suggestion to lengthen the Prayer for Renewal, making some connection to participant’s Baptism and Confirmation.
15. There was a sense that the prayer teams really needed to be prepared in advance for this activity.  They need to be familiar with the instructions and the “Act of Faith” concept for both participant and prayer team members.  Jim reminded everyone that there is supposed to be a “Leaders Day Retreat” in preparation for the sessions.  Discussion of how to lead small groups and the Renewal Prayer were part of this day.  Several believed this has been an OVERLOOKED AREA in recent Life in the Spirit Seminars.  We need to get back to that preparation.

In preparation for next week:

• Participants should be ready review talk #8 “New Life in the Spirit: Being a Catholic Disciple,” and talk #9 “Believing & Belonging: Why We Need the Church,”  after watching those videos.
• Next week will be the last session of this evaluation of the ChristLife Seminar Series entitled “Discovering Christ.”    All comments will be referred to the Diocesan CCR Service Team’s “Life in the Spirit Seminar Committee.”

“Discovering Christ” — Session 4

Tuesday evening was the fourth of the sessions sponsored by our Community during which we’re previewing ChristLife’s “Discovering Christ” program

After some prayer, the group viewed the fifth talk in the series entitled “Why is the Resurrection Important for Us” by David Nodar, and the sixth talk entitled “Who is the Holy Spirit?” also by Dave Nodar.

Some of the impressive qualities of the program which were highlighted by those in attendance:

1. Some commented that they really never put all this evidence together in the way David Nodar did.
2. These presentations really meet the younger, logical mind of today.  It helps them “prove the thesis” for the evidence that supports the resurrection.
3. The information and connections build throughout the presentations.
4. Some expressed these two talks were done with more passion than others.
5. The content of these talks was different in contrast to the “New Life” and “Preparing for the Gifts” talks of the more traditional Life in the Spirit Seminar.  There was general agreement that the “Discovering Christ” talks were more in-depth and provocative.  There is good movement toward the actual baptism in the Holy Spirit to come.
6. The technology of viewing the scripture passages helps in emphasis and attention.
7. Pointing out the difference between infant and adult baptism helps in the understanding of why there is a disconnect today with our faith/commitment and God’s grace when it comes to receiving the power and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
8. Great tie in with Old Testament signs of a new outpouring of the Spirit.  The explanation of what happened at Pentecost is better seen as part of the long, unfolding plan of God as foretold by prophets of old.

Some of the challenges that were surfaced:

9. Comments still came forward expressing the advantage of “live” presentations over using the DVD’s.   This is not a concern that is going away.  Some expressed the connection felt when the presentation is by someone they know or who they have actually met through the seminar.  The relationship connection helps in appreciating struggles and successes as expressed by actual live speakers.
10. Some of the reviewers did not think the joke at the start of talk six was appropriate.  Not only that, it did not seem to connect to the talk.  They suggested fast-forwarding that part to the start of the teaching.
11. There was some disagreement on the issue of emphasizing the impact of sin more.  The comment was made that a more pronounced emphasis on sin and eternal death by Father Arnold in an earlier talk would have made talks 5 and 6 even more powerful.  There was a response that to do this may give the wrong message.  It may tend to over emphasize the fear of Hell as opposed to the love and mercy of God.

In preparation for next week:

• Participants should be ready to move into actual “small groups” as we review the baptism in the Holy Spirit dynamics of the program.
• Jim Gialanella, Bob Valiante and Kathy Bagley recounted some of what they remembered from the February ChristLife Conference in Maryland.  There does seem to be a caution against over-extending the prayer time and including elements of distraction from the participant’s genuine time of surrender and petition. 
• Jim explained he would have better instructions for everyone after reviewing the ChristLife materials prior to next week.  He suggested we may not get beyond talk #7 “The Holy Spirit and You.”

Hopefully next week’s session will be just as rewarding.  Invite someone!

“Discovering Christ” — Session 3

Yesterday evening was the third of the sessions sponsored by our Community during which we’re previewing ChristLife’s “Discovering Christ” program.  Again, about 35  joy-filled Catholics involved in various apostolates (CCR, parishes, youth ministry, men’s movement, etc) responded to our invitation.

Walt Babetski lead the discussion after a time of quasi-Liturgy-of-the-Hours Evening Prayer.  The group viewed the third DVD entitled “What Does Jesus Want Us to Know,” by David Nodar, and the fourth DVD entitled “Why Do I Need a Savior” by Father Erik Arnold.  There was also a very brief 10-minute DVD called “Lump” that was part of the third talk.  It was viewed immediately at the end of talk three.  Following the DVD presentations, the group discussed the videos.

Some of the impressive qualities of the program which were highlighted by those in attendance:

1. Now, after four DVD’s, it has become very evident that the speakers do an excellent job each time in recapping the previous talk and immediately connecting it to the new presentation.
2. The talks are very clear and the information is presented in a well organized, understandable way.
3. Some of the vernacular used in talk three especially connects well with young people.
4. The LUMP DVD was, by far, the most impacting.  It was likened to a “modern day parable” in how it was presented.  It was a very EMOTIONAL presentation.  Many believed this could easily be a key transition point for participants and that the share group leaders need to be keenly aware of the deepening level of discussion that may take place in the groups that night.   Many of the program previewers present spoke of the impact the LUMP DVD was having on them.  It brought home the clear message that many who think they may be “seasoned” in their faith still have much to learn and experience about God’s love for them.
5. Questions for share groups were reviewed and appeared well connected and provocative for discussion.
6. Father Arnold brings home clearly the point that “Knowing” is not enough.  We need to “ACT” on what we hear.    We need to DECIDE!  He also noted the important concept that it is an ONGOING PROCESS.  The “Prayer of Commitment” was an excellent tool to bring participants closer to the surrender soon to come on the evening of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. 
7. The camera shots of participants helped develop a sense of importance, attentiveness.
8. While some concern still surfaced using DVD’s instead of live talks, others expressed the positive in the DVD’s, such as the consistent high level of information, clarity, and positive use of technology.

Some of the challenges that were surfaced:

9. Comments still came forward expressing the advantage of “live” presentations over using the DVD’s.   It again came up to include more live witnesses if using the DVD’s.
10. There was a comment to have more on SIN in Father Arnold’s talk, since so many Catholics feel that they commit personal sins very rarely. 
11. There was a comment that the talks need to be more dynamic.

The Team then agreed:

• To continue to try and review two DVD’s next week.  Doing discussion after each DVD, not waiting to see both first.
• To be ready to move into actual “small groups” as we review the Baptism in the Holy Spirit dynamics of the program. 

Hopefully next week’s session will be just as rewarding.  Invite someone!

“Discovering Christ” — Session 2

Yesterday evening was the second of the sessions sponsored by our Community during which we’re previewing ChristLife’s “Discovering Christ” program.  Again, about 30 joy-filled Catholics involved in various apostolates (CCR, parishes, youth ministry, men’s movement, etc) responded to our invitation.

With Walt absent due to a last-minute family emergency (just plumbing), Jim Gialanella led the discussion after a time of prayer and praise.  The group viewed the second DVD in the series entitled “ Why Does Jesus Matter,” by Father Erik Arnold.  Following the DVD presentation, the group discussed the video.

Some of the impressive qualities of the program which were highlighted by those in attendance:

1. Creative use of technology/media again noted, especially with the quick “man on the street” question – “Who do you say Jesus Christ is?”  This helped look at all perspectives of answers.
2. The presentation is geared to meet today’s “modern mind.”
3. This session, like the first “What is the Meaning of Life,” was genuinely provocative.  To consider the question, “Who is Jesus Christ” was inescapable.  The unsettling question was suggested to those present who supposedly have already discovered Christ, “do they act like they really found Him and know Him?”
4. The provocative presentation gives participants a reason to continue.
5. While there was a question regarding the need for more background for the answer to the Question “Who Is Jesus Christ,” it was generally agreed that too much information too soon is counter productive.  The presentation struck just the right balance between inquiry and information.  To dwell too much on this is to begin to question the Providence of God to act unless the informational level is perfect.

Some of the challenges that were surfaced:

6. The necessity to have share groups arranged by gender, youth, age was seen by  several as not extremely necessary.
7. Attracting participants was again part of the discussion.  Representatives of Our Lady, Queen of Peace parish talked about using Facebook and the church website.
8. Another question arose concerning how would this new ChristLife approach be presented to a parish team.  The general consensus was to consider this later after the entire program (Discover Christ) had been evaluated.
9. Many expressed the opinion that there still needs to be a “flesh and blood” witness that can be combined to the DVD.
10.  There was a suggestion that an “assignment” after week one should be to have the participants ask at least three people the question “Who Is Jesus Christ” and have them share their responses as part of the Talk 2 share group.
11. There was general concern expressed that the “Participant Guide” did not provide related scripture readings from week to week.  The use of the familiar, most recent “Life In the Spirit Participant Guide”  was suggested for use from talks three through nine.

The Team then agreed:

• To review two DVD’s next week, with less discussion time.  Everyone felt comfortable with this suggestion and believed the assessment of the talks would now move much faster.
• To STAY in one group for the discussions.
• To be overly concerned about perfect level of information provided or total dependence on publicity denies the Providence of God to work in this effort.

Hopefully next week’s session will be just as rewarding.  Invite someone!

First “Discovering Christ” preview session

Yesterday evening was the first of the sessions sponsored by our Community during which we’ll be previewing ChristLife’s “Discovering Christ” program.  More than two dozen joy-filled Catholics involved in various apostolates (CCR, parishes, youth ministry, men’s movement, etc) responded to our invitation, so we had about 40 people, including one priest, in attendance overall.

After providing a brief overview of the ChristLife apostolate and it’s Discovering Christ, Following Christ, and Sharing Christ programs, we viewed the short “invite” video, followed by the “Meaning of Life” talk by Dave Nodar, which is the first talk in the Discovering Christ program. An hour’s worth of healthy discussion ensued.

Some of the impressive qualities of the program which were highlighted by those in attendance:

1. Creative use of technology/media
2. The content is understandable by those with little or no spiritual maturity
3. Dave’s presentation was well-composed with it’s variety of stories, quotes, and the inclusion of a video segment
4. The “invite” video surfaced those particular occasions during our life when we might be most open to introspection
5. Quotations from a wide variety of sources
6. Appropriately Christ-centered
7. Capable of affecting the participants from the very first session

Some of the challenges that were surfaced:

8. The necessity of the dinner, and the resources required to have it
9. Attracting participants
10. Perceived competition with the “Life in the Spirit Seminar”
11. Getting all of the participants to persevere through all three programs (Discovering, Following, Sharing)

Hopefully next week’s session will be just as rewarding.  Invite someone!

Meeting cancellations

Please note that several meetings in February & March have been cancelled due to our hosting the preview sessions of the “Discovering Christ” program.  Refer to the 2012 Calendar tab at the top of our site.

DO NOT MISS….

…..Pope Benedict’s Message for Lent 2012.  It is tremendously relevant to Community life!!  As well as to our lives as Catholics in general.

Preparing for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

In a few days, the Church will begin celebrating the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25.  Those of Polish descent may be interested to read how the history of Poland influenced the choice of this year’s theme and materials for prayer and reflection, which have been compiled by a committee of Poles.  The suggested prayer service for this year even includes a well-known Polish custom at the Sign of Peace:

The focus for the prayers of intercession are unity and transformation of different situations. These prayers are followed by the “sign of peace”….Poland has a particular custom of sharing a special wafer, the “opłatek” (plural: “opłatki”), in people’s homes before the Christmas Eve meal, and also over Christmas in meetings in churches, and even at work. This custom is so precious to Poles, living at home and abroad, that it is practiced not only by people of different confessions, but also by non-believers. Each person is given a wafer. People then share this wafer by breaking off a piece of another person’s wafer and eating it. In doing so they convey their best wishes to each other. This sharing of the wafer expresses unity, love, and forgiveness between people to whom the Saviour came. Although it is not the Eucharist, nevertheless resembles it and symbolizes the presence of Him who was born in a House of Bread (Bethlehem) and who himself became the bread of life – Jesus Christ.

Even if we can’t attend a daily ecumenical prayer service during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, perhaps incorporating the proposed Scripture readings, Commentary, and Questions for Reflection into our personal or family prayer time would enable us to participate ‘in spirit’ in this valuable exercise.

Back in the day….

Re-Creation Week, August 27, 1988:  Men’s Prayer Time at 8:15 a.m. in Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at Camp St Andrew:

Abp Collins: Movements/parish

I want to keep this quote by Abp Collins handy for our Community’s discussion of Bp Bambera’s pastoral letter, and this is the handiest place available.

I’ve sought to try to understand their particular charism, to have all of them speaking to the bishop and, if possible, to have them speaking to one another. They’re a great richness in the church, but we can’t become globulized into this kind of Catholic or that kind of Catholic. The key is that they center in on the parish and the diocese, and that they provide their special gift or their charism for the service of the whole church, and that they not become disconnected from the whole church. What I’d like to do is to reach out to each one of them, and to be sure that they’re part of the whole reality and the fabric of life in the archdiocese. I’m sure that’s what they are.

“Year of Faith” resources

This post will be updated with links to resources from now through the end of the Year of Faith.

Pope Benedict declares Year of Faith.

Porta Fidei:  Apostolic Letter on the Year of Faith (on Zenit)

Porta Fidei:  Apostolic Letter on the Year of Faith (on Vatican)

Preview commentary by Kevin M. Clarke

Schedule note

Please note that the Teaching Night scheduled for Thursday, July 21st, has been cancelled.  Several of our members will be attending a meeting in preparation for the annual Scranton Charismatic Conference.

Remember that Colloquium?

That’s right…the one mentioned here.  The UK’s Michelle Moran has an article summarizing it.  I’ve found surprisingly little about the Colloquium on the internet.

School of prayer – Class #5

Pope Benedict’s fifth session of his school of prayer examines the prayer of the greatest Old Testament prefigurer of Christ:  Moses.  As with Abraham, our Holy Father chooses to focus on Moses as an example of intercessory prayer.  The Pope tells us why intercessory prayer is important:

Intercessory prayer makes divine mercy so active within the corrupted reality of the sinful man, that it finds a voice in the supplication of one who prays and through him becomes present where salvation is needed.

The Scriptural basis for this class is Exodus 32, specifically Moses’ prayer of intercession found in Ex 32:11-13.  Pope Benedict points out the approach that Moses takes in his prayer:

Moses’ prayer is wholly centered on the Lord’s fidelity and grace….The work of salvation begun must be brought to completion; if God were to allow his people to perish, this could be interpreted as a sign of a divine inability to bring to completion the project of salvation. God cannot permit this: He is the good Lord who saves, the guarantor of life, he is the God of mercy and forgiveness, of liberation from sin which kills. And so Moses appeals to God, to the interior life of God, against the exterior pronouncement….Moses had a concrete experience of the God of salvation; he was sent as a mediator of divine liberation, and now, with his prayer, he voices a twofold concern — concern for the fate of his people, but alongside this, concern for the honor that is owed to the Lord, for the truth of his name. The intercessor, in fact, wants the people of Israelto be saved, because they are the flock that has been entrusted to him, but also because, in that salvation, the true reality of God is manifested. Love of the brothers and love of God interpenetrate in intercessory prayer; they are inseparable. Moses, the intercessor, is a man stretched between two loves, which in prayer overlap into but one desire for good.

Then, our Holy Father sets forth Moses as the example of what authentic intercession is all about:

A mediator of life, the intercessor shows solidarity with the people; desiring only the salvation that God himself desires, he renounces the prospect of becoming a new people pleasing to the Lord. The phrase that God had addressed to him, “but of you I will make a great nation,” is not even taken into consideration by the “friend” of God, who instead is ready to take upon himself not only the guilt of his people, but also all of its consequences.

When, after the destruction of the golden calf, he will return to the mountain once again to ask for Israel’s salvation, he will say to the Lord: “But now, if thou wilt forgive their sin — and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written” (verse. 32). Through prayer, desiring God’s desire, the intercessor enters ever more profoundly into the knowledge of the Lord and of his mercy, and becomes capable of a love that reaches even to the total gift of self.  (emphasis mine)

Then he proceeds to reveal why Jesus is the perfect intercessor:

In Moses, who stands upon the mountain height face to face with God, who becomes the intercessor for his people, and who offers himself — “blot me out” — the Fathers of the Church saw a prefiguration of Christ, who on the heights of the cross truly stands before God, not only as a friend but as Son. And not only does he offer himself — “blot me out” — but with his pierced heart he is blotted out, he becomes, as St. Paul himself says, sin; he takes our sins upon himself in order to spare us; his intercession is not only solidarity, but identification with us; he carries us all in his body. And in this way his whole existence as man and as Son is a cry to the heart of God, it is forgiveness, but a forgiveness that transforms and renews.

I think we should meditate upon this reality. Christ stands before the face of God and prays for me. His prayer on the cross is contemporaneous with all men, contemporaneous with me: He prays for me, he suffered and suffers for me, he identified himself with me by taking on our human body and soul. And he invites us to enter into his identity, making ourselves one body, one spirit with him, because from the heights of the cross he brought not new laws, tablets of stone, but rather he brought himself, his body and his blood, as the new covenant. He thereby makes us one blood with him, one body with him, identified with him. He invites us to enter into this identification, to be united with him in our desire to be one body, one spirit with him. Let us pray to the Lord that this identification may transform us, may renew us, since forgiveness is renewal — it is transformation.

School of prayer – Class #4

Those who attend the annual Scranton Charismatic Conference have likely seen the University of Scranton’s statue of Jacob wrestling the “angel” in one of the commons areas.  Pope Benedict used that incident from Genesis 32:23-32 as the lesson in the fourth class of his school of prayer.  I’m glad he did, because that’s one of the bible stories that I never quite understood.

After reviewing the context of the Scripture passage, and recapping the wrestling match for us, our Holy Father sheds light on an Old Testament concept:

To know someone’s name, in fact, implies a kind of power over the person, since the name, in biblical thinking, contains the most profound reality of the individual; it unveils his secret and his destiny. Knowing someone’s name therefore means knowing the truth of the other, and this allows one to be able to dominate him. When, therefore, at the stranger’s request, Jacob reveals his own name, he is handing himself over to his opponent; it is a form of surrender, of the total giving over of himself to the other.

With that explained, the Pope provides an interpretation of this passage that can serve as a model of sorts for our prayer:

….Jacob’s night at the ford of the Jabbok becomes for the believer a point of reference for understanding his relationship with God, which in prayer finds its ultimate expression. Prayer requires trust, closeness, in a symbolic “hand to hand” not with a God who is an adversary and enemy, but with a blessing Lord who remains always mysterious, who appears unattainable. For this reason the sacred author uses the symbol of battle, which implies strength of soul, perseverance, tenacity in reaching what we desire. And if the object of one’s desire is a relationship with God, his blessing and his love, then the battle cannot but culminate in the gift of oneself to God, in the recognition of one’s own weakness, which triumphs precisely when we reach the point of surrendering ourselves into the merciful hands of God.

Pope Benedict’s own words are so thorough, so penetrating, that I’m at a loss for any kind of substantive commentary to offer.  In light of his explanation, this passage, and even his own words, are truly worthy of some serious lectio divina.

His conclusion inspires in me a desire for greater perseverance in a heartfelt yielding to Him personal prayer:

Dear brothers and sisters, our whole life is like this long night of battle and prayer that is meant to end in the desire and request for God’s blessing, which cannot be grasped or won by counting on our own strength, but must be received from him with humility, as a gratuitous gift that allows us, in the end, to recognize the face of the Lord.

[snip]

He who allows himself to be blessed by God, who abandons himself to him, who allows himself to be transformed by him, renders the world blessed. May the Lord help us to fight the good fight of faith and to ask his blessing in our prayer, so that he may renew in us the anticipation of seeing his face.

School of prayer – Class #3

With this third class, Pope Benedict begins a subset of his teachings on prayer that will focus on a “biblical review on this subject,” and

…will lead us to deepen in the covenant dialogue between God and man that animates the history of salvation, up to its culmination in the definitive Word that is Jesus Christ.

To me, this means he’s going to teach us how the great “friends of God” prayed in the Old Testament.

In this class, our Holy Father teaches about Abraham and his prayer of intercession in Genesis 18:17-33.  The true motivation for Abraham’s prayer was that

God decided to reveal to him what was about to happen and brings him to know the gravity of the evil and its terrible consequences…

This understanding leads Abraham to conclude that

…it would be unjust to punish in an indiscriminate way all the inhabitants. If there are innocents in the city, they cannot be treated as the guilty. God, who is a just judge, cannot act like that…

The Pope then highlights the heroic virtue in Abraham’s prayer, in his thought process, in his heart:

…we realize that Abraham’s request is even more serious and more profound, because he does not limit himself to ask for the salvation of the innocent. Abraham asks for forgiveness for the whole city…

Our teacher explains:

By so doing, he puts into play a new idea of justice: not the one that limits itself to punish the guilty, as men do, but a different, divine justice, which seeks the good and creates it through forgiveness that transforms the sinner, that converts and saves him. Hence, with his prayer Abraham does not invoke a merely retributive justice, but an intervention of salvation that, taking into account the innocent, also liberates the wicked from their guilt, forgiving them. Abraham’s thought, which seems almost paradoxical, can be synthesized thus: obviously the innocent cannot be treated as the guilty, this would be unjust; instead, it is necessary to treat the guilty as the innocent, putting into act a “superior” justice, offering them a possibility of salvation, because if the evildoers accept God’s forgiveness and confess their fault letting themselves be saved, they will no longer continue to do evil, they will also become righteous, without any further need to be punished.

Our own prayer time, our relationship with God, if it is authentic and ever-deepening, should lead us to understand the “terrible consequences” of sin, selfishness, and a life that excludes God.  It should spawn in us a faith-based intercession, especially for the needy members of our family, an intercession that

…is based on the certainty that the Lord is merciful. Abraham does not ask of God something that is contrary to his essence; he knocks on the door of God’s heart, knowing his real will.
[snip]
Because manifested and expressed through intercession, prayer to God for the salvation of others is the desire of salvation that God always harbors for sinful man….the Lord does not desire the death of the wicked, but that he be converted and live; his desire is always to forgive, to save, to give life, to transform evil into good. Well, it is precisely this divine desire that, in prayer, becomes man’s desire and is expressed through the words of intercession. With his supplication, Abraham is lending his own voice, but also his own heart, to the divine will: God’s desire is mercy, love and will of salvation….With the voice of his prayer, Abraham is giving voice to God’s desire, which is not to destroy, but to save…

Alas, after Abraham and his family departed the city, not even one righteous person was left, which would have held off God’s wrath.  This leads Pope Benedict to reveal to us the importance of Jesus:

It will be necessary for God himself to become that righteous one. And this is the mystery of the Incarnation: to guarantee a righteous one, he himself becomes man. There will always be a righteous one because he is: it is necessary, however, that God himself become that righteous one. The infinite and amazing divine love will be fully manifested when the Son of God becomes man, the definitive Righteous One, the perfect Innocent One, who will bring salvation to the whole world by dying on the cross, forgiving and interceding for those who “know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Then the prayer of every man will find its answer, then every intercession of ours will be fully heard.

Our Holy Father concludes:

…the supplication of Abraham, our father in the faith, teaches us to open our hearts ever more to the superabundant mercy of God, so that in our daily prayer we will be able to desire the salvation of humanity and to ask for it with perseverance and trust in the Lord who is great in love.

School of prayer – Class #2

In Pope Benedict’s second class in his school of prayer, he speaks about why prayer is necessary for us to become the persons that we were meant to be.  He points out that

St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the greatest theologians of history, defines prayer as the “expression of man’s desire for God.”

This leads me to think that the intensity of our desire for God will be revealed in the diligence and the quantity of our prayer.

The CCC teaches us in n. 2558 that prayer is the means by which we live out our relationship with God:

“Great is the mystery of the faith!” The Church professes this mystery in the Apostles’ Creed (Part One) and celebrates it in the sacramental liturgy (Part Two), so that the life of the faithful may be conformed to Christ in the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father (Part Three). This mystery, then, requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate it, and that they live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is prayer. [emphasis added]

Our Holy Father echoes this teaching:

Prayer, which is the opening and raising of the heart to God, becomes a personal relationship with Him. And even if man forgets his Creator, the living and true God does not fail to call man to the mysterious encounter of prayer.

Given the Pope’s teaching, it might be good to evaluate our own attitude toward our personal prayer time:

Are we eager to have prayer time?
Do we look forward to it?
Are we enthusiastic about having a personal encounter with Jesus?
Or….is our prayer time simply one more task on our daily “To Do” list?
Are we reluctant to spend time praying?

The answers to these questions might serve as a barometer of our personal relationship with the Lord.

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UPDATE 5/14/11:
While watching this video of Fr Francis Martin (in preparation for tomorrow’s Mass readings), I heard Fr Martin speak about having desire for the Lord (from about 3:20 to 4:00 in the video).  In the last five minutes or so, he talks about the importance of prayer in our growth in holiness.