Turning to Prayer

Years ago I had a conversation with a retired army veteran who shared with me that during a war he was injured and as he lay huddled in a trench terrified at the prospect of dying alone on the battlefield, the only words that flowed from his mind was "The Lord's Prayer". He confessed that he had stopped praying for many years and the recitation of this prayer had apparently embedded itself in his psyche and its free flowing recitation during that time of need provided him with spiritual comfort; thus he began a dialogue with his divine father, one he had not called on in a very long time.
Isn't that the way it happens? It is during our struggles that we naturally turn to divine intervention through prayer. The "Lord's Prayer" is one, as well as "The Glory Be" and "Hail Mary". There are some who feel that memorized prayer result in formalism and spontaneous prayer is the better alternative. I would argue that both have a place in our spiritual journey. Spontaneous prayer relates to the mood one may be in at the moment. But moods change. What happens when I don't feel like it? Or I have had situations in my life where I can't even begin to form words on my own. In those moments I have turned to reciting the prayers that have sustained me during my times when I have prayed with my family or my faith community. Some times, those prayers were actually songs that I learned in our liturgies. My own children learned prayers through morning prayers, bed time routines and weekly church liturgies. I take comfort in knowing that the prayers that they have memorized may one day manifest themselves at moments in their lives when I may not be around to spiritually support them. It is kind of like teaching our children in the early years to dial 9-1-1, just in case! (I am not saying that prayer should be used on an emergency basis only.)
Teaching our children to pray both ways is of great value; spontaneous praying allows us to be vulnerable and open to our interior movements while memorized praying allows us to rely on words that for centuries have provided an opportunity to a conversation with our creator.
And the best way to teach our children how to pray is to allow them to experience prayer as a natural and meaningful part of our day; allow them to know that at times we may struggle with our own prayer life. And be sure to point out to the joy and peace that follows when prayer is given the highest priority in our lives.

Figuring out my role

So what is a Director of Religious Education? The title is really Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization. Some years ago, the church stopped calling our Sunday Religious classes “CCD” classes and began calling them Faith Formation classes; they also reassessed the Director’s title and thus began a conversion. Words matter. So as the incoming Director what is my role….? I assess this every day. Yes, I was given a job description list, but we all know that those lists don’t even begin to give a true picture of what a person who is directing the formation of all religious education is about. I suppose that after one year I should have a better idea. Every day has been different; there are many people who have diverse needs and motivations for why they are looking to participate in a church community or wanting to know more about the Christian faith as expressed through the sacramental life of the Catholic Church. I enjoy the relationships that are being fashioned, I like listening to the individual’s life story, I don’t like the feeling when I speak to someone who sees the church as an institution only, and often it’s not their fault as to why that is so. Many times those of us who represent “church” officially will respond to people as robots asking them to first “fill out this form” or to “wait until our classes begin in the Fall”…..when I listen to each person I notice that it is an opportunity to say “you are important, your life has meaning"… it is a big part of my week and I always walk away as have been gifted by this experience. This is where evangelization becomes part of the ministry, because as I listen to each person I am able to share with them the good news that God loved us first!

New Beginnings

I am sitting in my office, past my office hours, but for the first time in a long time I am not looking at the clock when I work. How crazy is that? I look around my desk and I see "Human trafficking in the US", "Sacramental Prep", "At home with the word", "New Jerusalem Bible", "Ministry and Liturgy", among a few of the phrases that catch my eye. Ayear ago today these titles would not have surrounded me in my work place. Who could have forcast that this is where I would be today? A year ago, I remember wondering where it was that I should find my bliss? I was beginning to feel uncomfortable in a way I had not experienced before in a profession that I devoted so many years to. I loved design and I loved teaching. Yet, I was not feeling that sense that one gets when you just know that you are at peace with where you are in your life. It is those moments in your life that you begin to try to "listen" more when you are praying. So I listened.....and listened....and listened....and finally He spoke to me and directed me to this place. That beginning made me practice the virtue of patience. I had to be patient with myself and with my circumstances. I continued to give as much of myself to my work while I figured out where I needed to be. So, today instead of finding myself in a college classroom surrounded by drawing papers and pens and textbooks on design and human factors, I am in an environment that is challenging me in new ways and surrounded by people who inspire me and give me confidence in my new skills. I am thankful for new beginnings!