In praying, do not babble

Greetings on this the Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
Readings: Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19; Matthew 6:7-15

Summary

To babble is to talk foolishly, which means to lack good sense, judgment or unwise, which means the opposite of prudence and the intent of benefit.

I dumped a mouthful with that, didn’t I? Let’s unpack it.

Prayer is meant to be:

1. Prudent – which means with an intention for the future (an enduring good into the future – the past is prison).
2. Beneficial – which means to result in good (an objective good).
3. Sensible – which means to likely to be good (best effort to achieve good).
4. Good Judgement (wise) – which means contains the experience and knowledge of good, not good, and a pathway forward.

Prayer is a:

1. Conversation – the divine-human exchange of thoughts and hopes.
2. Transformative – by definition we are seeking transformation of reality, swapping out less-than-good with the good.
3. Personal – it is within me what I say and ask. It is the same with the Lord who is personal in what He says and asks.
4. Communal – it is common to all of us. It is best when the communal is simpatico, for harmony between peoples. You and me become Our.

A word on the word: Father. For some ‘father’ is a powerful and wonderful reference to the divine. For some, due to bad experience, ‘father’ is a oppressive term. Still for others, ‘father’ is an offensive reference to describe relations between the divine and humans.

So we can for today describe ‘father’ in its basic term.

1. to Love.
2. to Guide.
3. to always be accompaning.

Our Father

With this all said, here is the prayer that is not babble.

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Personal Reflection

In our first reading today, the Prophet Isaiah reminds us that the divine benevolence is efficatious.

So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

In our psalm today, we are reminded of the continuos divine aid in every circumstance of our life.

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

My resolve

For today I resolve to not babble. To have good intentionality and sensible requests that benefit all. Trusting all of us to the divine love, divine guidance and divine accompaniment.

Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031125.cfm

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry