Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Cross, Page 9
Thursday, April 20, 2000
FAITH IN THE MARKETPLACE
Do you ever take God for granted? How so?
“I would say yes. A lot of times, I expect God to just take care of things.
I take God for granted by not responding to him sometimes in prayer.” —
Father Angelo Ossino, Aurora, Colo.
“Yes and no. Yes when I get too busy just thinking about my own
agenda. No when God gets my attention through creation, worship or my
encounters with other people.” — Dr. Harry Kocurek, Edmond, Okla.
“No, I don’t. I wouldn’t.... God’s always there for me, and I know I have
to pray to him to maintain and build my faith.” — Irene Gora, Montpelier,
Vt.
“I take other people for granted. Why should God be any different? But
like all the others, I know that God loves me. Praise God!” — Father
George Mauck, Carlyle, Ill.
An upcoming edition asks: What steps can parents take to know their
teen-agers more fully? If you would like to respond for possible
publication, please write: Faith Alive! 3211 Fourth St. N.E., Washington,
D.C. 20017-1100.
What keeps people
from ignoring God
By Father John Crossin, OSFS
Catholic News Service
T;
he ability to listen to God is
what keeps many people from taking
God for granted.
God speaks to us in our ordinary
lives. This speech may be wordless.
The beauty of the sunset, the galaxies
of the cosmos and the intricacy of DNA
speak of the simplicity, complexity and
mystery of life. Nature’s
wonders lead us to ques
tion their origin and
goal — and our own.
God often speaks to
us — wordlessly once
again — through the ex
ample of others. Silent
example speaks vol
umes.
Recently, a couple I
know buried one of
their sons. He was
handicapped, but of
course only in some ways. Twenty-two
years of quiet devotion and
self-sacrificing love speak wordlessly
of this couple’s priorities and faith.
Some human actions need no com
mentary.
Good example points to the deeper,
more important realities that may get
ignored in the rush of daily living.
Good example speaks to us of God’s
love.
Periodically the pain of change,
suffering or death interrupts ordi
nary life and grabs our attention. It
reminds us of ultimate realities. It
reminds us of our mortality.
In the mysterious depths of our
consciousness, when we are quiet
and still, God speaks to us about our
basic humanity. He shows us life’s
purpose. He speaks to us about lov
ing.
Love serves others. Love human
izes us. Love endures.
Some of my friends seem to me to
be “restless for God” — always seeking
this deeper love. They are present-day
St. Augustines. They are not content
with themselves or with the present.
Their inner spirit seeks something
more. Taking God for granted is far
from their thinking.
—One seeks a new mission in life.
—Another dwells each morning in
silent prayer.
he quick pace of
ordinary living often
distorts the divine
message.... Our ears
tune in to other
louder messages.”
MM
—A third hesitates between teach
ing and direct service to the poor.
—A fourth probes parenthood’s vir
tues.
We can live each day focused on
work, success, possessions, sports
and entertainment. These are all
things quite good in themselves.
But Christians have a different way
of viewing the world. Gradually
they can come to see God at work
amid these goods of life.
Creation’s gran
deur, the love of a
family, the example
of friends and the
restless search for the
deepest love speak of
God’s mysterious
presence in our
midst.
But the quick pace
of ordinary living of
ten distorts the divine
message. We can’t
hear it clearly. Our
ears tune in to other louder mes
sages.
It’s so easy, then, to just take for
granted that God is there, keeping or
der. Still, the wise continue to try to
listen.
(Oblate Father Crossin is executive
director of the Washington Theologi
cal Consortium. His most recent
book, “Walking in Virtue,” was pub
lished by Paulist Press. He can be
reached at crossinwtc@aol.com.)
MBMH
ln 0 Nutshell
The ability to listen to
God is what keeps
many people from
taking God for granted.
But why does it take a
crisis or a tragedy to
awaken people to life’s
meaning?
Gratitude is the bridge
that leads away from
taking God for granted.
Building spiritual muscles
By Daniel S. Mulhall
Catholic News Service
-fcjvery year I seem to make two
resolutions: to get in shape and to
strengthen my prayer life. And every
year I seem not to make much
progress on either.
My exercise program begins with
the best of intentions. I get
up early to get to the gym,
lift weights and do a little
jogging. It’s not long,
though, before getting up
at 5 proves too difficult, so
I reset the alarm. Other
times, the exercise itself
proves too much.
Funny, but my
struggles with improving
my prayer lire closely re
semble the problem I have
getting into shape. I’ll
start my day with 10 min
utes of Scripture reading
and reflection, intending
to increase that time by
five minutes a week. I
have the best of inten
tions, but soon something
comes along that breaks
my routine, and I end up
starting over from
scratch.
Eventually I give up.
Instead of praying the
daily readings, I check my
e-mail.
I’ve come to realize
that if I’m ever going to
accomplish my spiritual
(a) Make a reasonable plan. Com
mit yourself to 5 minutes of daily
prayer. Decide to say the rosary
weekly. Plan on reading the Sunday
Mass readings ahead of tim Don’t
try to do too much at first.
(b) Same time, same place. Find a
place where you can pray and a time
relatively free of conflicts. Some people
pray in the shower, others behind the
CNS photo from Cleo Freelance Photography
struggles with improving my prayer
life closely resemble the problem I
have getting into shape.”
and physical goals, I'm going to
have to make a real commitment to
a plan.
One problem I have is that prayer
doesn’t come easy. I have to work at it.
I’m not alone there. Many great mys
tics wrote of their difficulty with their
prayer lives.
St. John of the Cross writes of his
dark night of the soul. This gives me
hope.
Part of my problem comes from
my attitude about prayer. I’ve taken
St. Ignatius Loyola’s saying to
heart, “Pray as if all things depend
on God, work as if all things depend
on you.” Thus my focus has been on
doing good, on working to bring
about God’s reign.
But it seems that Ignatius’ saying
has been misquoted. According to Je
suit Father John Hatcher, former di
rector of the Sioux Spiritual Center in
South Dakota, Ignatius actually said,
“Work as if all things depend on God,
pray as if all things depend on you.”
That interpretation forced me to
change my understanding of prayer.
Instead of holding myself responsible
for bringing about the kingdom, I’m to
leave that to God. My job is to pray.
If you also struggle with your
prayer life, here are some things the
prayer experts recommend.
wheel, while others pray before
bed.
(c) Find what works for you.
One size does not fit all. There
are many ways to pray. Read a
few verses in the Bible, and
think about what they mean
for you. Say the Hail Mary and Our
Father slowly, thinking about each
word; think about the challenges you
face today in light of the words. Try
various styles until you find one you
like.
(d) Don’t try to do it alone. You
belong to a community of faith. Oth
ers in your parish can offer help. Ask
for it. You can learn a lot from other
practitioners who can coach and en
courage you through the tough times.
Join a prayer group, attend a retreat
or take a class to learn various prayer
techniques.
Don’t give up, your work is too im
portant.
(Mulhall is assistant secretary for
catechesis and inculturation in the
U.S. Catholic Conference Depart
ment of Education.)
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