Father Ron’s Column
July 26, 2010: Teach Us to Pray
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
This Scripture passage was taken from the 11th chapter of the Gospel according to St. Luke. You will remember this passage from this past Sunday at Eucharist. This is amazing that we can ask God, himself, personally how to pray. Let’s be honest, have we ever asked a question and never really waited for the answer? Unfortunately, this is a very bad habit of mine. Sometimes I ask someone their name, and then I don’t listen for the answer.
However, this question has been on my heart and soul for these past twenty years of priesthood. I will tell you up front, I don’t have an answer for you.
However, I can attempt to do what Jesus did. I can be transparent enough for you to see how I pray.
St. Paul tells us that we need to pray at all times. St. Francis encourages us to pray at all times, and if we must…use words!
When I recently was preparing to meet with our Bishop Vic, I knew I had a big problem of foot-in-mouth disease. So I prayed: “Beloved Holy Spirit, give me the words to say to my bishop…and if you need to, please shut my mouth!” It worked! It was a wonderful encounter. I had really been burdened with a heavy heart and concerns about my ministry. Later that night, as the moon woke me up around 2:30 am, I had a very intimate talk with God.
I experienced a profound peace and joy. It was like being in the loving arms of total security and romance. Rarely have I ever been that close to any human being. I was in love.
The next day, I went swimming at the pool at Mayport Naval base. It is 50 meters long and sits real close to the ocean outside. When I swim, I swim a little over a mile and meditate on all 20 mysteries of the Rosary. Since I have a memorized (and learned) Scripture to coincide with each mystery of the life of Christ and Mother Mary, the mile plus swim melts into the prayer in no time.
After the swim, I made a visit to the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle at St. John the Baptist in Atlantic Beach. It is right on the way home, but for the past six months I have been struggling with Jesus. Prayer has been quite difficult. It was kind of like God wasn’t listening to me…or at least that is what I believed. I still prayed, but God was calling me to something deeper. It was almost like the cliché that says, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
I opened my Liturgy of Hours which I am required to pray every day. I was a day behind the Office of Readings…did I say I struggle with prayer lately? Anyways, I read the second reading from Wednesday of the sixteenth week of ordinary time. I will include the whole reading from this ancient text. I am sure you will discover something that God would like to say to YOU today about prayer. Take just one simple line like a piece of fruit and let it nourish you. It might also help to read it out loud and slowly. I always read out loud so I can take in God’s message through both my eyes and my ears!
From the Imitation of Christ
Turn to the Lord with your whole heart and leave behind this wretched world. Then your soul shall find rest. For the kingdom of God is the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. If you prepare within your heart a fitting dwelling place, Christ will come to you and console you.
His glory and beauty are within you, and he delights in dwelling there. The Lord frequently visits the heart of man. There he shares with man pleasant conversations, welcome consolation, abundant peace and a wonderful intimacy.
So come faithful soul. Prepare your heart for your spouse to dwell within you. For he says: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and we shall come to him and make our dwelling within him.
Make room for Christ. When you possess Christ you are a rich person, for he is sufficient for you. He himself, shall provide for you and faithfully administer all your cares. You will not have to place your hope in people. Put all your trust in God; let God be both your fear and your love. God will respond on your behalf and will do whatever is in your best interest.
You have here no lasting city. For wherever you find yourself, you will always be a pilgrim from another city. Until you are united intimately with Christ, you will never find your true rest.
Let your thoughts be with the Most High and direct your prayers continually to Christ. If you do not know how to contemplate the glory of heaven, take comfort in the passion of Christ, and dwell willingly in his sacred wounds. Endure with Christ, suffer for him, if you wish to reign with him.
Once you have entered completely into the depths of Jesus, and have a taste of his powerful love, then you will not care about your own convenience or inconvenience. Rather you will rejoice all the more in insults and injuries, for the love of Jesus makes a person scorn their own needs.
SUNSET and MOONRISE: A Prayer
Needless to say, I stayed in the little chapel in the church where I was ordained a deacon over 21 years ago. I was there for over three hours contemplating God. I listened and shut my mouth.
Then I came home and ended up going out to the beach, which is only about a five-minute walk. I brought my chair, my camera, a book and a little bit of wine. I felt so alive. I felt that I was wearing prayer like a bathing suit. Joy was in my heart. The moon was rising as the sun was setting. Surfers and people, dogs and birds, fish and crabs were all in harmony. Earth, air, water and fire were even more vibrant than last week. God is good! All the time!
Have a blessed and intimate week with our Beloved God who lives among us!
Love, joy, peace,
Father Ron Moses +
.
VISIT FATHER RON’S COLUMN ARCHIVE
.
Father Ron Camarda
Click here to view other segments of Father Ron on EWTN
Visit Father Ron’s Blog
.
W. Keith Moore has written music and lyrics for Father Ron Camarda’s upcoming movie based on his book Tear in the Desert. He has sent us a heartfelt commentary on Father Ron’s book and we must share it with you! Read Keith Moore’s Commentary
**Check out some of the songs Keith Moore wrote for the television series and the motion picture of TEAR IN THE DESERT:
.
It is our privilege and great joy to have with catholicStewardsofCreation.com a blessed and holy-spirit filled priest who sees God in everything and everyone.
Father Ron Camarda is an ordained Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of St. Augustine and also the Archdiocese of the Military which shows you how committed and hard he has worked in his vocation. He has received numerous commendations and achievement medals and is a ten year member of the American Counseling Association.
He is also the author of the widely successful and emotionally moving book titled TEAR in the DESERT which shares his experiences in Iraq as a Chaplain in the heart of war. His journal chronicles the names of 2,000 troops he met along the way and his experience at the Marine Surgical Hospital during the battle for Fallujah that forever changed him. Even today, he remains in touch with many of the families and survivors that he came to know through this experience.
He has appeared on EWTN and has been written about in Emmanuel Magazine, The St. Augustine Catholic and many newspapers across the country have carried his story.
We thank Father Ron for blessing this new website with his presence. Father Ron will have a featured weekly column and will also share his inspirations in each of our monthly Eagles Wings Newsletters.
.
