I would like to focus on one important grace of this Lenten season, that is, prayer. St. Paul said to the Corinthians, “Working together, then, we implore you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” Prayer – individual prayer and prayer in common – are two expressions of this very important grace, and each of them finds a place in today’s readings.
First, our prayer begins with God and goes to God. It is our exchange with God, our contact with God in faith, hope and love. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit but it is prone to attack from all that is against God. Jesus shows one way that prayer is under attack. It happens when our pride wants to take credit for prayer and boast before others. After all, prayer sets us apart from the majority of men. It elevates us, or seems to. We have something special, and we know it. This kills prayer, so Jesus immediately prescribes steps to remove this exaltation. He tells us to pray in secret, closing the door of our inner prayer room, and then simply to pray, not with many words. There is no praise of men to fuel our prayer at that point. All we have is the Father seeing us. We have to be satisfied with being seen by the Father, which of course, is the greatest gift we can receive. For the Father’s gaze is like healing radiation therapy on a cancer victim. It burns away whatever attacks our prayer. The only reason to pray is to be seen by our Father. But that is precisely the reward we most need, the Father’s gaze.
Next, God wants our prayer to be supported by a community, that is, the Church. St. Paul hints at this communal support for our prayer when he speaks on behalf of the Church, “Working together, then, we implore you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” Prayer is such a grace, and we need the help of others to hold fast to this grace. We cannot overcome the attacks against prayer without working together. In our case, that means working together with others in a community of prayer. Singing, listening, praying the way Jesus did with psalms and hymns and inspired songs allows us receive the grace of God worthily. The attacks against prayer are beaten back by the prayer of a community. For wherever two or three are gathered in imitation of Jesus’ prayer, there is Jesus himself. The surest way to receive the grace of prayer is to receive it in and through the Body of Christ. That is what our Lenten observance teaches us.
Finally, the attacks against prayer are often caused by our negligence. Negligence is a constant threat in monastic life. To some extent, this attack is related to a kind of individualism. Rather than enter into the inner room of our heart, we choose to create a DO NOT ENTER zone which subtly excludes even God from entering. It does not like God poking around in its business. Negligence has many other causes, but St. Paul’s admonition “Working together…” gives us communal protection and enables us to take advantage of all the graced moments of prayer.
Lent is a time for us to wake up and simply pray, not with many words, but with purity of heart and the confidence that God is looking down upon us. This is the reward and gift that the Lord has prepared for those who love him.
