That provokes two questions about contemporary Sunday praxis: the ethos in church, especially before Mass, and silence at Mass.īy “ethos” I mean the whole atmosphere encountered when one enters church on Sunday. The hidden, transcendent God steps out of hiding in some manner and makes himself known to the soul who loves him and longs for him” (pp. That said, if we are praying before a tabernacle, the truth is evident. “The profound experience with God’s loving presence in praying before a tabernacle or monstrance never removes the reality of his utter mystery” (p. God’s Presence there is certain and assured, even if silent and “hidden.” That spurred these reflections. To underscore and support our faith in our silent Lord, Father Haggerty frequently writes about prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. While Father Haggerty notes the human need to learn to accept silence as a prerequisite to real prayer, he puts even greater emphasis on how God is also often silent, especially in contemplative prayer and how, paradoxically, His silence often speaks volumes to the soul. It lessens our capacity to “be still” and/or to “know that God” (Psalm 46:10) because our lack of recollection masks a superficial “abyss of self.” I also expanded on a particularly interesting point I derived from Father Haggerty’s book: how the stimuli of modern information technology, creating a kind of perennial, background “companion presence”-the equivalent in ubiquity and seriousness of mental elevator music-debilitates our ability to pray. Those might not be the answers to prayer that you want, but they’re the ones you need.As I’ve previously written, Father Donald Haggerty’s Contemplative Enigmas focuses on the spirituality of prayer, with major prominence given to the role of silence, both ours to hear God as well as God’s, who chooses to reveal Himself as He wishes and often in silence, particularly as one’s prayer life grows deeper. But don’t forget that God also reveals in Scripture both His goodness and the principles for enduring trials. Yes, God might be silent in the sense that He will not give you the specific reason for your suffering. So, does God answer your prayers with complete silence? So is reading about David’s life under Saul and Paul’s tumultuous ministry in Acts. I believe that Proverbs and James are especially useful here. It also includes principles for handling those trials (“Now everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger,” Jas 1:19 NASB). That includes a general reason for all adversity: “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials,” James wrote, not because God gives you specific details, but because “the testing of your faith produces patience” (Jas 1:2-3). Second, God answers your prayers by giving you principles for going through trials. Do you realize those truths about God’s good character are an answer to your prayers? You’re asking, “Why is this happening?” And by revealing His goodness, God is answering, “You can trust Me.” “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (Ps 107:1). In other words, Scripture reveals God’s good and benevolent character. You pray to the God Who loves you and sent Jesus to die on the cross for you so that you could live with Him forever. On the contrary, I think He always answers those prayers loudly and clearly.įirst, God answers those prayers by revealing His good character and awesome power.Īs a Christian, you do not pray to a blank slate or to an “Unknown God.” You pray to the loving Father of Jesus Christ, who created the universe and everything in it. I disagree with the premise that God answers those prayers with silence. To follow up your blog on Proverbs and the days of evil, why do you think God answers our prayers with silence? Why would He do that, especially when we’re suffering and so desperate for answers?Ī.
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