Run Faster

Recently I have come across podcasts, books, and articles that have hammered home the indispensable nature of prayer in spiritual life. Prayer is meant to transform the heart and build us into saints. Fr. Jacques Philippe raised something that I cannot recall hearing ever before:

Almost nobody realizes it, but in my opinion it is just as important to help devout people become even holier—and faster—as it is to help sinners be converted. It benefits the Church just as much. The world will be saved by the prayers of the saints (In the School of the Holy Spirit, pg. 10).

Those are striking words, and for any that would want to read more or contend with Fr. Philippe’s opinion, I highly recommend his books (especially Searching for and Maintaining Peace).

Fr. Thomas Dubay, in his book Deep Conversion, Deep Prayer, relates a story from a biography of St. Bernard of Clairvaux:

The young abbot was speaking to his community one day, and he made a remark that shocked me on my first reading of it. ‘There are more people converted from mortal sin to grace, than there are religious converted from good to better.’ Over the years the more I have experienced of life and thought about this statement the more I have been convinced of its truth –pg. 12

It takes loads of grace and significant human effort to turn from a life of mortal sin to a life of grace. I have experienced that grace and pain. Yet I find myself agreeing with Fr. Philippe and Fr. Dubay: seeking to live a holier life should be our constant task… and one that is often harder than taking the first step in a dramatic conversion. I can speak with experience on that as well, as I tend to coast along.

Witnessing in Spite of Myself

I want to join my voice in the chorus, urging everyone to a deeper life of prayer. From wherever you are at the moment, by the grace of God, strive to grow deeper in your relationship with the Holy Trinity through mental prayer. The saints that excel at this type of prayer enter into contemplation. I approach it from a bit of a different tack: I’m a failure. A beloved son of God, but in all honesty, any teaching I can offer on prayer consists more of mistakes to learn from rather than expert tips.

I recently came across a note about a saint that they loved to pray to. The first thought that occurred to me was, “I wonder what that feels like?” Trying to relate to that, I like doing all sorts of things. I really enjoy and look forward to a good book, watching a movie with my wife, taking in a good football game, and much more. Even though I see the value of prayer, it would be dishonest to say that I look forward to it like I do those other things.

By the grace of God, I am further along in my spiritual journey than I ever have been. Even though I can look back at some growth, a towering mountain rises before me. I hope that some of these thoughts can be of some aid in your own climb up the mountain to union with God.

Preparation For Prayer

Prayer can definitely be spontaneous. Yet when I sit down to try to pray, I often carry the day with me. There is a marked difference between the days where I do not listen to secular music and the days that I do. The amount of sports news (or even Catholic news) I take in also affects my mental state. Those things are not bad in and of themselves, but they can crowd out the simpler things. It is hard to pray when song X runs through my head; similarly, when I wonder what free agents the Dodgers will pursue this winter.

I have found two solutions to this. First, regulate the intake of secular music and media—and also regulate what kind of Church news. It is important to know what is happening in the world and the Church. But how does reading a column about the latest uproar help me commune with my Father in heaven? The second solution is simple stubbornness. If I find myself distracted and bobbing my head to a catchy tune, prepare to wait it out. Stick it out and dig in those heels. Try other things to break the chain of distraction, like changing posture, reading the Bible or a spiritual book, or praying a pre-written prayer or litany. There are even more options than those—but nothing will be gained by giving up.

Devotions

I love the communion of saints, conversion stories, and learning about their lives of heroic virtue. In terms of devotions, however, several years ago I found it to be rather overwhelming. Hearing testimonies from the Catholic faithful that I had to have a devotion to this saint, that saint, say this or that chaplet (there are a surprising number of chaplets), join this confraternity, or be a part of that association. Add Bible reading and a rosary onto that, and mental prayer? Never mind the sacramentals like the many colors of scapulars, saint medals, crucifixes, and so on. It felt like more than I could ever do. What was a mildly scrupulous, well-intentioned but lazy Catholic to do?

What I found is to start with a foundation. There are certain must-haves: the Bible, mental prayer, and the rosary. Some may debate the rosary, but articles, more than one testimony, and saint after saint have urged this prayer. Our Lady herself requested it at Fatima! After those, find favorite saints, a chaplet of choice, and whatever other devotions. Just before giving the Our Father, Jesus reminded His listeners not to presume that lots of words or empty phrases would get the Father’s attention. Quantity does not equal quality in the number of chaplets or other devotions one practices.

Examen and Confession

The other night, my wife suggested doing an examen at the start of my prayer time. It helped me tremendously. Any start of a spiritual life starts with conversion and repentance. Without those, how can the Father forgive sins we refuse to confess? The examen is an incredibly valuable spiritual practice. Fr. Michael Gaitley has a variation of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s examen, using the acronym B-A-K-E-R.

The graces from a good confession can shatter the strongholds of sin. It remits our eternal punishment for sin—in a certain sense, going to confession serves as a good reminder of what is at stake. Sin is real and it will kill our soul if we let it. Hell is real and souls go there. Building a prayer life helps us not be one of those souls!

Mean What You Say

St. Paul told the Romans not to presume upon God’s mercy as an excuse for indulging in sin (2:4). By analogy, we cannot presume upon God’s love and patience to exert little effort. Yes, God loves us infinitely and accepts us as we are, whenever we come to Him. But why do we often feel like God has to accept whatever we give Him, whatever the quality?

The best way this makes sense to me is to mean what you say. During prayer, concentrate on the mind and heart. Keep in mind that we speak to the God that willed us into being. He gave us everything we have and wants to give us perfect love and happiness in heaven. Don’t feel okay having a mere superficial conversation in prayer, with little effort or conviction on our part.

Companions and Guides

This could read like the devotions I listed above. Spiritual guides abound, both leading to God and away from Him. Having a spiritual director is a great boost to the spiritual life, but it is not always easy to find one. If the search proves fruitless, consider having a saint and their writings be a spiritual guide. Or adopt one of the faithful, Catholic evangelists that publish regular content.

Another idea is to try to have spiritual conversations with friends. I have a wonderful wife (who pointed out the Fr. Philippe and Fr. Dubay quotes at the start of this article) with whom I can discuss questions, struggles, and inspirations. I have a great friend at work that I can always bounce ideas off of, for which I’m incredibly grateful! Neither are spiritual directors per se, but they play a big role in my spiritual journey. Whoever the guides are, do not try to walk alone.

Undertaking this journey of deeper prayer gives us the opportunity to confront weaknesses like these. Each individual would have their own set of hurdles. In trying to develop a deeper prayer life, we have to take our eyes off the hurdles. The race has already begun whether you’re running, walking, crawling, or lying down. Wherever you happen to be, do not stay there. Look toward the finish line: union with Christ. “Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12, RSVCE)