Becoming Who God Created You to Be

Dear Members,

Jesus was in the habit of coming away by Himself to be with God. While He is often alone, as in the desert last week, today He chooses three lucky ones to share in the moment: Peter, James, and John. Together they go up the mountain, where a special revelation occurs. (see Luke 9:28-36). Beyond words, they did not speak of it until after Jesus was raised, and we still do not have a clear understanding of the mystery revealed up on the mountain. 

Often called the Transfiguration, Jesus was transfigured, but the experience also transfigured those lucky three, touching all parties. Prayer is like that, even if we do not recognize it at first. We could describe this event as a time of prayer. By that I mean deep communion and communication with the Divine.

This week, we would like to focus on the habit of prayer: lifting the mind and heart to God. Prayer is a habit, a virtue by which we train and prepare ourselves to be ready to commune with God. We can cultivate a habit and improve our prayer this Lent with some supremely practical tips:

• The first step is making it consistent at the same time and place each day. Develop that routine. Having a set routine will help foster prayer in the other moments of your life as well. People with prayerful dispositions cultivate a daily habit.
• Choose a comfortable, but alert position. Light a candle. Place yourself in front of a crucifix or holy image. Remove visual distractions from your prayer space. Take some time to create a space for prayer.
• As you enter prayer, it is good to take a few deep breaths. I find it helpful to breathe deeply and slow for a minute or so, trying to put away all the noise, concerns, and extraneous thoughts.
• When beginning prayer, it is best to have Scripture or proven spiritual book available. Use the text as a springboard for conversation with God. Enter into prayer by slowly reading over a few lines with the question: God how do you want to speak with me? Listening in prayer is much more important than speaking; afterall, God knows the deepest longings of your heart. Still, it can be fruitful to voice them, to pour them out, but leave time to listen with your heart.

Ninety percent of prayer is showing up daily, by cultivating the habit. We can train ourselves to create a prayerful disposition, one that is quiet and open, attentive, and reflective. God does the other 10% and that makes all the difference. We are really creating a space in our hearts to meet the divine and open ourselves to His Word & Wisdom. A beautiful image from Revelation is, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20).

This week is entitled: Becoming Who God Created You To Be, because we are made for prayer. We are made for communion with God. Afterall, Heaven is communion with the divine, so prayer is a great preparation and even foreshadowing for eternal beatitude. God called on Saint Joseph to become who He created him to be. With prayerful thought and dedication, Joseph raised the Son of God to become our Savior. May our habit of prayer guide us to be like St. Joseph and become who God wants us to be.

In anticipation of the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, we are providing prayer cards for the feast. Please take one and make it part of your prayer routine. You may even want to give one to a friend. Joseph was a man of deep faith and prayer. God often spoke to him through his dreams. In fact, one of Pope Francis’ favorite images is his statue of St. Joseph sleeping. "When I have a problem, a difficulty, I write a little note and I put it underneath Saint Joseph, so that he can dream about it!” 

Let us not forget to pray for our holy Father who continues to recuperate from illness. May God be with him!

In Christ,
Fr. Joel