Bishop Barron on Prayer

Summary

The video discusses the significance of prayer in the spiritual life, emphasizing that prayer is not just about raising our minds and hearts to God, but about God's quest for us. It suggests that prayer is a conversation with God, where both honesty and listening are crucial. The speaker recommends taking time daily for prayer, finding a center in life, being honest with God, listening attentively, and incorporating silence. Methods like the holy hour, prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and the Jesus Prayer are highlighted as ways to deepen one's prayer life.

Takeaways

• 🙏 Prayer is universal, even atheists engage in it, highlighting its importance in the human experience.
• 📜 Prayer, according to John Damascene, is the raising of the mind and heart to God, but it also involves God's quest for us.
• 💬 Prayer is a conversation among friends, emphasizing our friendship with God through lively conversation.
• ⏰ The first step to improving prayer life is taking time each day to converse with God, regardless of the time or place.
• 🎯 Prayer is about finding the center amidst the complexities of life, creating a still point where all things revolve.
• 🗣️ Honest communication is crucial in prayer; God desires authenticity, including our frustrations, worries, and delights.
• 👂 Listening to God is as important as speaking to Him, whether through scripture, meditation, or inner reflection.
• 🤫 Silence plays a vital role in prayer, allowing us to hear God's 'tiny whispering voice' in a noisy world.
• ⏳ The practice of a holy hour, spending dedicated time in prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament, is highly recommended.
• 🧘 The Jesus Prayer is a simple, calming practice that centers the soul, drawing us back into silence and deeper prayer.

Q & A

What is the primary definition of prayer according to John Damascene?

John Damascene defines prayer as the raising up of the mind and heart to God.

Why does the speaker believe John Damascene's definition of prayer might be too one-sided?

The speaker believes John Damascene's definition might be too one-sided because it focuses only on the human effort to reach out to God, whereas biblical religion emphasizes God's quest for us and His initiative in prayer.

According to the speaker, what is the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer?

The Holy Spirit's role in prayer is to inspire and prompt us. Authentic prayer, even petitionary prayer, is seen as the Holy Spirit prompting us to ask for what God wants to give.

What are the five recommendations the speaker makes to improve one’s prayer life?

The five recommendations are: 1) Take the time to pray daily, 2) Find the center of your life through prayer, 3) Speak to God with honesty, 4) Listen attentively to God's responses, and 5) Incorporate silence into prayer.

What does the speaker mean by 'prayer is the act of finding the center'?

The speaker means that prayer helps us find a central place or point of focus in our lives around which everything else revolves, providing clarity and purpose amidst the complexity and busyness of life.

Why does the speaker emphasize honesty in prayer?

The speaker emphasizes honesty in prayer because genuine communication with God, like any true friendship, requires openness and sharing of what we truly feel and think, including our frustrations, fears, and joys.

How does the speaker suggest we can listen to God during prayer?

The speaker suggests listening to God through various means, such as reading Scripture, being attentive to thoughts and feelings during meditation, imagining Jesus' responses based on knowledge of Scripture, and being open to indirect communication from God.

What role does silence play in prayer according to the speaker?

Silence in prayer allows us to listen for God's voice and be fully present with Him, moving beyond the constant noise and distractions of everyday life to experience a deeper connection with the divine.

What is the 'holy hour' and why does the speaker recommend it?

The 'holy hour' is a dedicated hour of prayer each day, typically spent in silence and contemplation before the Blessed Sacrament. The speaker recommends it as a time to deepen one's relationship with God and to practice the elements of prayer discussed.

What is the Jesus Prayer and how is it used in prayer practice?

The Jesus Prayer is a short prayer: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' It is repeated rhythmically, often in sync with breathing, as a simple and centering form of meditation that fosters a deep sense of calm and connection with God.

Outlines

00:00

🙏 The Essence and Role of Prayer in Spiritual Life

This paragraph explores the fundamental nature of prayer and its significance in spiritual life. It starts by discussing how prayer is a universal practice, even among atheists, and how it is often seen as the act of lifting one's mind and heart to God. However, the author argues that this definition is incomplete because it suggests that prayer is solely about human effort. Instead, the paragraph emphasizes that in biblical religion, prayer is primarily about God's initiative towards humanity. The divine side of prayer is considered more crucial, with the Holy Spirit often guiding our prayers. The author then describes prayer as a conversation between friends, focusing on the importance of taking time daily to engage in this dialogue with God. Thomas Merton's advice to 'take the time' is highlighted as a simple yet profound recommendation for deepening one's prayer life.

05:02

🗣️ Speaking Honestly to God

This paragraph focuses on the importance of honesty in prayer. It encourages people to speak openly with God about their true feelings, including frustrations, worries, and joys. The author argues that many people mask their genuine emotions, even in prayer, but God already knows our innermost thoughts. By being transparent, we can develop a deeper relationship with God. The paragraph includes a story of a woman expressing her anger at a statue of Mary after her husband's prolonged illness, which is used to illustrate the raw honesty that prayer can embody. This narrative aligns with the biblical tradition of the Psalms, where people often express intense emotions toward God. The key message is to communicate authentically with God, sharing the full spectrum of human experience.

10:04

👂 Listening and Finding Silence in Prayer

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of listening in prayer. It discusses how prayer should be a two-way conversation, where one not only speaks to God but also listens for His response. The author notes that God’s voice may not always be heard directly, but through scripture, inner feelings, and even imagined dialogues based on biblical teachings. The paragraph then shifts to the role of silence in prayer, highlighting Mother Teresa's teachings on the necessity of silence for spiritual growth. The author stresses that in a world filled with noise and constant communication, finding moments of silence is crucial for hearing God’s 'tiny whispering voice.' The paragraph concludes by reflecting on the practices of religious orders that prioritize silence and contemplation, suggesting that silence allows one to savor the presence of God.

🧘‍♂️ The Discipline of Silence and Contemplative Practices

This paragraph delves deeper into the practice of silence as a vital component of prayer and spiritual life. It reflects on the teachings of Thomas Aquinas about the dual nature of the will: seeking what is good and resting in it once it is found. Silence is portrayed as a form of resting in the good, a time to savor and appreciate the presence of God without the need for words or actions. The author mentions the resurgence of the practice of the Holy Hour and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, advocating these as powerful ways to cultivate silence and presence. Additionally, the paragraph introduces the 'Jesus Prayer,' a repetitive, meditative prayer that helps center the individual in God's presence. The overall message encourages readers to embrace silence and simplicity in their prayer practices, finding peace and communion with God through stillness.

Keywords

💡Prayer

Prayer is central to the video's theme, defined as a conversation with God. The speaker emphasizes that prayer is not just raising our minds and hearts to God but also involves listening to God. It is portrayed as a fundamental practice that all people, even atheists, engage in to some extent. The video discusses different dimensions of prayer, such as taking time for it, finding one's center, and being honest in communication with God.

💡God's Quest for Us

This concept highlights the idea that prayer is not merely about humans seeking God, but rather about God's initiative in seeking us. The speaker contrasts biblical religion with other philosophies by emphasizing that it is God's quest for humanity that drives the relationship, making prayer a response to God's call rather than just a human effort.

💡Honesty

Honesty in prayer is emphasized as crucial. The video advises against hiding behind pious language or telling God only what we think He wants to hear. Instead, the speaker encourages expressing true feelings, including anger, frustration, and confusion. An example from the video is the story of a woman throwing dirt at a statue of Mary, showing her honest expression of anger and despair.

💡Silence

Silence is described as a vital component of prayer, allowing space for God to speak. The speaker mentions how our noisy culture often prevents us from experiencing the silence necessary to hear God's 'tiny whispering voice.' The importance of silence is linked to deepening one's relationship with God and finding peace in His presence.

💡Centering

Centering in prayer involves finding a central place around which the complexities of life can revolve. This concept is about achieving spiritual focus and clarity amid life's chaos. The speaker references Thomas Merton's idea that prayer is finding the place where we are being created by God, emphasizing the importance of aligning oneself with this central, spiritual truth.

💡Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is presented as the guiding force in authentic prayer. The speaker explains that when we pray, especially in petition, it is often the Holy Spirit prompting us to ask for what God already wants to give us. This concept reinforces the idea that prayer is a divine conversation initiated by God through the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives.

💡Listening

Listening is portrayed as an essential part of prayer, where one must be attentive to God's responses. The speaker points out that prayer should not be one-sided, with only the individual speaking. Instead, it should involve actively listening for God's voice, which may come through scripture, thoughts, feelings, or even the imagined words of Jesus based on spiritual knowledge.

💡The Jesus Prayer

The Jesus Prayer is a simple, repetitive prayer mentioned as a tool for meditation and centering. It consists of the phrase 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' The speaker highlights its calming and centering effects, making it an important practice in personal prayer life, integrating both spiritual focus and rhythmic breathing.

💡Holy Hour

The Holy Hour refers to a dedicated hour of prayer each day. The speaker endorses this practice as a way to deepen one's prayer life. Spending time before the Blessed Sacrament during the Holy Hour is also emphasized, reflecting the importance of setting aside significant time for focused, silent, and reflective prayer.

💡Conversation with God

Prayer as a conversation with God encapsulates the idea that prayer is a two-way interaction between God and the individual. The speaker stresses that this conversation involves both speaking honestly to God and listening attentively for His responses, making the relationship dynamic and reciprocal rather than a mere monologue.

Highlights

Prayer is a universal human activity; even atheists report praying.

John Damascene defined prayer as the raising of the mind and heart to God, but this may overemphasize human effort.

In biblical religion, prayer is primarily about God's quest for us, not just our quest for God.

Prayer is a conversation among friends, emphasizing friendship with God.

The first step in improving prayer life is to take the time every day to converse with God.

Prayer is the act of finding the center, the place where your life revolves around God.

Honesty in prayer is crucial; speak to God about what's truly on your mind, including frustrations and messiness.

Listening attentively is a vital aspect of prayer; it's not just about talking to God but also hearing His responses.

Silence is essential in prayer, allowing space to hear God's 'tiny whispering voice.'

Thomas Merton's advice for better prayer: simply 'take the time.'

Prayer can happen anywhere, such as during a commute; use that time to converse with God.

Express your emotions honestly to God; don't mask your feelings or frustrations.

The importance of silence in prayer is emphasized by many spiritual traditions, including the Carthusian order.

Practices like the holy hour, prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and the Jesus prayer are recommended to deepen your prayer life.

The Jesus prayer ('Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner') is a simple, centering prayer that can become a rhythmic part of daily meditation.

Transcripts

Well, I saw today about one of the most important things in the spiritual life namely prayer. Here's the first observation about prayer

studies have shown that everybody prays

Even atheist say that they pray you could almost say that the human being is best characterized as the animal who prays?

So, what is prayer?

Well go back to John Damascene very early figure who famously

Characterized prayer as the raising up of the mind and heart to God it's a beautiful definition good

But it probably is too one-sided because I think what that can sound like is that it's all our business. You know here

We [are] raising our minds and hearts [to] God it's our quest for God

Well that might be true of many other philosophies and religions

But biblical religion is not primarily about our quest for God. It's about God's quest for us [alright]

So I would say once you see the primacy of [Gray's]

Prayer is God's

addressing of us

That's why [herbert] [mcCAde] the great Dominican theologian says that

Whatever is good and true and right in our prayer is the holy spirit already

Praying in us think of even a petitionary prayer. You know when you're asking God for something authentic

Petitionary prayer is the holy spirit prompting you to ask for what he wants to give you know so the primacy of the Lord's

involvement

So both sides are important, but I think the divine side is more important

You know if I were to sum it up. I would say prayer is a conversation among friends

So it's our friendship with God [express] now in this lively

Conversation so in light of all that I want to make to some really simple

Recommendations about prayer to improve your life of prayer

[here's] first one

Take the time

So many years ago Thomas Merton one of the great spiritual writers of the last century

Asked by an interlocutor what what's the one [thing] I can do to improve [my] prayer life

and he responded with that phrase [he] said take the time so before you get to techniques and

[Theological] insights and all that

Take the time

Every day to converse with God it's most important step now that might mean

First thing in the morning it might be a good time like for me. That's a better time [for] prayer

I do a holy hour of right after I wake up a more some people might be the end of the day

You know that's a better more

prayerful time for them

Maybe it's in the car. [I've] often recommended the car can be a good place [to] pray when you're usually by yourself

If you live right you now in the la area or any of our major cities

You're probably stuck in traffic a lot, so it's a little monastic. Cell. You've got space and time to pray but the main thing is

you take the time every [day] here's a

second Dimension [L] second recommendation about prayer

prayer is the act of

finding the center

So our lives are busy they're complicated

We're about many things right this and that disappointment than this I'm leaping from idea to idea

Obligation obligation if there's something that draws all this together as one is

There some central place around which all of this complexity revolves to pray in many ways

I think is to find that

place

So again Merton said to pray is to find the place in you

Where you are here, and now being created by God [it's] it's lovely idea

Find that still point around which the whole of your life ought to revolve that's what happens when you pray

When kierkegaard the Philosopher said that the saint is someone whose life is about one thing

he might have phrased that as the saint of someone who prays say who's

regularly found with center

in the third dimension of [prayer] I think

to pray to speak to God with

honesty

one of the problems in the spiritual order is we tell God what we think God wants to hear we hide behind a lot of

Pious language that we think is appropriate you [know] for prayer and again

I have nothing against pipe language, and it serves a very important purpose

[but] at the heart of prayer, I think is a

clear and Honest [communication]

Think of a friendship you know if you're with a friend

But you never tell that friend or your spouse what you really feel what you're really thinking

What's really, bugging you? What's really on your mind? Well, that's not going to be much of a friendship, right?

so with God

Speak with honesty about what's troubling you

What's worrying you what's bugging? You what's delighting you?

Talk about the messy size of your life

You know we've all got them and usually we mask that with other people we don't share that well. God knows anyway, right?

He can't toes everything about everything. So why are you bothering?

Masking it from God

Let him know about your guilt. Let him know about your sin let him know how you're confused at sunroom. I

Love that famous story about a lady

Who've been in a hospital for many many months her husband was dying and she went to weeks and months of this terrible

You know agony with the husband and so one day

She came outside the hospital, and it was a catholic [hospital] dedicated to our lady

and there was a statue of mary out in front and

the woman just came out and she began picking up clods of dirt and throwing them at the statue of Mary and

They went to stop her you know the security man one of the chaplains with a sister

Nono held them back and said don't stop her she's praying and

I think that's dead right [you] know that here's a woman who was a woman of Faith

She had brought her husband to this catholic hospital. She was a believer, but she was expressing her great

Anger frustration

And you think she's not aligned read the phone sounds are filled with people telling God how angry and frustrated and upset they are?

so speak with honesty to God I think is a great way to

Fourthly and relatedly

Listen attentively

So the conversation right between you and God if it's [one-way]

You're doing all the talking whether it's in formal language or in this emotional expression. Well that's not much of a conversation, right?

I'm going to go say my prayers. You know. [I] mean. I'll say that and the trouble is then it's just it's one-sided

I'm just telling God everything

Do I listen to God do I listen to what he says back?

Now I mean does God speak

directly

Yeah, sometimes in rare cases the lives of the great [saints] think of mother Teresa who famously heard this voice

Of jesus and then didn't hear it for [fifty] years

But she heard this voice calling her to serve the poor support a lot of the saints experience

But normally God speaks and much more indirect ways right it might be

Through the scripture that you're reading

So when I pray the office for example is a little priest while you're reading the psAlms is

It you just expressing something or is god speaking to you through the pSALms [I]?

think of someone like ignatius of loyola who makes us very attentive to [our] own thoughts and feelings as we

Meditate as we read the scriptures so what am I feeling as I read that path, and what's that doing to me?

In my feeling desolation or consolation to use ignatians language

Could I construe that as god speaking to me somehow you know?

Here's another exercise could I even imagine?

What jesus would say now I know it's a little bit delicate because you can [can] somewhat just like projection

But you know based on our knowledge of scripture and the tradition and all that

Can we as we pose a question to the world can we really imagine pretty accurately well what he would say to us and responsible

Can that be a way [of] discerning the voice of God a lot of different methods - we could talk about but you speak?

but you also listen and

Then relatedly and finally the role of silence in prayer

You know that famous adage of mother Teresa. She talks on the spiritual life she begins with silence

You know silence gives rise to prayer and prayer gives rise to Faith and Faith gives rise to

Love and love to service [make] that's the way she does it, but what's interesting is what comes first is silence

We have a really noisy culture and with our machines now

[we] are constantly

Stimulating ourselves right with words and communication and ideas we're talking to each other all [the] time and listening to each other all the time

Do we fit in Silence?

allowing God to speak in that space think of course [of] Elijah here, you know with

The wind and the fire [and] the earthquake and all that comes by, but he doesn't hear God and all that

But the tiny whispering voice well you can hear a tiny whispering voice unless you become silent

How many of the religious orders are predicated upon?

Silence I think of the one most memorable spiritual [moments] on life was visiting the [Garonne] Shalt Hoods and the south of France

Really [in] like the alps area of france and that was the place founded by St.

Bruno's the mother house of the Carthesian an order that's

radically devoted to

Silence now most of that can't be carthusian, but I think we can learn a lot from this

Attitude you [know] Thomas aquinas said the will has two basic moves it

Seeks the good that's absent and so you know we see it and we go after it

But the second move of the will is it it fits in the good that it possesses?

so when you have the good your will

rest in it see and that's kind of a silent move if you want it's a

Savoring move. I think we're pretty good at the first one. We're seeking all these goods, but then once we get them

What do we do with them? We wrestle ego onto something else?

Silence Silence when you have the good of God a

Silent savoring of that good is key. That's a part of prayer

And that's why you know I mentioned the holy hour before and that's been revived

Thank God in recent years because you know as a priest. I have to pray the office and I can rattle through my prayers

But if I don't take the time just number one right don't take the time to listen in Silence

Then it is just a lot of rattling off of [words] so silence

I'll close with a couple of [recommendations]. [I]

Love the holy hour, so if you can do it that means a dedicated hour every day

to prayer

This conversation with God if you can find a time take the holy hour

Prayer before the bus attacker [that] also has been revived in recent years it kind of fallen away

After the council but I think now it's made a great comeback. It's revived many parishes

Spend time before the blessed sacrament with these five recommendations in mind, and then one of my favorites the Jesus prayer

Right Lord, Jesus Christ, son of God have Mercy on me a sinner. That's the whole prayer, but then [repeated]

breathing in with the first half breathing out with the second and

Letting that prayer become part of the rhythm of your of your very body

I

Pray the [Jesus] [prayer] now every day. It's important part of my own

meditation it

Doesn't get you anywhere. It doesn't accomplish a lot. It's very simple

calming

Centering prayer that draws you back into silence [it] does all those things

so take those five recommendations

Follow the deep instinct in your heart that is leading you to pray and do it