For a Catholic, there can be no more personal moment of prayer than after receiving the Eucharist. We believe that the consecrated host is the Body of Christ: not a mere symbol, but Christ himself: body, blood, soul and divinity. This is the center of our faith. You will not understand me if you don't understand this.
For reasons which will not matter to you, I needed to open my heart to him: to seek not only his will, but even the desire to seek it. Faith does not free us from all doubt. It merely changes our response. More often than I would care to admit, I pray thinking: Why am I here? What am I doing? What is the point?
I put these questions aside and prayed the Anima Christi. I asked him to help me: Please, Lord, show me the way. I opened my eyes and I saw the cross. Rarely are my prayers answered so quickly and so obviously.
You want me to show you the way? Here it is. Take up your cross and follow me. I am the way.
It was not, perhaps, the answer I wanted, but it was the answer I needed and it made me smile. So often we pray the Our Father without thinking. Yes, this was exactly the sort of answer my father would give. Ask a foolish question, right?
You're praying at Mass and you ask me to show you the way ?!? Here it is. It is the Way of the Cross. I am the way. And don't you forget it... my son.
Respectfully Yours,
Cricket
9 comments:
I've recently begun praying the Our Father upon awakening - at least, when I remember. I try to really think about each petition, and what they mean. I also add a "please" here and there (for instance, when asking for daily bread) as it seems the polite thing to do :-)
We walk a different path, Cricket but I always wish you well on yours.
Similar to Suldog... though I say Our Father every night before my daily petitions. I think the Anima Christi is beautiful and very personal indeed.
I am often surprised at the outcome of prayer too... I've had some true "duh" moments at the simplicity of grace.
It's hours later, Cricket, and I wanted to tell you something, as this has been tugging at the edges of my mind.
The truth of the matter is that I've always found transubstantiation to be a rather creepy concept. I didn't learn it in the Episcopal church, but I grew up in a liberal church that accepted symbolism, and talked a great deal about symbolic representation, without literal meaning.
But after reading your post, I was introduced to something new, that a Catholic would find transubstantiation a source of comfort, a tie to faith, belief.
I've known Catholics all my life, including my mother, and each has treated the idea as being...just one of those things about Catholicism. "Why do you cross yourselves?" "It's just something we do." That sort of thing.
It was nice, and broadening actually, to read that to someone, it meant something that was vaguely apologetic.
I can't say that I'm likely to ever walk the same path, Cricket, but I do appreciate that you make me think of things in new ways. You broadened a viewpoint. Encompassed more, for me, as I consider things.
i truly appreciate they way you are able to convey something so deeply personal in such a clear and yet succinct way. i'm a protestant but i also appreciated a good dialogue with a catholic who considers why he believes and does the things he does and the effect/outcome of such meditations.
this walk of faith is quite the journey isn't it?
My grandmother and aunt followed your way - with joy and much comfort.
there really is nothing like the symbolism He used in communion...it is a special time of renewal for me.
I like your honesty with the post. Praying will not necessarily yield the answer that we want to hear--glad you had the courage to respond.
Shimp - Thank you and I'm glad you found the post of interest.
Lime - Thank you and yes, it is.
Slamdunk - Thank you and welcome to Cricket and Porcupine.
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