Universalis

Saturday, January 07, 2006

My favorite prayer tool

is a little tabloid called "2006 Milwaukee Archdiocesan Directory". Twenty five-column pages of a long list of names and places. I've been caught by others with it a few times, and tried to explain how a long list of names becomes prayer. Not very effectively.

But this morning, a Desert story landed in my emailbox. I think Abba Macarius explains it much better than I. and there's not as much difference between the 300s and the 2000s than one might think:

Abba Macarius was asked, "How should one pray?" The old man said:
"There is no need at all to make long discourses. It is enough to stretch out one's hands and say, `Lord, as you will, and as you know, have mercy.' And if the conflict grows fiercer say, `Lord, help!' He knows very well what we need and He shows us His mercy."


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2 comments:

Mimi said...

Isn't that beautiful? Thank you for posting it for me to reread. I needed that.

Karen Marie said...

from the email box:
Karen Marie--

Here it is, a bunch of artsy Catholics over-analyzing your original post:
http://www.pieandcoffee.org/2006/01/23/prayer/

I would've posted it as a comment to your blog, but it began to get a bit long...

Peace & love,
Mike Benedetti
SS. Francis & Therese Catholic Worker
Worcester, Massachusetts