Talking about Gratitude; Thinking About Lent

I had a great time joining John Harper on Morning Air Radio again yesterday morning, to discuss how gratitude is a prayer. One fun and different part was that people actually called in, so I got to speak with a couple women in other parts of the country on this, one of my favorite topics. Very fun!

Check out the audio here, starting pretty much right at 43:00:

http://relevantradio.streamguys.us/MA%20Archive/MA20170330b.mp3

On a different note, last night I met for the second to last time with my spiritual director for the duration of the Lenten retreat I am on. Suddenly I realized how close we are to the end of this major liturgical season, and as I do with all those seasons the Church has, I began looking back on how it's gone.

The thing is, even though I gave up both sweets and alcohol (you know, why not, tradition), I really didn't notice all that much. Honestly, giving up sweets is much harder for me, because I like nibbling on something after I've eaten, and tend to have a drawer full of chocolate or cookies or something at my desk. This is actually part of why I have become such a tea-fanatic, because that was my way to cope last year. Now I just like tea a lot.

Anyway, I don't drink enough wine, etc. to make the alcohol one all that noticeable, though there were a few times where I withheld in a social or work situation and was reminded of the thing I learned a few years ago, the first time I tried giving up alcohol: no one cares if you drink or not. Maybe if you're in college, but not in the adult world. And if they do, it probably has something more to do with them, than you.

So instead, the daily prayer is what's really been the focus for me this Lenten season, and how rich it has been. Because I have focused more on this "adding something" (prayer) than "taking something away" (sweets, alcohol) Lent this year has taken on a whole new feeling. The practice of Ignatian spirituality at its core is about getting closer to God and developing a very real, active and deep relationship with Jesus, as you would with another person you know. So putting in that time - showing up to the prayer, being faithful and prioritizing it, because it is so important - has yielded wonderful richness and insight, a little of which I've written about recently. That, to me, seems to be the whole point of Lent, and much more significant than anything I've "given up" in the past. So although my little culinary sacrifices were there, they weren't the main thing; not at all. And I think in future years I will take this "adding on" approach, rather than a "subtracting one," to get closer to God during Lent. Or for any time of year, for that matter.

Gratitude is a Prayer

Dear readers, my latest Catholic Stand article is up, and it is called "Gratitude is a Prayer." The point I was trying to (and hopefully did) make is that just saying "thank you" to God for every little thing in your life is a way to pray. I love how many forms of prayer exist and are accessible to us, not just as Catholics, but in all faiths. Why can't a thank you be a prayer? It unites you to God in acknowledgement of His gifts and deference to His power. It also helps us feel the love He has for us, as his creation. The text of the article is below, and the original can be read here. Enjoy! p.s. Happy solemnity of St. Joseph! 

Gratitude is a Prayer

While recently considering the many types of prayer we can use when talking to God, I recalled a conversation I had last fall with a priest. The topic was envy, and my desire to avoid it. In response, this priest recommended I pray a decade of the rosary and, before each bead, think of something for which I was grateful.

I remembered this last week as I sat in the depths of Ignatian-focused prayer. Those who have experienced Ignatian spirituality know that, occasionally, God or the Holy Spirit will settle a little bit of light and understanding into your prayer time.

Out of this prayer time came the thought that gratitude is its own prayer.

Why is Gratitude a Form of Prayer?

When we pray to God out of pure thankfulness, we are acknowledging Him as Creator and, in that sense, we are worshiping Him. It is like St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, which opens, “Most high, all-powerful, all-good Lord, All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, all blessings.” When you thank God for His movement in your life, you are not far removed from praising him. A “thank you” to our Heavenly Father unites us to Him: creation worshiping its Creator in loving gratitude. It is our most basic offering, the simplest way to unite your will to His including – and perhaps especially – when His will is unclear.

How Can I Prayerfully Practice Gratitude in My Daily Life?

If you desire to practice gratitude in a prayerful way, begin small (and remember that God is in all things). A simple place to start is, “God, I am grateful for my job and family.” Before moving on, sit with that feeling of thankfulness for a few moments. Consider each individual family member; think deeply on how you spend your time at work and notice how each moment of your day is a gift from God.

Eventually you can move on to something more personal, acknowledging the gifts God has given you in a non-material sense. Have you ever thanked God for making you the way you are? “God, thank you for the gift of being outgoing, because it makes it easier to make friends.” Seriously! You could substitute any number of words there: thank you for making me someone who cares about the environment, someone who is a great runner, full of ambition, always on time, has great luck with parking spots. Each and every little thing that makes you you is a gift from God, and believe me, he knows those parts of you better than you do. He knows parts of you that you don’t even know!

Eventually, as you move through praying actively in gratitude and acknowledgement for the things, people, and circumstances of your life, you can simply pray, “Thank you.” Thank you, God, for being in all things, for creating this world, and for placing me in it here and now, exactly where I belong. It is amazing how quickly our blessings, large and small, add up – way more than fit in a decade of the rosary.

What Happens When Thankfulness Becomes My Prayer?

I can share from my own experience: lately everything looks different, perhaps brighter. I am noticing things I never have before, or which never caught my eye, whether that is a planter full of tiny flowers or the pattern on the pavement.

This is because when you begin practicing gratitude for more things in your life, inevitably you cannot help but become full of awe for everything God has created. More than that, you gain a sense of awareness of God’s presence in all that is around you, and how everything is, truly, connected.

Give It a Try

If you struggle with prayer, this notion of gratitude as its own form of prayer is especially applicable. Some days, the best we can do is roll out of bed and think, “Thank you, God, for letting me see another day,” and never give Him another glance. It is not beautiful or poetic, and yet how delighted God is to hear from you! It is one small, yet important step toward being with God, acknowledging His presence in your life, and asking for a little more closeness to Him. Our gratitude is enough for God, and it opens to the doors to a richer inner life.

St. Joseph Novena

It has been a while since I've shared a Pray More Novenas novena, and wanted to make sure I mentioned the "St Joseph, Husband of Mary" prayer that will begin this Saturday. If you're already a member of the Pray More Novenas community, you are good to go, and if you're new, go here. I highly recommend it! Nothing like praying in, and with a community. In this case, one which is global.

Prayer is so much on my mind since I completed the first Ignatian retreat last month, and am now a week and a half into my Lenten one. Prayer for an hour every day is weird, I will tell you. It's weird because you don't know what will happen. And then it's extra weird because even in the random, distracting, unexpected thoughts that come up, all of that is a part of God's plan for you in that particular prayer period. Isn't that strange! And you can't come at it with a to-do list, or skim the Scripture beforehand and think, "Mmhmm, I know what I'm supposed to learn today." No, you don't. And that's pretty amazing because then God drops new things into your mind and THAT'S what you learn, and you go off with your mind and soul buzzing with all the things you don't know, and the little piece that now you know. And by "you" I mean "me."

My next article for Catholic Stand will be on how gratitude is a form of prayer. Meaning, one way to pray well is to thank God, for everything - for your world, for your self, for your feelings. That's a prayer, and an important one. That's one of the things He dropped into my mind.