Babbling

Step #1: Lectio / Read

Matthew 6:7-15

​Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

‘Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’

“If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

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Step #2: Meditatio / Meditate

Does anyone have that person in their life who is just the pure definition of a "talker"? You know the type - no matter where you are, no matter what is happening, no matter who is around, this person is talking. When they're excited, they talk; when they're nervous, they talk; when they're sad, they talk; when they're...I think you get the picture.

Maybe some of us don't notice this because it's actually us who talk a lot, but I'm guessing you and I can think of someone (not judge them, just think of them) who is like this. 

When it comes to prayer, sometimes we're all like this. Jesus starts His teaching on prayer in Matthew's Gospel today by telling us not to just talk: "In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words."

In Paragraph 2565 of the Catechism, we are told that "In the New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with his Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit." St. Therese of Lisieux, one of the greatest saints in the Church, says that prayer is a "surge of the heart." For many of us, our prayer might often look a lot more like a lecture, maybe like a letter begging for help, and a lot less than a surge of the heart or a living relationship.

Today, in His teaching to us, Jesus is asking us to stop worrying about how many words we say, since that's not why God listens, and instead to start to call God Daddy and learn what it means to have a real relationship with Him. As we read and pray the words of the Our Father today, let's realize that these weren't simply words given to us because they were a good prayer, but rather that they were and are the way that Jesus teaches us to interact with the Father, His Father, who loves each of us dearly and wants a relationship with us. 

In order to do this, of course, we have to stop babbling. In order to have a real relationship with God, we have to listen to Him, we have to hear His will, and we have to be open to what He is doing in our lives. In your prayer today, stop babbling; instead, listen to God, and let your heart silently cry out from deep within to the God who made you and loves you more than you could know.

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Step #3: Oratio / Pray

In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.

Do I find it easy or difficult to be silent? 

What are some times in my day, the way my schedule looks this summer, that I can block out to listen to God and not talk?

What word or phrase of the Our Father (go back and read the passage above) is speaking most directly to me today; what does God want to tell me in that phrase?

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Step #4: Contemplatio / Contemplate

Jesus, quiet my heart. 

Teach me to be still. 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

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For the Rest of Your Day...

Block out some time to be silent, to be still, and to just listen to what God has to say. Ideally, this would be in your Church or Adoration Chapel, but can be anywhere. In that time, let God truly speak to you. In the meantime, pray the words of the Our Father throughout the day, seeing what things God wants to teach you in those words. 

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Today's prayer was prepared by Jason Theobald.