Politics is Where the Competing Moral Visions of a Society Meet and Struggle

Taking Time To Pray

By Fr. Charles McElroy

"Since the Holy Spirit is in all of us, why are we so unaware of Him?"

From baptism we all are changed into children of God, sons and daughters of the Father in heaven.  He sends His Holy Spirit into us and we are from then on temples of the Holy Spirit.  More than that, He makes us members of the Church, the Body of Christ, under the leadership of Christ the Lord.  This is our heritage from the moment of our baptism.  So, how come we do not see this, or hear from God, or sense His presence?

Have you ever been introduced?  Has anyone ever really taken the time to point out that God is here, within you – and really here in all the rest of us?  Has anyone taught you to dialogue with Him, to the point where you understand His responses?  If asked these questions, some people would think the asker was crazy, many others would be skeptical, yet deep down inside hopeful for positive answers.  A few smile gently and respond, “Yes, the Lord and I are on good terms together.”

Several times the Lord, through Isaiah invites us “Come!  Heed me.”  In the New Testament Jesus Himself invites us by word and by action.  He feeds five thousand with five loaves and two fish, to say nothing of the hearts and minds He fed by His words on the hillside and by curing the sick.  He was there for us then and He is here for us now.  What then is our problem?  Why are we so distant from Him?

The reason is that we have pushed Him aside.

Long ago people lived lives of faith.  They reckoned with God all day long.  A crucifix on a wall in each room at home, prayer before each meal, as well as in the morning and before bed, the Angelus with its 3 Hail Marys and other verses was recited at 6 am, noon and 6 pm.  People had conversations about the parish, Catholic school, nuns, and priests every day. All of this steeped us in our Catholic culture.  Things were far from perfect, but people went to frequent confession, weekly Mass, and knew the Lord a little better.  In other words people knew that the Lord is close at hand.  Today it is all too obvious that the Lord is not welcome in world activities.  Education is commanded for all, but public schools are forbidden to open the bible, or to pray aloud.  The media shove religion into a very few TV channels, and most cable companies refuse to offer Catholic TV to their ordinary subscribers.  In many towns you must pay extra for EWTN[1].

Still, not many prayed then in such a way that they were able to discern the Lord’s replies.  So the next effective step is to learn to listen.  And that is best done in the discipline of daily prayers and in the silence of the Adoration Chapel.[2]