The Way Some People Pray

• Before the time of prayer: You usually call this "the composition of place," but keep succeed better when you have marked off a in mind that you are rather composing definite time and a definite place to pray, and yourself than a place. keep them carefully. • At times, too, when you are considering • You will more readily go to prayer when something historical, you will want to remem- you have gotten ready for it, particularly by ber very briefly where your material fits into looking over the materials you intend to use. its own history. For instance, how the Nativity For instance, you will have identified which fits into the course of human salvation, or how passage in the Gospels you intend to contem- it comes after the Annunciation. You have to plate, or what ideas you intend to consider. decide whether this little recollection helps or not, because it is the kind of thing that helps • At the time of prayer: Since prayer means some and hinders others. raising your mind and heart to God, you always begin by reverently asking the Lord • Just as you start, remember to ask God the God to let you come into the divine presence. Lord for what you want. Each part of the Ex- You recognize that you are already totally ercises offers some special gift, like accepting known by God the Creator, who is making God's creative love or coming to know and you moment by moment from nothing. So love Jesus of Nazareth. Never omit asking you will come before God consciously just the God what you want just now. way you are at the moment, with the fears or joys, the convictions or doubts, the victories or • While you are praying: You do not have to defeats you now carry. "cover" a certain amount of material. When you find some notion or feeling that holds • As you begin, you will sometimes compose you, quietly stay there. When you are finished yourself in a concrete place. For instance, if with some prayer, move along. you are praying about the prodigal son's father, you might compose yourself at the • About positions: When you are standing place in the road where the father runs and up and praying along readily, you have no meets the son. If you are considering the lilies reason to change your position. When a of the field, you probably want to imagine position—say, sitting on the floor—begins to yourself for a moment in a field riotous with distract you, then change it. You are right to wild flowers. Many of the periods of prayer in try whatever position occurs to you. The the Spiritual Exercises suggest that you point is to pray; the position makes a differ- compose yourself in a specific place. Some ence only in that light.

The Way Some People Pray Page 1 of 2 You help yourself a lot, and show generosity did during your time, and what you experienced— to God, when you do little things that ideas, emotions, affects, convictions, prayers. You will match what you are praying about. For help yourself a great deal by this, and it leads directly instance, when you are praying about Jesus' into preparing for further prayer. Resurrection, have flowers on your desk or light a candle. When you are praying about • Well before the time you set for prayer (for sin, diet a bit or skip a couple of parties. After instance, the evening before a time of morning all, we go whole into prayer, not just our prayer), look over the materials you intend to minds, so we need to prepare our whole self pray with. Sometimes you will even see for it. certain points emerge from the material, and note them down.

• As long as you are going through the Exercises, you • When you are coming to the end of the time will tend to reflect on how well you you set for yourself, pause to ask yourself are performing them and how seriously you what you want especially to bring to God. are taking them. You might want to establish a Then talk with God the way you do to any specific time to do this reflection. revered friend. You might talk with Jesus of Nazareth, or with one of the apostles or one of • In everything, remember that you never the group of women who stayed with Jesus. make a generous gesture to God the Lord— During your prayer, you might think of God determinedly being faithful to prayer on an either as "You" or as "He," but when you end occasion when it is very difficult, for instance, it, you ought always to think of God as "You." or putting in some added time to reflect and pray—that will exceed God's generosity to • Unless you have decided on another you. God always pours out gifts with regal prayer, always end your time with the Our largess when we offer to our Creator any of Father. our own little gifts. ♦ • After that, take time for another kind of exercise, Review of Prayer. Jot down what vou

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