According to Matthew Kelly, the four signs of a dynamic catholic are Prayer, Study, Generosity, and Evangelization. I haven’t read the book yet but I’d like to share some of my personal reflections on the four signs. In this blog I will focus on Prayer and will share my reflections on Study, Generosity, and Evangelization on subsequent blogs.
1. PRAYER
Of course this is number one. Prayer has to be the most important aspect of a Christian. Prayer is our communication with the Lord and the way of being in constant communion with Him. St. Therese of Lisieux said, “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” Benedict XVI also reminds us that “the Fathers of the Church say that prayer, properly understood, is nothing other than becoming a longing for God.” I think what’s important to get from this is that prayer is not complicated. It is simply becoming a longing for God.
Included in prayer is fasting and alms-giving, both which are meant to direct our heart and mind to God. When we fast, it is not about looking gloomy and making sure everyone knows we’re fasting. It’s about getting rid of all of that self-love and focusing on God’s love, which fills us with joy. Also, we shouldn’t boast about our giving alms, whether it be materially, morally, or spiritually. The Lord tells us “when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Mt 6:3). Again, it’s all about the Lord. It’s all about being more intimate with Him and yearning for His reward and His approval. We should want to please only Him.
We also can achieve intimacy with the Lord through reading of the Scriptures. This is also where we are fed the bread of life. The Lord speaks His Truth and His Word to us through the Sacred Scriptures, and we truly encounter Jesus in it. St. Jerome aptly put it, “ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
Availing the Sacraments is another essential way of prayer. If praying is like drinking from the fountain of mercy and grace then participating in the Sacraments is like swimming in an ocean (even this metaphor is lacking ). It is God’s way of pouring upon us His graces in super abundance.
Prayer is our starting point and the entire journey. A dynamic Catholic is one who never stops longing for the Lord, and who points his desire for love to God’s agape love for it to be completely satisfied. Our source and strength to do anything good and pleasing for the Lord can only come from a life of prayer.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” –John 15:4