This is a Fraternus post, meaning it is related to men active in a Fraternus Chapter but perfectly applicable for any man in the trenches.
There is a whole big chunk of the Catechism that is dedicated to prayer. In fact, the whole fourth part is about prayer. This is my favorite part because it reads more smoothly than the other parts, which are more punctual. It is also applicable to my life right away and there always seem to be new things to pick up about prayer.
One of my favorite definitions of prayer is from St Therese of Lisieux. She says, “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and love, embracing both trial and joy.” That doesn’t sound too complicated, does it? Another quote from St Teresa of Avila says, “To pray is to talk with the one who loves me.” Christ goes out of his way, like he did with the woman at the well, to seek us first. So prayer is never initiated on our end but is always a response to Christ seeking us first. In fact, we learn to pray from Christ and all of our prayer is through Him.
I would encourage anyone who had not done so to read through the 4th part of the Catechism, you can learn all about the types of prayer (Blessing and Adoration, Petition, Intercession, Thanksgiving, and Praise) and the expressions of prayer (Vocal, Meditation, Contemplation). It also goes through prayer in the Church and the liturgy, prayer through the ages and through the saints, and the Lord’s Prayer.
More important than reading books about prayer is to have a prayer life of your own. You can read all about how cars work but if you never go out and do any work on your car to fix it up and make it better how does that help? Learn to pray through books and holy people but make sure you are carving out time for your own prayer first. One of the best things to do, especially at the beginning of the Fraternus year, is to make sure you are praying for the Captains and Brothers of your Squad and Chapter. Much more than any words you might say God will use your prayers to touch their hearts and bring them closer to Him.
Lastly, a note on silence. Silence is something that is lost and foreign in today’s world. Even when we don’t have the TV or radio running in the background we have the background noise of our own thoughts and worries. It can be almost impossible to block out all those things and give time to God. As with Elijah (1 Kings 19:12), God does not speak in the noise and hustle of the world. That is why it is so essential that we make spaces of silence to allow him to speak. This can be as simple as taking 10 minutes in the morning before your day gets going but one of the best things to give God time is adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. If we truly say that we want to be brothers and friends of Christ then is it too much to spend an hour with him every so often just to hang out?