Spirituality For Catholic Jedi, Part Four

Welcome back, dear Catholic Jedi Academicians. As you recall, we are exploring spirituality for Catholic Jedi by examining three related themes: First: What Is “The Spiritual Life?” Second: What Is Prayer? Third: How Should We Pray? Let’s jog along into the Second Theme: WHAT IS PRAYER?

Few areas of theology are as crucial and indispensable as is prayer.Because, PRAYER IS OUR CENTRAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

What you think about prayer necessarily involves what you think about God. If you think that prayer to God is important -- that prayer really makes a difference -- then you have already said a lot about your concept of God. You are saying that:

• God hears us
• God is personally concerned about us
• God answers us, is at work in the world in response to us.

You are saying PRAYER IS LIFE WITH THE LIVING GOD.

Prayer is our central relationship with GOD. Prayer is our life with the LIVING GOD.

Prayer only happens in and through Our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our way to the Father. In Our Lord Jesus, God reaches out to us, inviting us to respond. There should only be one response from us: That we are IN OUR LORD JESUS, that we ABIDE in Our Lord Jesus.

In Saint John's Gospel, chapter 15, verses 1 through 11, Our Lord Jesus -- just before His death -- tells His disciples that He is the true vine and we are the branches.

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you. 4 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. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

The vine and branches image describes the mutual presence in one another of the Lord Jesus and us. HE is in us and WE are in him. This passage contains TWO DIRECTIVES to us from Our Lord Jesus.

1. That we remain in Our Lord Jesus and abide in His Love.
2. That we should ask, in His Name, for whatever we need.

• The SUCCESS of our asking for what we need will depend on US.
• The EFFECTIVENESS of our praying depends on our remaining in Our Lord Jesus.
• The SUCCESSFULNESS of our praying depends on our bearing fruit, being pruned, and becoming His disciples.

Our Lord Jesus calls you to abide in Him. He calls you to an intimate personal relationship with Him. This relationship is a matter of experience. By experience I do not mean a passing emotional state, but experience as a personal involvement.

The Lord calls you to experience Him, to experience a PERSONAL relationship with Him.

The Lord calls you not only to know about Him, but to know Him as a person.

The ESSENTIAL EXPRESSION of our personal relationship with God is called PRAYER.

The ONE, ESSENTIAL ACTIVITY that allows us to experience our personal relationship with God, is called, PRAYER.

To Be Continued...