BALANCING ACT

Recently, people have been asking me to pray for certain intentions, for sick friends, or for help in difficult situations, such as the flood damage people in nearby towns have been having in the past week or so. Yesterday I spent half an hour with my prayer list. 

It’s interesting that in many languages the word “pray” is a synonym for “ask.” Jesus encourages us to ask our heavenly Father for what we need or want, and so-called “prayer of petition” is an important part of our relationship with God. We believe that God answers our prayers.

But tomorrow’s first reading at mass, from the first book of Samuel (1 Sam. 3:3-10) reminds us that there has to be more to our prayer than mere asking.  

In the passage in question, young Samuel is asleep in his place in the temple, and nearby is the priest, Eli. Samuel is awakened by a voice, calling, “Samuel! Samuel!“ He gets up and goes over to Eli and says, “Yes, you called me?“ Eli assures him, “No my son I did not call you. Go back to sleep.“ This happens a second time, with the same response from Eli. Then a third time the voice calls to Samuel, and he dutifully goes to Eli, and says “Yes, you called me?“ Eli finally realizes what is happening, and tells Samuel, “ Go back to sleep, and if you hear that voice again, answer, 'Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.´”

And so it happens: Samuel answers the call as he has been told, “Speak, your servant is listening.”

This is a powerful kind of prayer -- asking God to speak to us. But unfortunately when we pray we often reverse Samuel’s powerful request to God and say instead “Listen, Lord, your servant is speaking!”

Tomorrow’s first reading reminds us of the important truth that our prayer must also include time for

listening to the Lord. Scripture is clear that God wants to speak to us, wants to reveal himself to us. This is really clear in the first chapter of John’s gospel: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.“ There plenty of other helpful verses in scripture that make the same point, such as “Be still, and know that I am God (Ps. 46:10).” 

There is a lovely story about Francis of Assisi, who approaches an almond tree in the dead of winter and asks its bare branches, “Sister almond tree, speak to me of God,” Immediately the almond tree bursts into beautiful blossoms. It’s a good idea for us, then to imitate Francis, and keep asking everything around us,  whether in nature, in other people, or in events on daily life, ¨Speak to me of God.¨

This can help balance our prayer life, so that we’re not constantly asking, “Listen, Lord, your servant is speaking!” but can also pray with young Samuel the words that Eli the priest taught him:  “Speak, your servant is listening.”