What It Takes To Pray Well (Part 2) - What we say.

What we say

Mary and Jesus window at Sacred Heart 

“. . . what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, . . .” 

(Matt. 15:18).

“Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

What is in your heart? A heart that hates his brother and cannot forgive does not love or know God. In the Sermon on the Mount we are told that if we are angry or insult our brother we are liable to varying degrees of judgment, but if we call them a fool we are in danger of hell (Matt. 5:21-26). This is in context of worship and has a direct affect on the outcome of our lives. “If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is vain.” What is it to have pure and undefiled religion before God? We are given examples of this, including keeping yourself unstained from the world (James 1:26-27).

I would now like to quote from the book I mentioned last time by Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik. In this paragraph he talks about angry words that separate us from the love of God and neighbor. Fr. Lovasik writes:

Angry words become more harmful and more wicked when they are associated with cursing. With the tongue a person praises God, and with the tongue he curses men, who have been made after the likeness of God. (Cf. James 3:9) Cursing is a sin against the reverence due to God’s name. But another motive for avoiding it can be found in the fact that it arouses a special bitterness in the heart of its victim. No one likes to be cursed at, for cursing is an insult to one’s dignity as a human being. The sensitive are deeply wounded by it.
                                                                                                  (pp. 159-160)

So already we are seeing a connection to the beginning of the "Our Father" prayer. Would anyone talk to God with that kind of language? What does this have to do with praying well? How we conduct our lives and how we speak to one another has everything to do with it. This is just one of many factors we need to take into consideration. "If you bruise the heart of any human being, you hurt Christ, since what is done to your neighbor is done to Him." (Lovasik, p.162)

We need to avoid speaking unkindly about others. We never know if a word we speak in jest or in haste will impact another individual created in the image of God. Fr. Lovasik says that we should appeal to nobler motives. (p. 170) This requires self-denial. When we reflect on the fourth Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary, we envision these words of Jesus, “If any man would follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24, emphasis mine.) It is easier said than done. As we see Jesus carrying his cross he falls a number of times. His mother witnesses all of this. Jesus is bearing the weight of our failings and when we sin we add another stripe to his back. How do you think this makes his mother feel? That sword of sorrow pierces her heart as it was prophesied many years previous. (Cf. Luke 2:35) If one feels like gossiping, slandering, or all out revenge, think of that person’s mother. The next time we feel like cursing in our conversation, think of Jesus’ mother.

Ave Maria!

Praise be Jesus Christ!

Resources

Lovasik, Lawrence G., The Hidden Power of Kindness: A Practical Handbook for Souls who Dare to Transform the World, One Deed at a Time. Sophia Institute Press, Manchester, New Hampshire, 1999.

All Bible quotations from the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 2006.