Lenten Prayer
What does it mean to be Christian? There is a temptation to think of our Christian faith as a set of teachings. But Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that “ Christianity is not an intellectual system, a collection of dogmas, or moralism. Christianity is instead an encounter, a love story; it is an event. ” In 19 th Century France, an old peasant would enter the church and sit silently each morning before going to work, and return to do the same before going home. One day, Fr John Vianney, asked the man what he said to the Lord during his visits. “I say nothing,” replied the man, “I look at him and he looks at me.” Prayer, the divine encounter, can be as simple as that. We don’t need to make it overly complicated. A friend of mine always starts communal prayer by saying, “Let us be aware that we are in the most holy presence of God.” God is always beside us and simply being aware of that is prayer. In our last reflection we...