Perfect

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6).

The Heavenly and Earthly Trinities (Bartolomé Esteban Murillo)

I have been reflecting on the prayer of God the Son to God the Father.  You see, prayer is a conversation – a lifting up of the mind and heart to God.  When we pray, we can pray formally during the sacraments or using words provided to us in formal prayers like the Our Father and the Hail Mary, or we can pray informally, using our own words – either aloud or in our minds.  We can also pray in silence – just sitting quietly and waiting for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

And God the Son – Christ – prayed in all these different ways.  He prayed using formal words during the Our Father…

“And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:7-15).

He prayed using His own words at the Garden of Gethsemane…

“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” (Matthew 26:39).

And He prayed silently…

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6).

And I have been reflecting on the beauty of the scene of prayer of God the Son to His perfect love, God the Father, which is expressed through the perfect Person of God the Holy Spirit…

I can imagine the beauty of the sincerity of those prayers.  I can imagine that they were unhurried, “Slowly, consider what you are saying, who is saying it and to whom. For that hurried talk, without time for reflection, is just noise, the clatter of tin cans. And with Saint Teresa, I will tell you that, however much you work your lips, I do not call it prayer.” (Saint Josemaria).

And it occurs to me today that the prayers of God the Son are perfect.  And in contemplating such perfection there is some chance that I shall be able to replicate it in some way.

And today, I have been praying for the perfect Grace to be able to do just that…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.