Bored at Mass

If you ask a group in what place they are most bored, the answer might be surprising: “Church”. Church was the answer of 29 out of 100 people surveyed on a TV show. As a priest, this troubled me. I began looking out at the faces of people at Sunday Mass, wondering which are the bored ones? How could I be a better instrument of the Lord in sharing the depth and joy of my belief in Him. Discussing this situation with my friends, they thought that it was due to a lack of personal prayer, which is the foundation of the liturgy. If both priest and people are faithful to their daily prayer, the Sunday liturgy will become more meaningful. Let us re-examine what prayer is all about and how we can make it an essential part of our lives. Let us share with you some preachers’ thoughts.

Jesus has just shared a parable about the unjust judge and the persevering widow. The word is so simple and yet so profound, “the need to pray continually and never lost heart.” How can we do this? First: a deep belief and trust in God. God is our most trusted companion. He will watch our coming and going not only in our daily activity but also as we move closer to him. Or at times, drift away from Him, whether we are aware of it or not. How can we become more aware and more sensitive to Him?

Second: Set aside the time and place for prayer. We must get away for a time each day from the business of making a living. Then we can return aware of His presence with us. Have a private place we can retreat to and be with God on a more intimate basis. Pray with others at times — with our family, friends or prayer groups — and be rejuvenated. Third: Be aware to whom we are praying. And not simply “to whom it may concern”. We pray to God our Father, through Jesus, aided by the Holy Spirit. Even as we pray alone, we are never alone in prayer, for we are praying with the help of the Trinity, who are with us before, during and after prayer. Fourth: Listen to the Sacred Scriptures. All Scripture is inspired by God. When with faith we recognize that in Sacred Scriptures God does indeed speak to us, we should respectfully and humbly listen with openness and readiness, not only with our ears but also with our hearts.

Fifth: Avoid obstacles that usually discourage a personal prayer life. Sometimes we feel that God is delaying in giving us an answer. Be patient and persevere. Like all things that may be new, it takes time to get used to it, and patience is not our best quality. Don’t lose heart. Don’t grade yourself. God is the only judge. He will supply what is lacking. Becoming a prayerful person is a lifelong journey. And the more we realize how much we need God’s help, the more we pray each day continually, and His strength never to lose heart.

St. Teresa’s analogy to the garden as an instruction in persistence in personal prayer is particularly appropriate to today’s readings. She writes about the one who begins to pray as if we were in a garden which has poor soil and is full of weeds. God prepares the soil, uproots the weeds and sets out good plants, but the garden must still be watered — and that is the purpose of prayer. She describes four ways the plants can be watered. First, the water can be laboriously drawn from the well, and that is the only option open to the beginner. This requires that you keep your senses collected in solitude, to meditate. The second way, analogous to using a water wheel in watering your garden is the Prayer of Quiet where the will alone is occupied in love, but this is not possible for beginners. Thus the need for persistence. A stream or brook that waters the ground much better is a gift from God, but still must be directed by the gardener. This and the fourth kind of prayer, analogous to a thorough drenching by heavy rain which requires no labor on the part of the gardener, is a very advanced form of prayer and a gift from God. Reading St. Teresa’s own accounts assures us that persistence is not only required by the widow before an unjust judge, but from us all.

29th S in O.T.: Lk 18, 1-8