SEVEN  LESSONS  ON 

HOW TO PRAY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 24 Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Seven Lessons On How To Pray.”

When we want to grow in prayer, one of the questions we ask is: “Lord, teach me how to pray.”

FIRST LESSON: ASK THE LORD TO TEACH US HOW TO PRAY!

Simply say, "Lord, teach me how to pray?" That's a great prayer in itself. We’re going to hear that question specifically in Luke 11:1-4 - a weekday gospel in a few weeks - Wednesday - the 27^th Week of the Church Year - October 9^th, this year.

In the meanwhile, to help with  this First Lesson in praying,  I suggest using your rosary for saying 59 times on your beads, “Lord, teach me how to pray?” 

It can take roughly 2 minutes to say that short prayer - 59 times - with one's rosary beads - or just say it one time slowly.

IN TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s readings we have six more "Lessons In How To Pray,” which is basic message of this homily.

SECOND LESSON: PRAY FOR OTHERS! 

In today's first reading from 1st Timothy 2: 1-8, Paul tells us: "When we pray, offer supplications, prayers, petitions and thanksgivings for everyone."

We understand that. It’s the prayer of the faithful at Mass, etc. We can do that whenever we pray - praying for presidents around our world, governors, leaders, mayors,  bishops, popes, doctors, lawyers, teachers, parents, grandparents, babies, truck drivers, pilots, those serving one's country, etc.

THIRD LESSON: USE PRAYER GESTURES. 

In today's first reading Paul also tells us that when we pray, we can lift up our hands in gesture - to our one God. This idea of using gestures when praying also appears in our Psalm for today. We can open our arms up like this [full outstretched arms gesture - as if we are Jesus - as if we are on the cross as well.]  Or we can cup our hands in a receiving gesture - as if we were filling our hands with water to drink or the Eucharist to receive Christ. [Gesture - open hands.]

FOURTH LESSON: FACE A SACRED PLACE!

When we pray, turn and face the direction of this church or any church we love and like. That lesson is in today’s Psalm 28.  I notice in walking around downtown Annapolis,  it’s easy to spot the golden cross and tall thin steeple of St. Mary’s Church. I notice in walking around the hospital, there are some upper windows and rooms one can spot where St. John Neumann’s church is.

FIFTH LESSON: SEE ONESELF AS AN ANOINTED PRIEST - WHOSE CALLING IT IS TO PRAY.

Today’s Psalm 28 also brings out that we are anointed. We Christians would add that at our baptism we are anointed prophet’s, priests, and kings. As priests we are ordained to be people of prayer. So Christian men and women are anointed  in our baptism to not just be prophets and kings and queens, but also to be priests - a key task of  which is to be one who prays for others.

SIXTH LESSON: SEE GOD AS OUR STRENGTH AND HIDING PLACE.

Today’s Psalm 28 also brings out that God is our strength. God is our shield. God is our refuge (we know what a wild life refuge is or a "man cave" is.) See God as a hiding place - a cave - an inner room - and spend time in one's God Escape.

SEVENTH LESSON: IMITATE THE CENTURION

Today’s gospel - Luke 7: 1-10 - gives us the background story of one of our Mass prayers.  The new translation has brought back the old translation: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”  So today and every Mass, picture yourself as having the faith the centurion had and pray that prayer like the centurion did. Amen

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Seven Lessons On How To Pray.”

There they are - 6 Lessons from today’s readings and one from the Gospel of Luke. Amen.