PRAYER:

ROTE OR REAL?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3^rd Friday in Advent, December 20^th, is, “Prayer: Rote or Real.”

My original title was simply “Annunciations” - because both readings contain annunciation moments.  [Cf. Isaiah 7:10-14; Luke 1:26-38]

Then I thought, to be practical, it would be better to bring that theme into prayer, because folks are often asking for ways to pray better.

THE TIME OF THE READINGS

The first reading from Isaiah 7 can be dated to around the second half of the 700’s before Christ - 742 heading towards 700.

The Gospel would be at the beginning of AD - the beginning of all these new years with the Lord Jesus.

Back then - either 2700 or 2000 years ago -  if someone had a radio receiver or a TV set or a cell phone or what have you, and they turned it on, there would be no sounds in the air to pick up.

Obviously, that’s a fantasy.

All we would hear back then would be the wind or the birds of the air or the music of those singing at work in a carpenter shop or in the temple or on pilgrimage - as well as the sounds of the words of people within one’s hearing.

If a tree fell in a forest, we would hear it.

If we did the same today - if we listened with a powerful radio receiver - AM - FM - Short Wave - we would hear static as well as a snowden - a blizzard of sounds - and voices and music.  The air waves today are filled with the sound of music and thousands and thousands and thousands of people talking on the phone to each other.

A question that hit me - thinking about that contrast: was it easier to be a better listener back then that it would be today?

Answer: I don’t know.

Assumption: Definitely easier back then.

PRAYER

The title of my homily is “Annunciations.”

Prayer is all about Annunciations and Responding to what those announcements and pronouncements are about.

One great way to respond is simply: ask questions.

Prayer - once we hit 10 - or 12 - or 14 - but I’m really not sure of what age it would be  - should be not just rote memory comments - any more than our communication with each other - should be more than rote.

Yes we say the Our Father and “How are you?” and “Nice day,” and “Yes dear” and “It’s warmer today!” by rote - often without thinking - but communication better be listening, reflecting, and asking questions to and with each other.

The question mark is in the shape it’s in - for a reason - to hook each other - to catch each other - to hopefully end up - being in communion with each other - to become pregnant - bigger than ourselves - compared to just going it alone.

LOOKING FOR SIGNS

Prayer to be real - is to look for signs - of possible solutions - new life - new ways to being with God and with each other. 

Prayer is communication.

Communication to be real - is to look for signs - for the visible.

Ahaz in today’s first reading is asked to ask the Lord for a sign, but he won’t do that.

How many times in our life has someone said to us when we were moaning or groaning or complaining about someone else, “Well did you ask them?” “Did you talk to them about this?”

If I read the scriptures correctly - especially the psalms - prayer is very much talking, yelling, begging, groaning, asking God questions.

MARY ASKS QUESTIONS

Ahaz won’t ask God.

Mary does.

That’s why I love the Annunciation story of Mary here in the Gospel of Luke.  And luckily we hear this gospel read at least 3 times a year.

Mary models how to be in communion with God. Ask questions. Tremble. Be troubled. It’s all right to be afraid.  Yet she asks.

So Mary mirrors good communication - actually thinking and talking  to God.

Too many prayers are babble…. non-thinking babble…. Too many prayers are rote memory recitals.

If you know the gospels, especially Luke, you’ll know this is one of Jesus’ complaints about prayer.

I am challenged by the statement: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

DOCENTS AND TOUR GUIDES

Almost finished, one last example. Have you ever had the following experience? You’re visiting a museum or a famous place and you have a tour guide or a docent. They are explaining a painting or a ceiling or something and someone asks a question out of the blue.

The docent or guide answers the question. Then the panic appears on their face. They have given this tour so many times - or something like that - and they don’t know where they let off to take time to answer the question from the crowd. Or they are brand new and just have their speech memorized, so  they have to start their whole spiel from the very beginning.

We have to become so familiar with God - and being in conversations, arguments, discussions with him - like with a friend, that it doesn’t make any difference where we let off or what have you.

CONCLUSION

Prayer moments can be like the two annunciation moments we heard in today’s 2 readings. Simply listen - ask - wonder - speak up - worry - tell God you’re afraid of something that’s going on in your life or what have you. And in the meanwhile expect distractions and interruptions - noise or someone opening up the door and asking a question. So what. Then we go back to prayer