Furthermore…

Last night I was at a charismatic prayer group I have gratefully attended a few times. Toward the end one of the members had a heavy burden, and we all gathered around to pray for it being removed from the person. I wanted to suggest we say a Hail Mary, which I remembered reading is particularly effective against such problems as the one we were praying against. But the others started praying as in tongues, so I joined in after a fashion, saying the Hail Mary but in a kind of garbled, unrecognizable way, so that it blended in with the other wordless voices satisfactorily. My “prayer” over, the others were still continuing. So I repeated mine, and again, and again. I’m not aware of having the tongues gift, or inclination: the nearest I come is an emotional ‘ooooh’ and ‘ohhhhh” once in a while as the others do it, and maybe a somewhat reserved ‘Yes Lord’ once in a while. It’s not much, but it’s all that I’ve got.

At our Couples for Christ prayer meeting yesterday the main topic for consideration was Pentecost Sunday and the Holy Spirit. Some discussion was had on the gift of speaking in tongues, but it turned to be an area understood differently within the group.
I like to think that the gift was that of understanding of tongues, bestowed on the many folks present with different native tongues. The apostles could have been speaking normally, but with the help of the Holy Spirit they were understood by the many.
Some of the people in our group were familiar with instances of “speaking in tongues” in various charismatic groups, unintelligible ululation, squeaking and the such. There seemed to be a bit of suspicion of, and discomfort with, such manifestations, although not, of course, any suggestion that there might be deception involved.

In a recent prayer group meeting as we waited during a silent time for the Holy Spirit to give us something to share, one of us spoke out with the reminder that through Jesus we can receive whatever we want from the Father. First I thought of anyone’s ordinary wants, such as a new car, a Rolex watch, a promotion or raise, and such. Then I got to thinking about another way of understanding want, as a lack, more specifically, a lack of what God intends for us. Such a usage would be “My book is ready for publication, all it wants is a final proof reading.” So God will give us anything we want when we ask in Jesus’ name, that is, anything we lack that will bring us closer to Him.”

I was at a Couples for Christ prayer meeting today. It went very well. We sang a number of songs, accompanied by two guitars. I knew and enjoyed singing about half of them. I tried to chime in on the rest, a bit here and a bit there. A local priest was expected to drop in, but didn’t make it, at least by the time I left. For our discussion we considered the Readings for the upcoming Sunday, the 7th Sunday of Easter. Our host had had them printed up for us and passed out copies. Included was a commentary by John Henry Cardinal Newman, full of insight. Summer approaching, the leaders and the more active members broached plans for vacation absences and traveling to Illinois for a major conference. After closing with prayer, we enjoyed a buffet lunch put together by the host and some of the attendees, and some good conversation.

There is a charismatic prayer group that meets Monday evenings in a parish building. I’ve gotten to know some of the regular members of the group, and have been feeling a bit more drawn to driving the short distance to join in prayer with them than to, as usual, stay home to watch EWTN, my mainstay.
Last night I sat by observing the proceedings for a while remaining uninvolved, not uttering phrases showing movement by the Spirit, not raising my arms toward God and Heaven in fervency. Then, after some prayers and singing, one of the leaders began an inspirational talk, knowledgeably referring to scripture as she went. Still sitting quietly, I began shedding tears; not crying, just slowly shedding tears. This was a little embarrassing, but I welcomed the tear flow, because now I could feel I belonged in the room with the other more demonstrative folk. Then, as the meeting progressed, my well ingrained stuffiness and reserve dissolved as I got more into sync with the rest of them, even being asked toward the end to lead a prayer for healing over two members who felt some need. Yes indeed!

I tune into Catholic radio and TV a lot. Frequently there is a blessing given by a priest, often at the close of the show. I once heard that such blessings are effective, or whatever the word is, if it is a live show, but not so if it is a rerun (or as some say, ‘an encore presentation’). Seems like a nice tidy answer. I wonder how this was arrived at, by whom. Is it a matter of simultaneity – the blessing is given and received at roughly the same time? Even in such a case, there is a tiny discrepency of time though. Is it to prevent stockpiling, duplicating or wholesaleing blessings far beyond the control of the blessors? I still cross myself, whether it is live or encore. At least the sign of the cross has some merit, even if the blessing may be a dud.

I’ve started a quest for Rosary music, initially thinking in terms of finding a composer to write background music for praying the Rosary. For each of the 20 Mysteries, there would have to be background music styled to agree with the mood or emotional associations of that Mystery, such as glory for the Resurrection, struggle for Carrying the Cross, joy for the Birth of the Lord, and reverence for The Institution of the Eucharist.

Now, instead of trying to find a composer, I am convinced that music written for the movies would nicely fill the bill. The art of adding music to movies in order to enhance viewers’ feelings during a particular scene has been developed to a high state of excellence in the film-making world. I am thinking it all is “in the can.”

So the next stage of this quest will be to solicit suggestions, from anyone interested, of movie music selections well suited to being played along with each of the Mysteries, music that will serve to deepen and enrich the Rosary prayer experience.

There are already productions in audio, video, and on web sites to accompany praying the Rosary, often including music of some sort, but I haven’t come across any having music such as I am seeking, such as would tend to establish and convey feelings allied with the scenes within the Mysteries.

While saying the Apostles Creed, it occurred to me that it is not directly addressed to God, but rather is sort of a statement, to oneself or anyone who might be listening, of the articles of faith to which you subscribe. The ACTS formula that we were taught which sets forth the different kinds of prayer — adoration, contrition, thanksgiving and supplication — gives the common ways that we lift our minds and hearts to God, but seems not to include recitations of the components of belief. The recitation of the creed might be called a prayer of assent, after the term of John Henry Cardinal Newman, or a prayer of profession. It solidifies, clarifies and renews one’s faith.

In the Chaplet of Divine Mercy we pray “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
We pray “the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.”
When we see someone we love suffering, we feel sorrow.
We love Jesus and His Mother. She felt sorrow because of his sufferings. As we say the Sorrowful Mysteries, we feel sorrow meditating on His sufferings, and additional sorrow when we consider that she herself felt such sorrow knowing what He experienced.
His Passion is sorrowful to Mary, to us, and to Jesus Himself, as He sorrows considering how humanity “doesn’t get it” and fails to recognize its essence as creatures of God, offenders against God, and its blindness of hatred in attacking and killing the God Who created, loves and redeems them but Whom they will not admit into their mental construct of the world.

I received some audio cassettes of the Rosary a while back from a publisher with St. Joseph in its name. One of the things I observed while I was using them was their practice of adding “St. Joseph, pray for us” at the completion of each decade. I liked the practice, and struck on the idea of asking, along with St. Joseph, other saints and holy people who had special meaning in my life to “pray for us.”

So I added St. William, my name saint, St. Boniface,the patron saint of my grammar school, the patron of the young nun who taught our 1st grade, Sister Rose of Lima, and on and on: high school, college, parishes I haunted, documentaries I viewed, important holy people of our time such as Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and my favorite, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks. Not exactly a true litany, but close enough for my satisfaction.

Oh – I omit the “pray for us” after each name, and only say it once, at the end of all the invocations. And then, for good measure, I thank my Guardian Angel for all his care.