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Sermon on Prayer

 
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Catriona Delacroix



Inscrit le: 09 Fév 2008
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Localisation: Barnstaple (and my name is Catriona Mackenzie :p)

MessagePosté le: Ven Fév 06, 2015 5:01 pm    Sujet du message: Sermon on Prayer Répondre en citant

For once, I've managed to prepare a sermon in advance of the mass! I will be delivering the following sermon on prayer this weekend in the Hastings Chapel in Sussex.


Citation:
Those who attended last week’s mass will recall that I spoke of Saint Origène, a man who did much to spread the word of Jah and provide education on the holy texts. He also was a prolific author, his insights influencing and shaping our Church’s beliefs. One of his books was on the subject of prayer and his words inspire today’s sermon.

So what is prayer? It is at its simplest the conscious act of talking with Jah that can be done individually or collectively. While it is true that Jah is omnipresent, always present, and omniscient, all knowing, and so constantly watchful of his children, when we pray we are stepping away from the distractions of our lives to speak with him directly. It is perhaps true that we often pray only when we feel the need to establish that contact, when our thoughts are troubled and we look to Jah for guidance and comfort. Yet, to maintain our faith and our spiritual well being, we should pray regularly, not only in difficult times.

Jah is our friend. Think of those ye know in your life whom ye look upon as friends. To only seek out their company when ye feel the need, only when ye wish to speak with them because ye want their counsel and comfort, then after a while yer friends may feel like yer taking them for granted. True friendship is when yer there for them too, and not just when ye feel the need for their company. So it is with Jah. Friendship should have a balance, an equilibrium, and not be one-sided. Therefore do not only pray when ye feel the need, but show Jah your friendship constantly and regularly.

What should we pray about? Well the list is endless, really. We pray to give thanks, to seek blessing, to ask forgiveness of our sins, to ask for guidance, to seek divine intervention, and many other reasons - and not only for ourselves, but for those who touch our lives.

Where should we pray? Anywhere. Christos did not wait to step into a temple before praying, but would pray wherever he was. "All Aristotelians knows that every place is a part of the universe and that the universe itself is a temple of God.” So why then do folk mostly save their prayers for when they go to church? Well, because it is a sanctified place, set apart from the business of life as a refuge and place of worship. Here, there are no distractions, and one is reminded more fully of their relationship with Jah. Therefore a church is a suitable place for prayer, but we are also free to pray wherever we want. In the end, as long as ye can give yer full attention to your prayer, that is the main consideration.

Saint Origène recommends turning towards the east, as this is where the sun rises, the sun being the solar paradise, the heavenly abode of the almighty, the angels and the saints. That may be a problem for those of us who live in cloudy lands and cannae locate which direction is east! But in the end, it is not essential. Once again this recommendation is to do with helping ye focus yer thoughts and yer heart towards your prayer and Jah.

What preparations should we make before prayer? We should try to speak to Jah with our full presence of mind, so take time to put aside your anxieties and worries, your resentment of others, and other ill-feelings, to find a calm heart and soul. Prayers spoken as a careless afterthought or with a disinterestedness really aren’t worth the time spent. Again, think of the friendships ye have in yer lives. How do ye feel when a friend is distracted, thinking of something else, when in conversation with you? Therefore pay attention to your prayer, and don’t be thinking about what yer going to have for dinner as ye talk with Jah!

Likewise, bear in mind that this is our creator, our divine lord. The one to whom we give thanks for our existance and for his great love and care of us. Therefore we should approach Jah with a humble stance rather than with arrogance or demands.

Is there a particular physical stance one should make during prayer? No. If I asked ye all now to pray with me, looking around we would see folk taking different positions. Some standing, some seated, some kneeling. Heads may bow in reverence, or eyes may be lifted to the sky. Hands may be held out, or clasped together, or palms pressed together so that the fingers point upwards. All is acceptable. Even those who lie in bed unable to move because of illness can pray. Saint Origène recommended extending our hands and looking to the heavens. He also recommended kneeling if yer confessing yer sins to Jah, for this is a humble position to take, and therefore appropriate if asking Jah for his forgiveness.

In the end, it is down to you to consider the preparations ye need to make, the rituals that best prepare yer mind and soul for prayer. For after all, this is a conversation with Jah.

I now ask ye all to join me in a collective prayer for our town.

_________________

Mother Catriona Mackenzie, Bishop in partibus of Ephesus
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