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Life and Gratitude

by OAR

Nothing is more practical and immediate than prayer because immediately it becomes evident in its effects. It will also be noticed that one has been with God, that one has contemplated. Prayer must never be confined inert and sterile, which flatters my desire for religiosity without transforming my heart and my situation. For there is a need to ask the Holy Spirit for the strength to discern his will and to realize gospel propositions. It deals, almost always, with simple choices, concrete steps, attitudes to live in an immediate moment and this with fidelity to quotidian small things, where little by little I am building with the grace of God my full fidelity to the will of God. Only the profound love for the Word and for Christ can explain it.

«If my word has found in your heart a spark of a disinterested love for God, nourish it; in order make it grow, invoke him with plea, with humility, with the pain of penance, with love for justice, good works, sincere weeping, irreproachable life and faithful friendship. Blow over that spark of good love that exists in you and nourish it; when it has grown and has been converted into a great and beautiful call, it will consume the hay of all carnal desires». (21)

The Scripture is the expression of the will of God and it invites us to fulfill it faithfully. Taking the example of the psaltery, a musical instrument of 10 chords, it applies to the ten commandments and its fulfillment is converted into a harmonious interpretation of the symphony as desired by the same God:

«He who confesses with the mouth, sings to God, Sing with the mouth, psaltery with works . . . In the psaltery of ten chords with the canticle in zither. Now you did not hear the playing of the psaltery of ten chords. In the psaltery of ten chords , the ten precepts of the law are represented. But it is necessary to sing with it, not only to carry it, then the Jews have the law; therefore they carry the psaltery, but they do not play it. But this is few, because those who work with sadness do not play it. Who are those who play it? Those who work. But they are few, because those who work with sadness do not play it. Who are those who play it? Those who work with joy. Joy is proper of the song; then what does the Apostle say: God loves the joyful giver (2 Cor. 9:7) In everything that you do, do it with delight; then you work the good and certainly so. If you work with sadness, you do not work, but it is worked in you, and therefore, it would be better for you to carry the psaltery than to sing. In the psaltery of ten chords with the canticle in the zithers, this is, with the word and with works. With canticle means with the word, and with the zither means with the work. If you pronounce only the words, you only have the canticle, you lack the zither; if you work and remain silent, you will have only the zither. Therefore, if you want to have a canticle with zither, speak well and work well ». (22)

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²¹ Sermón 178, 10-11, T. XXIV, pp. 751-753.
²² Enarraciones sobre los Salmos 91, 3.5, T. XXI, pp. 396.397.398.399.

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¿What is prayer?
Listening to the Word
Prayer of Christ
Returning to the heart
Contemplation and union with Christ
Life and Gratitude
Praying is loving
Praying Our Father I
Praying Our Father II