All prayer is good, As you have heard me say before . . . the best prayer that you can make it to simply say, “Thank you” to God. Each day, no matter what, think of things that you are grateful for. If you have troubles, focus on what is not troubling and give thanks. If you have pain, think of something that is going well and tell God “thanks.” If you are in a rot, start naming things that you are thankful for.
Some of us spend most of our prayer time telling God what to do. We’ll even beg or bargain with God. We think we are asking, but in reality, we are demanding . . . for if things don’t turn out as we want, then we get mad at God.
Think of the Lord’s Prayer. In it, we say “Thy will be done.” We don’t say “My will be done.” A great prayer would be to ask God, “What do you want for me, Lord.” Not to say, “Lord, here is what I want.” But instead to ask God, “What do you want for me.”
In the gospel, the man with leprosy says to Jesus, “If it is your will, make me clean.” He doesn’t even ask to be healed of the leprosy, just to be made clean. Of course, it is not a physical cleaning only . . . it is more than that. Let me show you.
I need a volunteer. [Invite someone to come forward and I lay pieces of cloth on him/her, each one has a word attached to it.] You see, if we say the same request as the man in the gospel . . . that is, to be made clean. Then we are asking to LET GO of the things/attitudes that keep us from being clean. This is especially important as we begin Lent this coming Wednesday.
[I lift off a piece of cloth from the person, each cloth as a word attached to it.] For example.
- Fear (fear can be helpful, unless it paralyzes us. What is your deep fear that keeps you from being your best self? Fear of being alone? Fear of being rejected?
- Fear that others won’t like you?)
- Laziness (as I mentioned a few weeks ago, I believe that it is the #1 reason people don’t
- show up for church more often, or they don’t become more involved
- Bad attitude (OK, say there’s problems at work or around the house. Are you part of the
- solution or are you part of the problem?)
Gossip (When you hear something juicy, ask yourself, Is it true? Is it loving? Is it
- necessary? If it fit all three . . . then share it. If not, then keep your mouth and your fingers shut.
- Perfection-ism (No one is perfect. Why do you expect it from others, or from yourself?)
- Bad habits (Is there something that you consistently do that cannot tell your Grandmother
- about? That should tell you something.
- Anger (Somethings are worthy of anger . . . like injustices occurring in the world. But
- often anger is not appropriate, especially when it hurts another. I have often heard that most anger is simply a cover-up for sadness. If you are repeatedly angry about things, perhaps it’s time you ask yourself “What is really the issue?”
Jesus responds to the man in the gospel with, “Yes, I do will it.” It is Christ’s intention for us to be at our best and not covered with the “things” that keep us stuck. St. Paul said it very well in the second reading, “Whatever you do, do for the glory of God.”