In the life and spirituality of the movement

Jesus Youth of America

As Jesus Youth, we can recall many times in which we prayed aloud spontaneously in a group. It may have been on a road trip to a gathering or in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. It may have been in a prayer meeting or just informally with some friends...
By recalling these memories, we might also remember different kinds of experiences of spontaneous prayer. Some were distinctly moving and uplifting. Some led us into a deeper experience of surrender and conversion. But there were also times of emptiness. There were experiences dominated by awkward silence, for example. Or even other times that were filled with what appeared to be empty words and mindless routine. Under the weight of some of these real challenges, we may begin to wonder about the necessity or benefit of using spontaneous prayer in our groups. This month, we will specially reflect upon and strive to rediscover the meaning of spontaneous prayer in the life and spirituality of Jesus Youth. Spontaneous Prayer as Authentically Human With such varied experiences of this type of prayer, one might pause to ask: what is spontaneous prayer? Unfortunately, many are led to think that it amounts to the skillful use of touching words or of eloquent speech. When interpreted in this way, those who are eloquent will be ready to pray all the more and those with unpolished words would rather be silent. But this understanding of spontaneous prayer is seriously lacking because the prayer that is born of eloquent speech alone can never satisfy the depths of the definite human need for prayer. Indeed far from being reserved for the eloquent and the skilled, prayer must always be recognized as the most ordinary human activity, fundamental to our very personhood, the underlying reason for our human dignity. The root reason for human dignity lies in mans call to communion with God. From the very circumstance of his origin, man is already invited to converse with God. For man would not exist were he not created by Gods love and constantly preserved by it; and he cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and devotes himself to His Creator. (Guadiem et Spes 19.1) In fact, in the spirituality and approach of Jesus Youth, spontaneous prayer is never looked at as something reserved for the skillful or even the more spiritual so as to be kept out of the reach of newcomers. While it is certainly true that one grows deeper in ones prayer-life over time, prayer is never totally alien to any human person, no matter how far along he/she may be in the spiritual journey. Our groups are meant to serve as environments where a person can be guided and encouraged to express himself/herself to God genuinely and to commune with God together with and through the Christian community. Allowing each person to give voice freely to the prayer of his or her heart is the very goal of spontaneous prayer in our groups. Thus to the extent that it serves this purpose, spontaneous prayer plays an integral part in the character, life, and mission of the movement. Our truest model of spontaneous prayer is Jesus himself, who is also our truest model of authentic humanness. Jesus not only prayed aloud the liturgical prayers...but as the Gospels show, he raised his voice to express his personal prayer (CCC 2701). Whether Jesus was praying that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you (John 17:21) or crying out in agony Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done (Luke 22:42), his words were the vo-

calization of the love and total submission overflowing from his heart to the Father in the Holy Spirit. Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI teaches that since the center of the person of Jesus is prayer, it is essential to participate in his prayer if we are to know and understand him (Behold the Pierced One). With Jesus as our model and Way, we see that spontaneous prayer is the totally human response, indeed the overflowing of the heart, of one being inwardly moved by God towards God. Spontaneous prayer is never about possessing the skill to improvise, nor is it about the ability to create words and emotions that sound good to the ear. It is the external expression of the inner action of the Holy Spirit, who continues to transform our mind, body, and soul towards greater depths of authentic human freedom in union with Christ, a freedom that enables us to wholeheartedly call out to God as Abba.

The Art of Praying In his book The Art of Praying, Fr. Romano Guardini makes the thought-provoking point that prayer is an intimate form of speaking which should bear the mark of our personality. In order to truly make the words of prayer our own, the words must reflect how we are interacting with the world and with God at that moment. During some moments, the words flow easily from our heart, particularly when God feels so present or when we can no longer bear our pain. In other moments, we find that we are at a loss for words. We feel empty and do not know what to say. Even in moments like this, Guardini explains, there is value in the struggle to find some genuine, simple words to express ourselves to God. Often the heart is empty and mind has little to say; in this state of poverty, speech doesnt come easily. But we must not give up; we must accept the insufficiency, for it has its own purpose and its own significance. We must find words of prayer which are true to it, words of great simplicity plain affirmations of faith , hope and acceptance. Such words are not less valuable than those which flow in easy abundance, and they are the right one for the occasion precisely because they are not contrived or artificial (99).

Rather than retreating to formulated prayers, he goes on to say, we must struggle to find words despite the inner poverty of speech, even if they are simple phrases such as, I believe in thee, I bow before thee or I am lost and I need thee. This very struggle with expressing what is in our heart may teach us more than any prescribed text might. However, in the desire to find the right words to express exactly what is within, we must not hesitate to consult external sources for inspiration. The Relevance of Spontaneous Prayer Today Recalling a variety of experiences, we know that in certain situations spontaneous prayer can present a challenge, particularly in groups with newer people. Nonetheless, when we reflect on the intrinsic significance and beauty of spontaneous prayer, we discover that it is a spiritual practice that is just as relevant today as it was in

the beginnings of the movement over 25 years ago. Let us therefore reflect on a few ways in which spontaneous prayer continues to be relevant for us in our present context. To begin with, we find that a person sincerely vocalizing the inner prayer of his or her heart in turn enriches and deepens the prayer experience of the whole group. We can all probably remember a moment during a JY Prayer or night vigil when we were moved into deeper prayer by hearing someone else pray. Listening to the genuine prayer of another spurs our own hearts and awakens us almost suddenly to the very near presence of God in that specific time and space. We echo in our own hearts the exclamation of Jacob, who cried, Truly the Lord is in this place and I did not know it! (Genesis 28:16) Additionally, genuine spontaneous prayer can help bridge the gap between prayer and everyday life by merging the two into a single reality. We tend to be spontaneous and informal in our day to day conversations and actions, but when it comes to prayer we often find it hard to be just ourselves. We might be tempted to think of prayer as something that must only be recited or acted out, something that is external to us. And so a certain psychological gap is developed between how we are normally or truly and how we make ourselves to be when we pray. Consequently, there is a danger of prayer becoming a detached obligation that has little impact upon our actual lives. Beyond this, it can even become a false and My soul is hypocritical worship whereby we offer a false self to God. But on the other hand, a certain unity of life can be reached when prayer becomes our ultimate self-expression, an feasted as with offering of our inmost thoughts and feelings to God. When we are sincere with our marrow and fat, prayer, the effects of that prayer permeate into every corner of our daily life. Its effects and my mouth transform us until the sum total of our life, notwithstanding the minutest details of our daily activity, becomes itself transformed into a sincere prayer to God. praises thee with The spiritual practice of spontaneously offering praises, thanksgiving, and supplications to God can also have the additional effect of eventually overflowing beyond our reserved times of prayer into our entire day. For instance, we may at first have only offered thanks to God during a weekly prayer for key events in our life such as graduation, a better job, protection from a terrible accident or a serious illness. However, as we grow in this spiritual practice, we begin to start to thank God throughout the day for even all the ordinary things in life such as the beautiful sunshine or the kindness of a stranger. In this way, prayer becomes a more integral and continuing part of our daily life. As St. Paul instructs, Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thes. 5:17).

joyful lips, when I think of thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the watches of the night Ps. 63: 5-6

Practical Considerations We must be respectful of every person with respect to their relationship with God and freedom with others. Forcing or pressuring people to make spontaneous prayers would not serve this end and could end up creating a superficial culture of prayer. Instead, we must work to build an environment where people are welcomed, encouraged, and affirmed, where all feel comfortable to express themselves freely just as they are, without pretense or fear. Leading persons into a deeper prayer life is a key responsibility of the local leadership, especially since prayer is one of the six pillars in the Jesus Youth itinerary of holiness. With this in mind, leaders should dedicate time both for properly understanding the needs of each group in their locality and for employing methods that can build up these groups into active schools of prayer. Generally speaking, however, some practical methods include the use of meditative songs such as Taize songs to provide each person an opportunity to quiet down and open up to the inspiration and action of God within. We can also suggest the practice of each person prayerfully reading from their Bibles to find inspiration, allowing the word of God to awaken us into prayer. Finally, leaders themselves often recognize a need to learn to pray better and should therefore consider coming together additionally in more intimate groups just for this purpose. Of course, even with all methods in place, in the end, we must prayerfully and patiently submit to the invisible working of the Holy Spirit over the direct effects of any of our efforts.

As a group matures, it is important that the prayer of the group should become one, as opposed to just a collection of scattered and individual prayers. A group that prays as one generally prays around common themes and Bible passages. A certain level of training can be relevant in learning to listen and pray together in this way, without prematurely introducing new thoughts or reverting back to previous thoughts. When people listen to others and add to the collective prayer, it leads the community into a deeper experience of the mystical Body of Christ. In this experience, it is not simply the individuals but ultimately Christ who prays, he who speaks to God face to face as with a friend. And we as members of his body participate through the Spirit in his perfect prayer. Rather than remaining at just an initial level characterized by disconnected and routine prayers, the goal of every maturing group should be to come into this unitive mode. Eddy Chettan describes the proper approach to communal prayer when he talks about keeping one ear open to God and the other ear open to the praying community. Resolution As members of the movement today, we find it both our unique challenge and our privilege to rediscover the beauty of spontaneous prayer in our various groups. Let us be eager to do this by the power of him through whom all things are possible, the Lord Jesus Christ, our very model for prayer and our Way. To him be glory and praise forever! Amen.