As I am trying to help my parish prepare for the upcoming change to the Roman Missal I ran across this time-tested phrase, “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi”, which is Latin for ‘the law of prayer’ or ‘the way we worship’ is the ‘law of belief’ ‘what we believe’. It is sometimes expanded to as, “lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi”, further deepening the implications of this truth - how we worship reflects what we believe and determines how we will live. I have seen this so much in my own life. When I trust in Him, I am able to give love to others. When I give way to my fears and doubts—thinking God can’t do what He promises—then I’m no good to Him or anyone else in my life.Two days ago, on Thursday the 28th of July I made my annual pilgrimage to Okarche Oklahoma, an hour drive from my home across the white hot mostly flat plains, to pay respect to the final burial place of Father Stanley Rother who may well become our state's first Catholic martyr and saint. Thirty years ago he was shot down by unknown men who broke into his rectory in Guatemala. Fr. Rother’s ‘cause’ for canonization was submitted to Rome last year. I attended the Mass. It was the first time I had ever witnessed such an event and it moved me greatly. I’ve met his younger brother on several occasions and I met his sister then. They are a lovely family. But I digress.
When I drove to Holy Trinity Church this past week, I thought I was going for several hours of quiet reflection and prayer—as had been the case in the past. However the new parish priest had instituted more active “Holy Hours” with vocal rosaries, Benediction, praying of the prayer for Father Rother and music. Different groups had volunteered to lead each prayer hour.
I won’t say I wasn’t disappointed in one sense. I was desperately longing for the quiet. In my job, I deal with people all day every day. Then I come home to my family, who I love very much and need to talk to also. So there is more talk, and radios, television going and then my daughter’s friends come over. Often there are friends from church to visit in the hospital, funerals, required social functions, out-of-town family visiting, etc. Quiet is sometimes hard to come by. I treasure it. And yet, to be able to pray with these other people was also an opportunity.
As I entered into the prayer and calmed myself, I realized it wasn’t about how much quiet time I got that afternoon, but that I was there praying, accepting things as they were. So often I know I’m ruining whatever occasion because I’m trying to “fix it”. I have spent entire events thinking, “If only they had done this or that, then it would have been perfect!” Or other times I’ll spoil things by chastising myself for my own mistakes. I would call them opportunities lost, were they not lessons learned.
Thursday, I let the prayer sweep over me and into me. I was grateful for our Catholic “Law of Prayer” which has order and form. I felt the strength coming from the discipline of repetition. Just like with exercising one’s body, you have to exercise your spirit, except we ‘exercise’ the spirit with regular prayer. It isn’t God who needs our prayers; it is us poor sinners who need to pray. As I said my fourth rosary for the day, I knew that God hadn’t given me what I wanted, but what I needed—as usual.
Thanks be to Him!
For a much better explanation on this subject, read, Is Ritual Prayer “Vain Repetition”.
