Being bold in prayer is not how I was taught to pray.
I am not sure if we should even tell children to be bold in prayer. This is mainly because of the stages in child development. Their prayer life is already informed by trust in a loving Father. It is much easier for children to trust, and that foundation must be secured to sustain a prayer life through adolescence into adulthood. The seasoning of life that comes from suffering, setbacks, and injured relationships inevitably incites a different prayer life.
The Second Sunday of Lent featured the story of the Transfiguration. During adoration prior to Sunday Mass, I found myself asking God to build a tent over my heart. Much like the impulsive Saint Peter who after seeing Jesus in his heavenly glory conversing with Moses and Elijah, audaciously remarked, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” I asked God to descend over my heart and honestly replace it with His. Peter clearly wanted to bask in the bliss of Jesus’ glorified body with the preeminent Law-Giver and Prophet, as if to cleave forever to the end of salvation history – and forgo any of the suffering required to get there. Peter rightly asked for a tent because before temple worship, the divine presence in the Ark of the Covenant along with the Decalogue settled in this primitive, porous, and potentially insecure location. This is where God elected to be present to His people. Even if the insecurities of this world are threatening to us, they do not negate or jeopardize His existence.
While praying for God to make a tent over my heart, I asked him, “Lord, why would you inspire me to make that prayer?” No answer was given in that silence, but I continued praying that same prayer before the Blessed Sacrament before school this week. Praying the lectionary is critical to my own relationship with God. I know I need the stability of God’s word to maintain my trust in His will. Trust does not come easy to me. It takes work every day.
Yesterday, Azariah, a companion of Daniel prayed these words while being cooked – as they say – alive in the fiery furnace of King Nebuchadnezzar:
“So let our sacrifice be in your presence today,
as we follow you unreservedly;
for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame.
And now we follow you with our whole heart,
we fear you and we pray to you.
Do not let us be put to shame,
but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.
Deliver us by your wonders,
and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”
These remarks came after he cited God’s salvific promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, as if to challenge God on his inaction despite the promises made to previous generations of the faithful.
Allow me to paraphrase: “God, can you do what you said you would do for the sake of your glory?”
Also, allow me to propose another form of transfiguration. His name is Benedict Paul and he is pictured above.
The biblical transfiguration points to the true form of worship: the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. That is why Peter, James, and John were exhorted not to tell anyone what they saw until after the resurrection. Before the resurrection, there is the cross, which is re-lived at the altar through the hands of the sacred priesthood at every Mass. The world is sanctified by this sacred act even when the world ignores or refuses. Much like that insecure tent in the wilderness, the Eucharistic presence adventures into the darkest places of humanity and withstands all assaults.
Benny boy images the biblical transfiguration by pointing to the joy of heaven. This is not a sacramental grace, but the home is transformed by his existence. Just look at that smile!
Lent is the season of preparation. It is a microcosm of our existence. We are all preparing for the entirety of our lives. There are certain non-negotiables in this preparation. We have to admit that we are sinners. We cannot keep God in tents that we prefer and reject suffering, especially suffering with and for others, which is precisely what compassion means (from the Latin compati, combining com “with” and pati “to suffer”.) For most of us here, the others happen to be the children God entrusted to our loving care.
As I recently crossed the midlife threshold of life, God graced me with the realization that Benedict Paul cannot stay in the tent. He will come down the mountain with me to enter the glory of loving and serving God’s will. There is cause for rejoicing here (but we cannot exclaim the forbidden word of Lent until the Great Easter Vigil)! The type of people we are is shaped by our surrender to the same suffering of our divine lover! I end with not so bold of a prayer, but a fitting prayer from the collect for the Third Sunday of Lent:
Grant, we pray, O Lord,
that schooled through
Lenten observance
and nourished by your
word,
through holy restraint
we may be devoted to you
with all our heart
and be ever united in prayer.
Through our Lord Jesus
Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with
you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen. – Derek Tremblay, Headmaster
