COMMUNAL PRAYER, THE WORD: Sister

COMMUNAL PRAYER

The Word

The Word as prayer

Sister Annette Wagner, IWBS

Contributor

Recognizing the Word, the Second Person of the Trinity, as prayer calls for several considerations. Whenever speaking of God, it is essential to remember that anything we think we know about the inner relationships of the Persons in the Trinity is based on clues external to the Trinity itself. As the Word-become-one-of-us in an historical time and place, Jesus Christ is our best clue concerning the reality of the Divine Word as prayer. We start with our ideas of prayer and then turn to the Word.

The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays. (Soren Kierkegaard)

Surely this statement applies to the Word of God, who left behind the privileges of divine nature to become one of us. The element of change that fits both prayer and the Word can be traced throughout Salvation History as recorded in Scripture and as still happening in personal encounters today. For the Word –as the expression of divinity’s nature of Love—seeks union with the beloved.

The first two verses of the Book of Genesis introduce the Word’s union with what is external to the Trinity and its fruit. Various translations describe the earth as “formless and empty”; “waste and void”; “desolate”; “barren, with no form of life.”

And then God spoke!

Creation was provided form. Elements of the universe were given their setting and charged with responsibilities. The earth flourished with beauty and fruitfulness. Human beings were commissioned as stewards of it all.

Sadly, as quickly as life was given, those entrusted with its care refused to cooperate. Scripture traces how those created by the Word of God gradually imposed upon themselves a crippling alienation from God. Then a deeper, more intimate union was accomplished.

The first chapter of the Gospel according to Luke

COMMUNAL PRAYER

The Word

describes the significance of the Word’s new expression as explained to a simple village girl: “…the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God ...” (Lk 1:36).The first chapter of Matthew’s version follows the insight that the name conveys a meaning about its owner. The man who will be responsible for this child is told to name him “Jesus because he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). This time, the Word does not accomplish change from the outside. This time the Word transforms from within.

In his classic book entitled Contemplative Prayer, Thomas Merton states:

“The climate of this prayer is, then, one of awareness, gratitude and a totally obedient love which seeks nothing but to please God.”

Jesus is the personification of this description. In defense of His Sabbath cures, He states, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working” (Jn 5:17). Concerning his “work” or mission, He explains, ”I came that they might have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10).

In providing food for the multitudes, He “took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them ...” (Jn 15:11). While anticipating the immediacy of His mission’s completion, he prays, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Mt 26:39). Yes, Jesus’ awareness of His relationship with God was complete and ongoing, deeper than any human words can express.

It may be that our understanding of prayer includes the mistaken thought that we decide when to pray and how to pray. St. Paul encountered the Word become one of us in the glory of the Resurrection through the intimacy of personal conversation. He tells us something different. “... the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought ...” (Rom 8:26). The Spirit that Paul names can only be the Spirit of the Lord—of the Word. During what sounds like advice concerning prayer, he counsels, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16). Yes, the Word who is the Christ can lead us more deeply in our response to God than any words can express.

So how can the Christ—the Word become one of us— dwell in us…breathe our prayer—be prayer for us?

First, we may miss a comforting truth consistently expressed in the stories of both the Old and New Testaments. Divine presence and action are always a divine initiative nested in the reality that God is Love. We do not need to work at getting God’s attention. It may be more the other way around. Love is always seeking union. This initiative has multiple expressions.

Therefore any awareness of God’s presence or action is itself a divine initiative, an invitation for a response by God. Our conscious response to this awareness is prayer. Our traditional ideas of prayer touches on this understanding. To the God we know is God alone, we offer adoration. To the God we understand wants only the best for us, we present our recognized needs. To the God who provides the good that we enjoy and accompanies us through our suffering, we express our gratitude. To the God who is forgiveness and healing, we confess our weakness and our regret. For all the other awarenesses that bless us, we have our own unique responses.

Finally, we can welcome the humbling acknowledgment that we carry this same divine Word within us. This Word of Love who seeks union is guaranteed to live within each one of us through the gift of our Baptism. Yes, within our vulnerable, struggling humanity lives the Word who is both the initiative of and the response to divine love. Welcoming this truth into our conscious efforts for union with God can give us not only encouragement, but also peace.

Saint Augustine’s simple description of prayer identifies the Word’s place in our reciprocal communication with the divine: “Heart speaking to heart.”

About the Author

Sister Annette Wagner, IWBS, has taught in a variety of Catholic schools for over 25 years. Her teaching experience extends through elementary, secondary, junior high, middle school, high school and college levels. Responsibilities beyond the classroom included: coach and athletic director, Student Council sponsor, Religion Department Chair, student retreat director, assistant principal.

Intertwined with her work in Catholic education institutions, Sister Annette has consistently been involved in adult education and spiritual formation. She served as Director of Spiritual Life on the Corpus Christi Incarnate Word Academy campus; was teacher, then diocesan Director of the Pastoral Institute for Ministry and Adult Faith Formation; columnist for diocesan publication, The South Texas Catholic. Sister Annette has directed faculty and parish retreats, offered workshops and in-services at both parish and diocesan levels throughout the state of Texas. Her most recent public ministries were diocesan Director of the Office of Consecrated Life and Director for RCIA and Adult Faith Formation at St. Pius X Parish. Having celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 2017, she is presently serving as congregational leader of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament.

Sister Annette holds the following degrees and post-graduate certificates: Bachelor of Arts in English, Our Lady of the Lake University (San Antonio); Master of Arts in Theology, Saint Mary University (San Antonio); Institute in Effective Group Leadership, Webster College (Webster Groves, MO); Certificate in Pastoral Counseling, Emmanuel College (Boston, MA) Certificate in Spiritual Direction (St. Peter Upon the Water, San Antonio Archdiocese).