Wendy Kachermeyer

To pray is one of the most important parts of a Catholic’s life on earth and in heaven. We should pray at every moment of our eyes being open. Then give our sleep as a prayer to Jesus. Prayer is conversation with, to and for the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Prayer develops and grows stronger as we become closer to God. Prayer brings us into the forefront of our relationship with Jesus. Communicating in this way is so life giving I cannot describe it fully.

One of my favorite ways to pray is to quietly listen. The noise can go on around your world but hold Christ in the depths of your heart, listen to His gentle words, be open to the whisper within the noise, be still and be amazed at how much Christ loves you!

There are times when prayer is so easily slipped into. You’re just doing your yard work and catch a quick glimpse of a rose and you soar into the heavens with gratitude. Those times are filled with a closeness you can quickly forget.

The times that I have found most meaningful and memorable are when your prayer feels dead. When you have to struggle to say the “The Lord’s Prayer” because you just cannot get your own words to Christ. When your prayer life is dead is when you have to really dig in. No matter how hard it is to pray never give up. Even if you are just saying the words, Christ knows you want Him to hear and He is.

It is the struggle, the fight, the battle, the deadening silence and the feeling of disconnect from Christ that can keep you going during this darkness. I reflect on Mother Theresa of Calcutta and all the good works she did but how dead her prayer life was. She suffered years with a lifeless prayer life. Yet she continued to pray, even praying the rosary. I think of her love for Jesus, His Church, His people especially in India and still praying with dedication. Wow! What a Saint!!

I have heard this drought in prayer life called many different things…dryness, a time in the dessert, darkness, emptiness and even loneliness. But for me it feels like death!! When it happens sometimes it is so very long I feel as if I am drowning into nothingness. If I see myself in the mirror, I cannot tell I am going through anything at all. My interaction with others is just the same. It is the soul that is going through this death. I keep praying, I think that is why listening in the silence is my favorite type of praying. Even though it sounds like no big deal, when your prayer life is dead and you have nothing to give, give Jesus silence. He will help you through to the end and the closeness on the other side of this death is beyond words.

Wendy Kachermeyer is Director of Religious Education and R.C.I.A (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Dunkirk, NY , email comments to Wendy at reledseas@yahoo.com