Praying Aloud

The kids were staring at me.  That first time I stepped in their class, their eyes wouldn’t even blink.  And I said, okay let us pray, so they stood up quietly and loudly repeated the Our Father. 

I went to the next class.  We did the same procedure.  They stood up and at once recited the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory Be, way before I could utter the lines.  We ended up with Mama Mary, pray for us.

That was how we started and finished off the lessons in my classes.  The kids were in the primary levels.

In college, we also prayed before the subjects and ended up with, “Send O Lord holy apostles into your church!”

The preparatory level from the Sacred Heart School sang while making the sign of the cross.

Before leaving the house I always summoned the kids and adults to recite the Angel of God.

And let us not forget the Christian greeting “Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever.” 

In our busy schedules, it is important that we don’t leave out God.  If we know how to respect an unseen God, we would learn how to respect and care for our family, friends, and the people around us.

St. Augustine says that prayer is the key of heaven.  It ascends and mercy descends. As high as are the heavens and low as  the earth, God hears the voice of man. 

Praying aloud is one manner how to woo God.  It makes you childlike and cute.  Father God can’t just say no and disagree with your pleas.  Reciting the creed is like affirming an oath and a promise.  The holy mass is the highest form of prayer.  It is one way of being one with all and being together bringing ourselves and those of whom we promised our prayers.  The mass is for everyone.  It is officiated by a priest as God’s apostle in our time. 

As for me, there are times I feel timorous reciting aloud during community gatherings, but then when I remember the zeal of the kids and the youth whom I taught the prayer and rosary, I could not stop the chants, for they seem to me like angels bringing us to God. 

 Moreover, as I teach praying aloud, I am reminded of John Donne’s Holy Sonnet X1V. 

Check this.

Batter my heart, three person’d God, for you as yet but knock, breathe, shine and seek to mend; that I may rise and stand, o’erthrow me and bend Your force to break, blow, burn and make me new.

/rosevoc. july 16, 2017