Creating a Sacred Space

It may not look like it but I’m actually quite a prayerful person.  I guess it is part of the quest for life’s meaning.  I’ve found consolation in personal prayers, daily masses, silent retreats (yes I can do magnum silencium), singing in the church choir, being part of campus ministry (in high school) and a religious community (Christian Life Community – both in high school and college).  As I started working, the frenzy of corporate life took center stage and prayer a back seat.  Until a dark moment in my life, prayer found it’s way back through a simple ladies’ room chat with a former officemate (still a very good friend).  Corporate life will always be hectic but at least somehow since that time on, prayer has been present.

One of the greatest gifts my housewifedom has brought is the luxury of creating a scared space in my day.  After preparing hubby’s baon, taking our breakfast and sending him off, I log on to http://sacredspace.ie/ (doing this before going to Facebook I admit is a challenge!).  This is a wonderful site run by the Irish Jesuits.  They have a simple prayer each day that you can do for around 10 minutes - just 10 easy and glorious minutes each day for spiritual nourishing. 

The prayer is done in six stages: The Presence of God, Freedom, Consciousness, The Word, Conversation, Conclusion.  A reading on prayer serves as a prelude.  Followed by a few words, to ask for grace, to be reminded of God’s presence (Presence of God, Freedom, Consciousness).  The day’s scripture is presented and a few points for reflection are suggested (The Word).  You then take your time to talk to God about what the scripture is telling you, or as in any prayer, whatever you want to say or not to say (Conversation).  The prayer is ended aptly with a Glory Be (Conclusion). 

I keep a journal where I write my prayers as well as some words that struck me from the site.  Here are those words from Sacred Space - they have provided me consolation.  Listen to them and maybe they are also saying something to you.

“I remind myself that there are things that God has to teach me yet, and ask for the grace to hear them and let them change me.”

“Let my heart respond to your love.” 

“…the Spirit breathes life into my most intimate desires, gently nudging me towards all that is good…”

“Teach me to slow down, to be still and enjoy the pleasures created for me.  To be aware of the beauty that surrounds me…”

“Savour life’s implications.”

“Help me Lord to be more conscious of your presence.  Teach me to recognize your presence in others.  Fill my heart with gratitude for the times Your love has been shown to me through the care of others.”

“I ask for the grace to be free of my own preoccupations and open to what God may be saying to me.”

“Dear Lord, grant that I may live as You intended, with complete confidence in Your loving care.”

“God is already with us in our desires.”

“All prayers involves some reaching out with childlike trust, even when the inner tone is chaotic or full of confusion.”

“All praying echoes the surrender of Jesus: not my will but Yours.”

“We ask for what we think is best, but we try to hand everything over to the One who knows even better.”

“When we pray, the heart learns something in its own strange way…”

“…I have understood something more deeply and on another level – about God, or about Love, or about myself, or about others…”

“…an important fruit of prayer is genuine peace and the courage to live.  And this can happen even without strong feelings.”

“Perhads only at the end is ‘something understood.’”

“…my horizon expands and attitudes get healed by being in the presence of God.”

Note:  Some quotes came from writers other than the Irish Jesuits.  I was not able to take note of their names.  My apologies for that.