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"Be what you are, Be at its best!"      - St. Francis de Sales

Editorial  An experience of Fr. General SFS   Basic is what I like         The Birth of Bero in Chad Franco-Suisse Province Diaconate of Bro. Jean-Yves Le Tue Apostolate of Education A Home for the Street children Fransalian Communications MSFS Mission, Koratla Fransalian Documentation Centre  Fr. Emile Mayoraz Academic Block     Vol. 5  No. 1  2003

Fransalian International

Unity and Harmony in Prayer

Saints and spiritual authors have given many definitions of prayer. They range from thanksgiving, praise, asking something from God to the highest contemplation. None of these definitions is opposed to each other. They are complementary. Indeed prayer is limitless, without frontier, undefinable.

The insights

St Francis de Sales presents three elements of prayer together: Prayer enlightens the mind; it warms up the heart (will); it models our actions on the actions of Jesus. Neither great enlightenment, nor the feeling of the warmth of divine love, nor actions alone make up prayer.

Prayer is genuine when all these three elements harmonize and form one single reality. Unfortunately, there is often dichotomy between prayer and daily life. In prayer and meditation, we should look at Jesus, fill our whole being with his presence, learn his attitudes. Once we I come out of prayer and meditation, we must continue to live in the presence of Jesus and act like him. The following instance that happened quite recently illustrates well this dichotomy and harmony. The instance is a fact.

Two priests went seeking admission for a student to a religious, Principal of a prestigious college. It was told to them that person was very pious and devout.   The priests were treated very rudely, impolitely and told to get out. They went to another less prestigious college. Seeing them, the Principal came out, welcomed them, and gave admission to their student immediately with kindness.

We presume that both religious made their meditation and attended Holy Mass. Whose action is modelled on that of Jesus?

"Children learn to speak by constantly listening to their mothers and chattering to them. So we, remaining close to the Saviour in meditation and observing his words, his actions, and his loving desires, shall learn with the help of his grace to will, to speak and to act like him" (Introduction, Part II, Chapter 1, p. 85).

Prayer is genuine when its light chases away our ignorance, its warmth moderates our emotions and passions and its power makes us Christ-like.

Fr Antony Mookenthottam, msfs