I'll Pray for You

These short pieces from Father Eugene Kennedy say a lot about what prayer means in terms of our relationship to one another.

"A change actually occurs between two persons when one promises sincerely to pray for the other. The former has actually placed him/herself into a new kind of relationship with the one to whom they have made the promise. He/she has committed themself to the other's world of personal concern..."

Kennedy sees prayer as someting much deeper than a simple wishing of "Good Luck!" or "Bon Voyage"....

"It means we that we have redefined ourselves in relation to our friend, that we have enlarged the boundaries of ourselves in order to stand closer to the other at a time when that is exactly what they need.  A shift occurs when we cast the votes of our time, attention, and prayers for another human being.  We are, through the power of the spirit and the reality of our committment, with them in a new and vitalizing way... We communicate faith, hope, and love in a truly living way."

Father Kennedy's understanding has helped me to view prayer as a way of deepening the relationships I am in.   In the silence of prayer I can practice a type of "mindfulness" that allows me to become more aware of  how I am connected to others.  In this way I am reminded of my relationship with all of humanity and indeed all life.

It is at once both gratifying and humbling to be aware that others are praying for you in this way.  During the time of my illness I have been supported by the prayer and love of thousands.  I remember once going to a health clinic for my flu shot.  When I gave the attending nurse my name, she said "I know you.  We pray for you and your family in my church."  I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude to know that this "stranger" had committed me to her circle of care and compassion.

Prayer in this way transcends the variety of religious traditions we know in the world.  It becomes a way of making the stranger a friend, of reconciling with an enemy, of healing relationships that are broken or strained, and of making peace in the world.

May it be so.

Rob; in Vancouver

“The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.”
Thomas Merton