This week we continued our Advent Retreat series “Atomic Habits of Prayer” focusing on the third law of behavior change, Making It Easy and introduced the third stage of prayer called Listening to God.
We talked about how human behavior follows the Law of the Least Effort and we will all gravitate towards the option that requires the least amount of work for us. So creating an environment where doing the right thing is easy is critical if we are desiring to change our behavior. I gave the example of how I make my habit of hiking easy by having hiking boots with clean socks in the garage right by my truck along with my fanny pack ready to go with gloves, hat, dog bags, and water bottles and hiking poles and a spare leash for my dog. The less effort it takes to do something the more likely we will do it.
The same is true for us in other ways, especially prayer. If we place the habit of prayer at a time in the day that makes it easy on us then we will be more successful in establishing a prayer routine. If you are frantic in the morning as you get ready for work then think about it, would it be good for you to pause and get your mind and heart clear for the day by doing some prayer or would that be stressful for you? Perhaps, you would feel more relaxed doing it in the evening when things aren’t as hectic. There is no one solution that fits everyone. We have to select a time that goes with the flow of our energy that meets our needs.
I also introduced the concept of priming the environment. For example, when I come back from a hike, I replace my socks, fill my water bottle, and leave everything ready for my next hike, making it easier for me to continue my habit cycle. The same is true for prayer. We need to prime our environment for the successful start of our next prayer session by setting everything up for the next session. The goal is to make it as easy as possible to continue our prayer routine.
Towards the end of the session, I talked about how to listen to God. I asked the question I get asked often: Does God talk back when we talk to him? Basically, yes but not necessarily in a booming voice from heaven. If we are waiting for levitation or some out-of-body experience we might be disappointed. God typically shows up in the ordinary experiences of life through the words of a friend, spouse or even stranger. God will also come in my feelings, thoughts, and imagination. Since God created us, God is going to speak through his creation and through our created being.
Paying attention to God’s response to us can be hard work and we need practice and guidance to do so well. I compared it to learning to listen to our dog talk to us. We all understand our dogs don’t “talk” but they do communicate. We need to pay attention and watch and learn. A good dog trainer can help us understand how a dog is always communicating to us and we need to commit to learning how our dog communicates. If we do it well then, we will develop a more intimate relationship with our dogs.
The same is true of our relationship with God. A good book can help us learn how God talks to us too. A good priest or holy person can help us learn to recognize God’s communication to us, not literal words but communication. Learning to trust your intuition of God speaking to us is important for us to develop.
I closed the session with some practical examples of where to start regarding listening to God and I used scriptural meditation as a place to start. We imagined ourselves situated in the story we were reading, how we felt and what spoke to us. This is a powerful way to listen to God. I gave some tips about how to listen well and start to recognize God’s voice in our lives. The handouts from the session are on our website here
Next week, I will move into the fourth law of behavior change Making It Satisfying and I will talk more about the prayer stage of Being with God. Again, we will recognize the discipline and art aspects of this level of prayer. In this session I will explain some best practices of simply being with God and how to make these prayer sessions satisfying and joyful. Come join us in-person if possible. This week it is on Wednesday, December 21 at 7-8pm. If you are unable to attend, then join us online with the livestream here.
On Tuesday, December 20 at 7:30pm we will have the Classical Christmas Baroque Concert, Joy & Light, presented by Tamami and the Cal Arte Ensemble Chamber Orchestra. We will take up a free will offering benefitting the war victims of Ukraine. Tamami has coordinated an amazing lineup of musicians and will be a wonderful way to get into the Christmas spirit. More information is on our website here.
Speaking of Christmas spirit, if you didn’t get to come to the Christmas Lights Drive Through on Friday, it was spectacular! You still have one more chance to see it later today, Saturday, 6pm-8pm. It will be a great evening to be here and enjoy the wonderful Christmas music and lights. Please join us and share in the Christmas spirit.
Finally, remember to invite your family to join you for Christmas Mass. It is a wonderful way to welcome people back to Church.
God bless,
Fr. Brendan