Who Art In Heaven

After praying yesterday with the words "Our Father," I thought I would probably spend today's prayer time with "hallowed be Thy Name."

But wait. I was missing something. What about "Who art in Heaven?"

I didn't deliberately omit these words from my pending meditation, it's just that I figured they wouldn't draw me toward prayer.  I'd anticipated, perhaps, a time of thanksgiving and praise, maybe with music and psalms. That seemed a "next logical step."

I love it when God surprises me.

I began praying, just as I had yesterday.... "Our Father Who art in......heaven...."

heaven. HEAVEN....

Will it sound strange if I say that word kind of...... "shimmered?"  Probably, but that's what seemed to happen. As if the word itself were suddenly dripping gold.

I find it difficult to squeeze such things into words, so I won't try to share the "fruits" (so far) of my ongoing meditation.  Instead, I'll include a few quotes from those who know what they're talking about.

Anyway, my main point is that God is answering prayer.  In His mercy, He is (again) teaching me to pray. Which I did throughout the day, as it turned out, cooking and washing and opening mail while keeping up an inner conversation with the One Who awaits us in heaven.

I sometimes make things too complicated. I can think that in order to pray, I must first "do this" and then "do that" and then read something particular and then cross this T while standing on my head in the kitchen corner, and by the time I've put all the pieces in place, I've sort of forgotten the goal. Which is to give my attention and love to God.  But He knows my cry of "Lord, teach me to pray" is exactly that, and He is now pointing me toward this profound prayer that He, Himself, gave us.

I love it when God surprises me.  

"As you know, we have our citizenship in heaven..." (Philippians 3:20)

"The country in which I live is not my native country; that lies elsewhere, and must always be the center of my longings." (St. Therese of Lisieux)

"Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness. To live in heaven is to be with Christ.... This mystery of blessed communion with God and with all who are in Christ is beyond all understanding and description. Scripture speaks of it in images: life, light, peace, wedding feast, wine of the kingdom, the Father's house, the heavenly Jerusalem, paradise.  'No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.' (1 Corinthians 2:9)" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1024-1027)

Painting: Giovanni di Paolo, Paradise 


Text not in quotes © 2015 Nancy Shuman.  All Rights Reserved.
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