The Purpose of Prayer

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13184b.htm

While driving to work on Sunday morning, I was intrigued by a section of MPR Radio devoted to spirituality. This week they were focusing on prayer, its purposes, its origins, etc. This presentation led me to think of my own experiences with prayer,what it has meant to me, and my global out-look on how it affects the world.

Being a Roman Catholic, I am most experienced with Catholic prayers, most especially the Rosary. Having been raised in the Baptist Church, I was only vauguely familiar with Catholic prayers. When I transfered to a Catholic highschool to begin my Sophomore year, I was itrigued by the process. I can remember going to early morning mass, before school started, and sitting in the very back of Saint Mary's. I would sit and listen to the early rising parishoners as they chanted the Rosary. Later, as my confidence grew, I moved up a few pews and began to say the Rosary with them. The Rosary itself can seem very intimidating, complicated, and even a bit archaic. However, I later learned that the prayer was not a vessel of simple repetition for repetition's sake, it is actually a kind of mantra.

I found that saying the Rosary was a way to seperate myself from the world, and place all of my attention on to matters of the soul. It enabled me to go to a quiet place in my head and reflect. The general goal of the Rosary is indeed to allow you to focus all of your attention into one focal point, God. This may seem as to be a closed minded way to pray, however, that depends on what your view of God is. I think of God as a source of insight and peace; when I have questions, quandries, restlessness or dissatisfaction, I find that prayer is a wonderful way to calm my spirit...to come closer to answers. Prayer helps me to find small moments of peace that help me endure. It almost has a healing quality to it.

I think that any sort of prayer has divinity in it. Whether it be Christain, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc., it has the power to do many things. I do not even think that religion neccissarily has to be involved to produce meaningful prayer. I do not think it matters what kind of reality or spirituality you believe in; prayer or focused reflection can be helpful to anyone. I think we all need moments to seperate ourselves from our often hectic lives and have a moment of silence...a moment of peace.