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Thanks, Dolores. Some people don't seem to like questions that challenge their
comfort zones on religious practices. I'm glad to see you can help me
grow.
> ************ I can't say if that is religion or not. Does it matter?
> Putting one's self in the presence of God is prayer. We are in the
> presence of God anyway, but acknowledging the Presence is what makes
> it prayerful, I believe.
MIKE: In your opinion, is it necessary to go to church on Sunday?
I'm not asking if is it necessary to visit a physical place designated
as a house of God. Instead, I am asking whether it is necessary to be
part of a community and celebrate with that community every Sunday, or
is celebrating with that community once a month enough? We can
experience the presence of God individually. Is it necessary to
experience his presence in group form as well?
> ************* Pleasing to whom?**************
MIKE: I was thinking about "pleasing" to the person doing the
contemplating. Somehow God is pleased any time we communicate with
Him, whether in a parking lot or a more scenic place in nature.
> ********** Isn't God beyond time? God doesn't use a yardstick or a
> time clock. What do you think is more pleasing to God -sitting three
> hours in silence or spending three hours at a homeless shelter helping
> to feed the homeless, or donating three hours to help tutor a troubled
> student, or visiting residents at a nursing home, getting involved
> with social justice groups, joining a bible study group,etc. etc.?
> All, I would think.
MIKE: You raised the same questions I had in the back of my mind.
Thomas Merton wrote we are not human doers but human beings. We need
to "be" and not "do." But that was not meant by Merton to imply we
should do nothing -- just that we should not focus so much on doing
deeds. I used to think it was a waste of lives for religious orders
to spend their time in perpetual adoration: members of the order were
praying in front of the exposed Eucharist 24 hours a day. But with
maturity, I have come realize there are many paths to holiness: some
are called to be great reformers, some are called to be lesser
reformers, some are called to be silent adorers -- all can be holy and
fulfill their mission on Earth in distinctive ways.
My natural inclination is that it is better to visit people in a
nursing home, help tutor a troubled student, get involved rather than
sit in silence and contemplate --- but I am torn with Merton's call
for all of us to join in contemplative prayer. I respect Merton too
much, and I have found some joys in contemplation, just not as much
joy as Merton found.
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