1 October 2018
Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
When you are learning how to pray the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, you have a conversation with your spiritual director about showing up to prayer. Didn’t Woody Allen say that 80% of success in life is just showing up? So your director will want to know how you show up to prayer. How long do you stay there? What sort of posture do you use? What environment do you select, etc.?
If Woody Allen is correct, there’s still another 20% to go. In other words, showing up alone is not enough in this life. Likewise, when praying, it is not the quantity of time that is essential, it is the quality. You could have someone who prays for three hours a day, but who is full of pride and all of the worst vices. Such a person could even be a Jesuit or a bishop or a cardinal, God forbid!
Recent church scandals are a reminder to us that it is not enough just to be present before God. Not only do angels present themselves to God, so do demons (Cf. Job 1:1). Even sparrows and stones are present to God, along with the entire universe. But “you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:31). For you, showing up is only a beginning. Ultimately, it will not be enough. You will need more, i.e. magis.