In his Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius encourages us to pause before we begin to pray and “become aware of God aware of me.” Consider, he suggests, that God “beholds me.” What an idea! We believe this at some level, of course, or else we would not pray at all, but this idea caught me off guard when I heard it a few weeks ago at a retreat preached by Paul Coutinho. We are so focused on God when we pray that it can be hard to fathom the idea of God being focused on us!
But that is exactly the gift that God offers us when we commit ourselves to times of solitude and prayer. Our all-seeing, all-loving God looks upon us as we pray, like a parent staring down into the crib of his or her new-born child, waiting for the child to move or breathe. (Remember that feeling, parents?) Just so, God watches us for signs of our spiritual life, listens for our words and encompasses us in a divine embrace when we place ourselves in his presence. God beholds us.
When we pray, we have the chance to see ourselves in the mirror of God’s eyes…to see ourselves as God sees us. With that in mind, how much more should we yearn for times of intimacy with God, times for us to look at each other in amazement and wonder?
Ask yourself in silence: While in prayer, can I somehow see myself as God sees me? How does that idea sit with me?
What en encouragement for praying – It is wonderful to know that God is always there to behold me.
Such a beautiful analogy, Steve. As a parent and grandparent, I remember so well, anticipating each child’s response not only to their environment, but also to me, and then later his or her reaching out to me, and how it filled me with joy and relevance. So often we think we have to do all the work, forgetting that first and foremost, He is present with us . . . and waiting. I know the question for me is, why I keep Him waiting so long, when all that is necessary is to just “be” with Him. . . to turn my thoughts toward Him. . . and wait for His embrace. So simple, yet life can surely get in our way when we allow it.
As always, thought provoking. Thanks, Steve.
Thanks, Kathleen. It seems most of this stuff is simple…we just need to be more aware…
Thanks, Lysiane.