July 4 Tue
Getting in over our heads in the life of prayer. “Put out into the deep…” (Lk 5:4) That was the admonition that Jesus gave to his disciples. It sounds so easy. But it takes courage.
The oceans, with their unfathomed depths can be dangerous – as the recent news headlines remind us. When we speak of the “ocean” of God’s mercy – even deeper, even stronger – we must speak with awe.
Dive into the ocean – any ocean – and you take a risk; you might be lost at sea. So, most of us stay close to shore. Only the saints took the headlong plunge.
My father, a strong swimmer, taught all his children not to “put out into the deep.” For a recreational swimmer at the beach, he told us repeatedly, “there’s no reason to go out over your head!”
At the beach, that is good advice. But maybe not in the life of prayer, because the oceans of God’s mercy will never turn deadly. Any ocean should be regarded with awe. But the “fear of God” is a pure sort of awe, not tainted by anything like the fear of drowning or of shark attacks. The exhortation to “put out into the deep” goes hand-in-hand with the frequent admonition to “be not afraid.”
Beach goers cling to the shore, clustered in a tiny strip of shallow water. Even the yachts and fishing boats are fairly close to land. Beyond them stretch the miles of open water. Only the serious seafarers, who know the oceans well, go out so far.
It is relatively easy to try your hand in the life of prayer. To give God an hour every Sunday, without follow-up, can be refreshing – like a quick dip in the ocean. But a serious effort to know God, to be committed to him, is a much greater challenge. You can get lost. In fact, if you rise to the challenge, you will get lost...in God. And that – let’s be honest – frightens us.
As I stand on the shore, letting the waves lap over my toes – but no more! – I find myself thinking about the Sunday Mass as a quick dip; something that refreshes us and restores our energy. Or we can think of it as an immense event connected to the rest of our life, with power behind our comprehension, that sweeps us away and makes us soar up to God’s heart. Give me the latter, please.
“The more we are prepared for Mass, the more grace we will take away from the Mass. And remember: the grace available in the Mass is infinite – it’s all the grace of heaven. The only limit is our capacity to receive it.” Scott Hahn