Prayer is essential for us to grow in holiness

By PAT ARENSBERG
For The Catholic Week
Last time I talked about my desire to be holy and laid out some ideas for how to work toward that.  I focused on the human dimension of trying to grow.  This time I want to supplement what I did last time by talking about prayer and how essential prayer is to us growing in holiness, because without prayer we are just engaging in self-help techniques.  
Since holiness is best defined as being like God, then it stands to reason that the more time we spend with God the more like Him we will be.  We tell our young people that all the time, don’t we?  As parents we know that our young people  become like the people they spend time with.
When we spend time with Him we should try to listen some.  Often, prayer time for me can easily devolve into me reciting my laundry list of things I want God to help with.  I am here to tell you, that is ok.  Our Father loves to listen to what is weighing on our minds and hearts.  When our young people  come to us to express their fear or desires, doesn’t that warm our hearts as parents?  It does mine.  I just encourage us to also spend some time trying to listen to Him.  May I suggest reading the Mass readings for the day?  This is not particularly time consuming and if you do this daily you will be exposed to the vast majority of the Bible.  As you read, try to picture the scene.  Try placing yourself in the scene and imagine what you would think and feel.  Let that move you into a contemplation of how much God has done for His people, and specifically has done for you.
Prayer is essential.  If we are trying to be holier and only relying on our own powers and human resources we will inevitably fail.  We must spend time with Him to become more like Him.
— Pat Arensberg is the Director of the Office for Evangelization and Family Life. Email him at [email protected] 
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