February
10,
2014
Martin's previous
articles
Martin Mallon
(Ireland)
(Comments
welcome
here)
PRAISE IS FOR EVERYONE – POPE FRANCIS
Following on
from my article of October 29, 2013, PRAISE
AND THE CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL ,
it was with great interest that I read Pope Francis’ homily of January 28,
2014 wherein he reflected on praising God through prayer. This was the most
inspiring homily on praise I have read or heard.
Francis pointed out that David danced for joy at the return of
the Ark of the Covenant and that this is the prayer of praise:
“David’s prayer of praise brought him to leave all form of
composure and to dance in front of the Lord with all his strength. This is the
prayer of praise!”
We
might think that this is OK for charismatics, but not for “normal” catholics.
“No, the prayer of praise is a Christian prayer for all of us!”
the Pope said.
Francis
stated that we must pray “with our whole heart” just as David did
in his joy at the return of the Ark; he was so happy that “even
his body prayed with that dance."
The
Pope also criticised Michal, the daughter of King
Saul, who admonished David for his behaviour and related this to ourselves:
“I ask myself how many times we reject good people in our heart,
good people who praise the Lord as it comes to them, spontaneously, because they
are not cultured, they don’t follow formal attitudes? But, to reject! And the
Bible says that Michal remained sterile for the rest of her life because of
this! What does the Word of God want to say here? That joy, the prayer of
praise, makes us fertile!”
What
a beautiful confirming statement from the Pope on Praise “That joy, the prayer of praise, makes us fertile!” Fertile
in everything we do for Jesus. Here,
Francis also instructs the usual suspects not to criticise those who praise or
the critics will be sterile.
At the end of his homily Francis pointedly warned that those who
restrict themselves to “cold, measured prayer” could finish up
like Michal “sterile
in their own formality.”
Alleluia, let us all praise the Lord as
David praised, the angels praise and as Pope Francis is calling us to praise.
Good-bye cold, formal, prayer; hello,
joy filled and joy inducing praise.
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