Last Friday, when I arrived at our North Campus church to recite my usual morning prayers, I realized that, once again, I forgot to bring my cell phone with me to the church. There are various prayers that I say each morning stored on it. The most important prayers that are stored on my phone are the Liturgy of the Hours. These are prayers that priests and deacons are required to recite in the morning and evening each day.

I checked the various rooms within the North Campus church to see if I could find an extra copy of the Liturgy of Hours, but, to my dismay, there were none there.

I recited other prayers that I found on the back cover of the missalette booklet that was in the pew, and then I prayed the Rosary. I felt sad though, as I get much comfort and a sense of peace when I say my prayers, especially those that are on my phone.

All the while, Jesus was present right in front of me in the tabernacle.

I heard Jesus whisper in my heart: “Tom, just be with Me. Being with Me is as important (more important) than the prayers that you recite that lead you to Me.”

I then heard God remind me that, when I am with my wife, I find comfort in just being in her presence. He was telling me that the comfort is found in simple presence, a presence that is not made more meaningful by reading her some Hallmark card that may help express my love for her. It is not a text that I send her to read as I sit next to her that brings closeness. The comfort and love between me and my wife is simply found in the gift of “being” with each other. Jesus then said, in His whispers in my heart, “the same is true with Me.”

I found myself saying, “Tom, you are a silly old man. It is being with God and talking to and listening to Him in the silence of your heart that will bring the most meaning to your deepening relationship with Him.”

I find silent prayer a bit challenging versus reciting a written prayer. I will try harder, though, to simply “be” with God more each day. How about you?  I think it may be what makes the most difference. 

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek