by Leela Ramdeen, Chair of the Catholic Commission for Social Justice
“A full Christian life includes both prayer and social action. Without prayer, our apostolic work lacks a solid foundation. But without social action, our prayer is sterile and fruitless” – US Bishop Thomas J Tobin
In today’s Gospel (Luke 18:1-8) Jesus uses the parable of the widow – determined to get justice -as a way of teaching his disciples to pray persistently. Too often we ignore the need to nurture our life of prayer. Prayer is essential if we are to deepen our love for God and for our neighbour and to develop a spirituality of justice.
“Prayer”, as the late Cardinal George Basil Hume said, “leads to love”. His nephew’s (William Charles) recollection of him in an article in the UK Times entitled: “Remembering a man of prayer: Basil Hume, ten years on” (June 13, 2009), is very moving.
William says: “Throughout his life…Basil Hume never lost sight of the importance of prayer…he himself considered that the test of a truly successful prayer life is whether the person concerned becomes more loving. Basil Hume said: ‘If you want to apply my tests as to whether your prayer is going well, then judge it according to the answers to these questions: Am I becoming more generous? Am I growing in charity? Kinder? More considerate? More tolerant and understanding? Less self-opinionated?… the best way to pray is the way that suits you’”.
“He said: ‘The effect of prayer is to interiorise religion; open us up to the values of another world and at the same time and profoundly open us up to each other. . . Through perseverance in prayer we are gently led to see more clearly that we are not the centre of everything but God is.’”
By the time you read this I shall be in London. One of the things on my “must do” list when I visit London is to visit the late Cardinal Hume’s place of rest in Westminster Cathedral. In my lifetime I have never met a more holy man. During the many years that I worked with him as Vice-Chair of his Committee for the Caribbean Community in Westminster (he was the Chair), I grew to respect him deeply.
I particularly valued my early morning meetings with him on my way to work. As one of the Inner London Education Authority’s Inspector of Schools, I was based at County Hall which was located across the River Thames – not far from the Cathedral.
He would listen to my concerns about the many instances of racism in Church and society e.g. instances where white members of Catholic congregations would not shake the hands of black Catholics during Mass – at the sign of peace; or about the number of parents from black and minority ethnic communities who were beating a path to my door complaining that Catholic prestige schools were not opening up their doors to black children or that their children were being placed in Catholic “sink” schools; or about the number of racist attacks and racist murders taking place across Britain etc. etc.
My list was always long. We always started our meetings with a prayer and, when he sensed my frustration, he would say, “Let us stop for a moment and pray.” Often he would open his Bible and just read from the scriptures. When Cardinal Hume died Pope John Paul II rightly said that he was a “shepherd of great spiritual and moral character.”
Our schools can do more to deepen students’ prayer life. I remember as a teacher in a Catholic school in London I had created a space in my classroom for quiet reflection/meditation. In that space I placed a box in which children could place prayers that they had written – anonymously. Once a week the entire class listened as some of these prayers were read out loud. I recall once pulling out a piece of paper from the box. It read: “Dear Jesus, I have so much to tell you. I’ll tell you tonight before I go to bed.”
Before we go to bed let us pray that the pillars of peace: justice, truth, love and freedom will reign in our hearts, in our land and in the world.
