Anyone else have the overwhelming sense that they were ‘Crying in the Wilderness’ during the Covid pandemic and government lockdowns? Did you, like me, feel that you were alone and missing that vital support of The Body of Christ – his very self in the Eucharist and the community to which we belong? Sure, we had ‘on-line mass’ and plenty of Zoom, but did it really suffice? Was it not just another tool to draw us into a virtual world devoid of reality?

For me, painful as it was, it was where I needed to be. I needed to hear that voice of Isaiah:

“In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’

(Isaiah 40:3)

When plunged into that desert, I sought the nearest oasis… be it a mirage or not. Binging on Netflix and junk food and spiralling into a self obsessed low, cutting me off from any friends or support that might have been out there even in a limited way. God’s Grace abounding, as it always does for those that put their ultimate trust in him, he showed me how to build that highway. That highway was a rediscovery of the building blocks of prayer, especially with having a great parish priest who has a love for the traditional prayers of the church.

The Rosary… I once heard the rosary described as an anchor for the body, especially when the mind is really active with nonsense. It allows the soul to meet Jesus and enter into his life, death and resurrection. It is also the most powerful intercessory prayer around, knowing that Our Lady crushes demons and their master underfoot. You can use the beads to say the Jesus prayer…one of the most ancient prayers of the church. I am at a loss if I don’t say the rosary every day.

The Divine Office…Seven times a day, I will praise thee! Well not quite, but I do say Morning Prayer (Lauds) with my cup of coffee in the morning before work. Sometimes I will sneak in Evening Prayer (Vespers), this treasure of the church is not just for consecrated religious.

Prayer before going to bed… I have only just discovered the importance of prayer as the last thing done at night and the first thing done on waking up. I need to follow set prayers as I am too tired for spontaneous prayer at those times. It’s a bit like being too tired to clean my teeth properly before going to bed…you just have to get on with it…auto pilot! Know that your soul is more important than your teeth!

Litany of The Saints… asking all our favourite saints to ‘pray for us!’ It is always good when in the desert to remind ourselves of that great family we have in heaven who are always cheering us on and ready to welcome us when we eventually join them. Always call on their aid. One particular saint I have only just become aware of is St. Joseph. Being a church year consecrated to St. Joseph I decided to do the 33 Day Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald Calloway MIC. I discovered many things I never knew about devotion to the saint, whom I considered the ‘silent’ foster father of Jesus, that helped me in a rediscovery of my prayer life. He really is a protector of the church, just as he was a protector of the Holy Family. ‘St. Joseph, Pray for Us!’

The Angelus… is a constant reminder of God’s Incarnation…that the creator of the universe became a helpless child and died for us on The Cross…out of love, to show us the nature of true love and to take away our sin. Glory to God! I even taught the children at school the bell sequence recently…that was fun!

C.H.A.T… another thing I teach to children is that talking to God personally is at the heart of all prayer. This is a useful acronym. C… for Confess. Tell him what’s going on, how you are doing and what problems you are encountering. H… for Honour. Honour him and proclaim how great he is, that he created all that we love and care for. That he is there for us always to teach and guide us. A… for Ask. Ask him for all the things you think you need and to help those you love and care for. T…for Thank. Thank him for all that is happening both good and the bad stuff (if you are able). Creating an ‘attitude of gratitude’ is a powerful tool that opens up many possibilities and opportunities. I like to CHAT to him when doing all sorts of manual tasks…like the washing up!

Silence… maybe the most important building block is silence. Creating that space for silence is not always easy in the home. That is why such times as Eucharistic Adoration are so important. It is a structure that gives you permission to just sit with God and let him do all the talking! More often than not, rather than our own ‘doings,’ we just need to listen to the conversation that goes on despite ourselves between the holy spirit that dwells us and The Father. We need to ‘tune in’ especially when we feel dry and empty from our travels in the desert. As St Paul tells us…

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

(Romans 8:26-27)

So now I give thanks when I have one other person to pray with or none. I think that there is a Jewish tradition at the Passover Seder meal whereby a place at table is left reserved for the prophet Elijah. Now I reserve a place for Isaiah, John the Baptist and all my other fellow desert travellers that are now in Heaven. I rejoice and give thanks knowing that the heavenly hosts are with us.

Keep on Crying in the Wilderness, brothers and sisters, never mind the desert, as long as we are moving forward, He will make a way.