{"id":9635,"date":"2025-05-09T13:51:03","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T17:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stjuliasilercity.org\/?p=9635"},"modified":"2025-05-09T15:09:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T19:09:06","slug":"communal-contemplative-prayers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stjuliasilercity.org\/en\/communal-contemplative-prayers\/","title":{"rendered":"Communal Contemplative Prayers \/ Pr\u00e1ctica de la Oraci\u00f3n Contemplativa Comunitaria"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Reflection on Communal Contemplative Prayer Practice at St. Julia<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As you know, an opportunity for communal contemplative prayer is offered at St. Julia every second Friday evening at 7:00. There were about 100 people who came to the first contemplative prayer opportunity and the number has reduced dramatically. This comes as no surprise. Not because there\u2019s something wrong with anyone, but because not everyone connects with communal contemplative prayer experiences.<\/p>\n

Perhaps many people were expecting something very different from what communal contemplation offers.\u00a0What is offered during a communal contemplative experience?<\/p>\n

What is offered is a time of intimate silence before God in the company of others. And often, silence is the greatest challenge. Especially the type of silence that contemplation invites us to have: an inner silence attentive to the \u201cwhispers\u201d of God in our souls.<\/p>\n

It is a time to wait upon God, not a time for God to wait upon us. In other words, it is a time for us to listen to God and not for God to listen to us. This is the greatest challenge and the reason why so many give up and walk away from this practice.<\/p>\n

The ultimate reason, unfortunately, for this \u201cwalking away\u201d is because we have not been spiritually formed to know and appreciate this prayer practice. Catechetical parish programs do not pay attention to it. For the most part it teaches prayers, but it doesn\u2019t teach the treasury of prayer practices that the Church enjoys.\u00a0Many times, it is because the very teachers lack formation, knowledge, and practice in various prayer practices and spirituality.<\/p>\n

I really don\u2019t mean to insult anyone, but the proof is found in the reality that we give, we teach, we mentor, and we share only what we have and only what we know. What I do not know I do not have. What I do not have, I cannot share nor pass on to others.<\/p>\n

The noise that we encounter in society, in our work-places, in our homes, and even in our churches, not to mention the amount of \u201cnoise\u201d that enters us through social media, all create an intolerance for silence. It gets to the point that we don\u2019t know what to do with silence.<\/p>\n

Silence can become a strange experience for us. Instead of leading us to peace, it feels like it leads us to frustration. The frustration comes from not knowing how to live with silence.<\/p>\n

The pity of it all is that, deep down inside, we crave it, and we know we need it from time to time. But do we need it in prayer? Let\u2019s state the question in a better way:<\/p>\n

Do we need silence in relationships? You bet we do!\u00a0If I do not know how to be silent, I will never listen to the other. And listening is a very important factor in any relationship. We all know why we must listen if we want relationships to grow and deepen. It\u2019s the same in our relationship with God.
\nIt’s easy to become frustrated with silence and give up on it. Yet, the more we put ourselves in silence before the Lord, and slowly train ourselves to focus the mind on seeking God by creating inner silence, the easier it will become.
\nIt requires discipline and consistency. Not even just once a month, but as regularly as possible. The more we place ourselves in those moments of silence, the easier the mind will follow us and eventually fall into the silence. It is a practice that takes practice.<\/p>\n

So, I write this to encourage you to come to these contemplative prayer moments, even if it\u2019s an excuse to get away from things. Come. Place yourself before God with your desire for God and let your desire for God take you to a peaceful silent place where you become one with your desire. That\u2019s the holy ground upon which both you and God will stand.<\/p>\n

Desire to experience God in your life as God desires to be experienced, not you. Just let God, the space that you create for God in your silence, lead you to himself.<\/p>\n

You know, sometimes we are the creators of the loudest noises within ourselves. Wouldn\u2019t it be nice to get ourselves out of the way and stop the noise we create for ourselves? Wouldn\u2019t it be wonderful to find a refuge of peace within ourselves? Don\u2019t we need it?<\/p>\n

You are in my prayers and in my heart.
\nPeace and good.
\nFriar Julio<\/p>\n

Una Reflexi\u00f3n sobre la Pr\u00e1ctica de la Oraci\u00f3n Contemplativa Comunitaria en Santa Julia.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Como saben, en Santa Julia se ofrece una oportunidad para la oraci\u00f3n contemplativa comunitaria cada segundo viernes de semana a las 19:00 h. Asistieron unas 100 personas a la primera oportunidad de oraci\u00f3n contemplativa y el n\u00famero se ha reducido dr\u00e1sticamente. Esto no es de extra\u00f1ar. No porque haya algo malo en alguien, sino porque no todos conectan con las experiencias de oraci\u00f3n contemplativa comunitaria.<\/p>\n

Quiz\u00e1s muchos esperaban algo muy diferente de lo que ofrece la contemplaci\u00f3n comunitaria.\u00a0\u00bfQu\u00e9 se ofrece durante una experiencia contemplativa comunitaria?<\/p>\n

Se ofrece un tiempo de silencio \u00edntimo ante Dios en compa\u00f1\u00eda de otros. Y a menudo, el silencio es el mayor desaf\u00edo. Especialmente el tipo de silencio que la contemplaci\u00f3n nos invita a tener: un silencio interior atento a los susurros de Dios en nuestras almas.<\/p>\n

Es un tiempo para esperar en Dios, no para que Dios nos espere a nosotros. En otras palabras, es un tiempo para que escuchemos a Dios, no para que Dios nos escuche a nosotros. Este es el mayor desaf\u00edo y la raz\u00f3n por la que tantos se dan por vencidos y abandonan esta pr\u00e1ctica.<\/p>\n

Desafortunadamente, la raz\u00f3n principal de este “abandono” es que no hemos sido formados espiritualmente para conocer y apreciar esta pr\u00e1ctica de oraci\u00f3n. Los programas de catequesis parroquial no le prestan atenci\u00f3n. En general, ense\u00f1an oraciones, pero no el tesoro de pr\u00e1cticas de oraci\u00f3n que la Iglesia disfruta. Muchas veces, esto se debe a que los mismos maestros carecen de formaci\u00f3n, conocimiento y pr\u00e1ctica en diversas pr\u00e1cticas de oraci\u00f3n y espiritualidad.<\/p>\n

Realmente no pretendo insultar a nadie, pero la prueba est\u00e1 en la realidad de que damos, ense\u00f1amos, asesoramos y compartimos solo lo que tenemos y solo lo que sabemos. Lo que no s\u00e9, no lo tengo. Lo que no tengo, no lo puedo compartir ni transmitir a los dem\u00e1s.<\/p>\n

El ruido que encontramos en la sociedad, en nuestros lugares de trabajo, en nuestros hogares e incluso en nuestras iglesias, por no mencionar la cantidad de “ruido” que nos llega a trav\u00e9s de las redes sociales, crea una intolerancia al silencio.<\/p>\n

Llegamos al punto de no saber qu\u00e9 hacer con el silencio. El silencio puede convertirse en una experiencia extra\u00f1a. En lugar de llevarnos a la paz, parece que nos lleva a la frustraci\u00f3n. La frustraci\u00f3n proviene de no saber vivir con el silencio.<\/p>\n

Lo malo es que, en el fondo, lo anhelamos y sabemos que lo necesitamos de vez en cuando. Pero \u00bflo necesitamos en la oraci\u00f3n? Mejor dicho: \u00bfNecesitamos silencio en las relaciones? \u00a1Claro que s\u00ed! Si no s\u00e9 guardar silencio, nunca escuchar\u00e9 al otro. Y escuchar es un factor muy importante en cualquier relaci\u00f3n. Todos sabemos por qu\u00e9 debemos escuchar si queremos que las relaciones crezcan y se profundicen. Lo mismo ocurre en nuestra relaci\u00f3n con Dios.<\/p>\n

Es f\u00e1cil frustrarse con el silencio y darse por vencido. Sin embargo, cuanto m\u00e1s nos pongamos en silencio ante el Se\u00f1or y nos entrenemos poco a poco para enfocar la mente en buscar a Dios creando silencio interior, m\u00e1s f\u00e1cil ser\u00e1. Requiere disciplina y constancia. No solo una vez al mes, sino con la mayor regularidad posible. Cuanto m\u00e1s nos adentremos en esos momentos de silencio, m\u00e1s f\u00e1cil ser\u00e1 que la mente nos siga y finalmente caiga en el silencio.<\/p>\n

Es una pr\u00e1ctica que requiere pr\u00e1ctica.
\nAs\u00ed que escribo esto para animarte a que vengas a estos momentos de oraci\u00f3n contemplativa, incluso si es una excusa para desconectar. Ven. Ponte ante Dios con tu deseo de Dios y deja que este te lleve a un lugar tranquilo y silencioso donde te hagas uno con \u00e9l. Ese es el terreno sagrado donde tanto t\u00fa como Dios se mantendr\u00e1n. Desea experimentar a Dios en tu vida como Dios desea ser experimentado, no como t\u00fa. Simplemente deja que Dios, el espacio que creas para Dios en tu silencio, te gu\u00ede hacia \u00e9l.<\/p>\n

Sabes, a veces somos los creadores de los ruidos m\u00e1s fuertes en nuestro interior. \u00bfNo ser\u00eda bueno apartarnos del camino y detener el ruido que creamos para nosotros mismos? \u00bfNo ser\u00eda maravilloso encontrar un refugio de paz dentro de nosotros? \u00bfAcaso no lo necesitamos?<\/p>\n

Est\u00e1n en mis oraciones y en mi coraz\u00f3n.
\nPaz y bien.
\nFray Julio<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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