20 January 2018

Paul Kniaz on Why Christans Pray and Act

"We have all been flooded by posts on social media telling us to pray for Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other areas hit by disaster. I was surprised by the ones I got from secular and liberal acquaintances and friends, who suddenly seemed to believe that it was worth praying, or, at least worth posting about prayer on Facebook. When disaster strikes, it often appears as if everyone starts to believe in the power of prayer. Not only do the words 'God bless you' slide so easily off the tongue, they also sound more impacting than 'I'm thinking of you'. It is nice to think, even if it is just a fantasy, that there might be a being who could just fix it all.

"Not to my surprise, a few articles have begun to appear on social media criticizing the glibness with which we offer our prayers. They complain that prayer is an excuse not to act . . .  Certainly, these responses hit at some basic truth. Prayer should not be a way out of acting, especially if we feel called to act.

"In fact, Catholics speak of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. . . . The Church teaches the importance of prayer, fasting, penance, and almsgiving with the knowledge that without these three things working together, the words 'I'll pray for you' run the risk of becoming the intentionless words of well-wishers.

"However, prayer exists as more than a prelude to almsgiving. I would argue that prayer is itself an action. Prayer certainly affects the individual. It can lead to real change in the world, and it prevents us from having the hubris to believe that we alone can fix all our own problems."

In a recent commentary, writer reflected on the power of prayer to change hearts and to change the world and of the importance to make prayer meaningful.

To access his complete post, please visit:

Catholic Stand: Social Media Takes on Prayer: Why We Pray and Act (20 DEC 17)

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