Speak to God as a Friend when You Pray
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July 8, 2022St. Augustine once said, "Pray as though everything depended on God."
Have you ever struggled to pray or don't know how to pray? I remember after my first year of being in the seminary, there was a time when I struggled. I remember talking with and asking Fr. Chung Tran, C.Ss.R. for help when I was struggling in my relationship with God.
He told me that I could simply talk to God and tell God about my ups and downs in life. I have learned that the power of prayer cannot be ignored because although prayer doesn't change God, it changes us so that we can better follow God's will and not our own. St. Teresa of Avila sums up prayer well when she says, "For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God."
I am so blessed to be in Baton Rouge, LA, this summer where Fr. Tat Hoang and Fr. Kevin Zubel have inspired me through their lives of prayer and ministry. They have greatly influence me to love God more each day. They have taught me the power of prayer in subtle ways through their actions and words, as in the quote, "In the inner stillness where meditation leads, the spirit secretly anoints the soul and heals our deepest wounds." (St. John of the Cross)
Here's a quick story: Recently, Fr. Tat took me down to New Orleans to attend Mass for a sister who was going to take her profession of perpetual vows. It was such a touching experience. Before Mass, I was blessed to meet Fr. Tat's brother, Mr. Phi Hoang. I truly believe that it was God's will for me to meet him because Mr. Hoang inspired me to think critically and delve deeper into my personal spirituality.
One of the things that he mentioned was about praying the rosary and how Mother Mary brings us closer to her beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Our conversation was faith-filled and very practical in many ways. I would never in a thousand years think that I would be blessed to meet a lay person who would open up to me about their life. He also gave me tips and advice on how to overcome temptations as a seminarian.
As seminarians, we're just humans. We're not perfect. It is a common misconception that people expect all seminarians and priests to be saints instantly. When I joined the seminary, people thought I had attained a superhuman level of piety. In my personal experience as a seminarian, that’s not true. In other words, we have feelings and face temptation just like any other human being.
Through my conversation with Fr. Tat's brother, I was able to learn many valuable things as he shared with me tips and advice that had helped his brother, Fr. Tat, become a very holy priest. Fr. Tat's homily is very dynamic to the point that he has brought people back to the Lord. But each of us has our own calling and unique way of bringing people back to God.
Mr. Phi Hoang has a very beautiful family, and I was so blessed to be able to meet some of them as well. He is very involved in the church and dedicates so much time to the Lord because he knows that his health, time, and everything else comes from God.
With his devotion to Our Mother Mary and his great love for the Lord, he sets an example for his family like St. Joseph did as a loving father for the Holy Family. My advice would be to pray to God to ask him to lead us down the path he has chosen for us. All vocations are callings from God, and no one vocation is better than the others.
My experiences in Baton Rouge so far have brought me closer to God. And I believe that sometimes God sends people into our lives for a reason. If you're struggling with how to pray, just talk to God like a friend. God may not respond with words, but he will send the right people to your lives.
May Our Mother of Perpetual Help bring us closer to Christ. Pax Christi!
