“And when ye pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, that love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men: Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and having shut the door, pray to thy Father in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee. And when you are praying, speak not much, as the heathens. For they think that in their mush speaking they may be heard. Be not you therefore like to them, for your Father knoweth what is needful for you, before you ask him.”
“Before prepare thy soul: and be not as a man that tempteth God” (Ecclesiasticus 18:23). The Lord here instructs you in how to pray, the preparation for which is to set your entire self on Him, stirred up by fire and confidence, “Do not therefore lose your confidence, which hath a great reward” (Hebrews 10:35); “the continual prayer of a just man availeth much” (James 5:16). When you have your heart aimed entirely at Jesus, you will not mind the surroundings in which you pray, be they communal recitation of the Psalms, being in church, or privately in your room, for you know you are with God, who supports you: “His left hand under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me” (Song 8:3). To draw attention to yourself in prayer is to draw the eyes and potential praise of others, therefore to be modest and entirely drawn into the love of God, seeking Him in the solitude of your heart, for lovers need solitude to express their love fully. Even if this is before the Blessed Sacrament, it is your time alone with Jesus, where no one can intrude on the love that takes place. But you, beloved of God, know that you walk with the Lord, and He with His loving gaze beholds you everywhere, and nowhere can restrict you from loving Him. When you settle for intentional times of prayer, close the doors of all things and fill your mind and heart with Jesus. By looking upon His sacred humanity, considering how He loved in His life, you realize the love of the Father: “Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father also” (John 14:9); “No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18). Prayer is love, and as you build your familiarity with Jesus, you need fewer words and have fewer petitions, knowing that His love will take care of all that is in your heart: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit himself asketh for us with unspeakable groanings” (Romans 8:26), which are the longings of love. Jesus Himself consoles the heart anxious with petitions: “For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things” (Matthew 6:32). Let yourself be loved by God, let yourself fall more in love. Be yourself with Him. He will reward you for your love, for you, in going to the Beloved, have so captivated Him that He places Himself as your debtor, simply because you have opened your heart to His love. He has submitted Himself to your heart, being so in love, and thus cries out, “Turn away thy eyes from me, for they have made me flee away” (Song 6:4), that is, how can He refuse the one He so tenderly loves anything, when your petition is one that cultivates love? Thus, He says not to use many words, but much love, for you have His attention already. The Gentiles would use many words to draw attention, but “The eyes of the Lord in every place behold the good and the evil” (Proverbs 15:3). Many words are used to instruct, or to implore one who is ignorant, and neither of these things apply to God, who knows your heart and what you need better than you do. You are asking a loving Father, a faithful Spouse, and the Spirit of Love that dwells in you for what you request, not an impartial, cold deity. Therefore, go with fervent love and boldness, and when you are done asking, begin listening: “I will incline my ear to a parable” (Psalm 48:5), for He desires to speak with you. In reading the Scriptures, through which the Holy Spirit speaks to you, meditating on the life of Jesus, that you may know His expression of love, or sitting in simple love with God, you listen to the whisper of love: “…and after the fire a whistling of gentle air. And when Elias heard it, he covered his face with his mantle,”, that is, in the presence of perfect love, the heart wants to withdraw, but when you let yours enter His presence, you will know His love: “…and coming forth stood in the entering in of the cave, and behold a voice unto him: What dost thou here, Elias?” (3 Kings 19:12-13). Pray then more in love than in words, cultivate love more than intentions, build a tower of love rather than intellectual thoughts, for “love never falleth away: whether prophecies shall be made void, or tongues shall cease, or knowledge shall be destroyed” (1 Corinthians 13:8). Thus you will come to your Love with great familiarity, and all you bring to Him will be pleasing: “I speak to him mouth to mouth: and plainly, and not by riddles and figures doth he see the Lord” (Numbers 12:8).