A Time and a Place for Prayer

Dear Saint Matthew Community and Visitors:

The call to discipleship each of us has received in Baptism and Confirmation obliges us to recognize at the center of our being is God. God is the beginning and the end. We are called to acknowledge this basic reality in such a way so as to never forget.

In the Judeo-Christian history such acknowledge is grounded in three consistent practices: A gift of Time, A gift of Talent, A gift of Treasure.

The great equalizer among all people is time – no one has more than 24 hours in a day, and no one has less. All the money and power in the world cannot “buy” me more time. How I use my time is a reflection of who I am.

Some philosophers have divided time into three categories: Something time, Anything time, Nothing time.

Something time is that part of my time which is often out of my control. It is the time committed to my job, occupation, trade, craft. It is the time demanded by my familial responsibilities. It is the time to which other’s have a legitimate claim.

Anything time is that time I use at my discretion – the time I choose to spend with friends, to till my garden, to engage in a hobby, etc.

Nothing time is that time which produces no product and is in so way “productive”. It is the time I spend with God. It is the time for prayer and reflection. It is the time that is in one sense “no time”.

The gift of Time in prayer is part and parcel of the life of a disciple. It takes discipline and it is meant to be a part of my daily life.

When I was a child churches were open all day. People stopped into the church on their way to or from work, they paused at lunch time and “slipped” into the Church to make a “visit to the Blessed Sacrament”. Some people developed the practice of making a “Holy Hour” weekly or even daily.

In recent times churches are locked when there is no public worship. Frankly this is because of theft and vandalism. Just as we no longer leave our homes unlocked when we are away, so with churches.

For some time I have thought about a way Saint Matthew’s could be open during the day to accommodate the private prayer of people. Thanks to John Riehle and David Rosas and his maintenance staff we have found a way to keep the chapel open on weekdays from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. We are able to secure the building and yet keep the chapel open.

So, beginning this Monday, September 11th the Chapel of Saint Matthew will be open from 6:00 am. to 6:00 pm Monday thru Friday. During Parish Center Office hours the small chapel in the Parish Center is also available for private devotion.

I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. A few minutes spent quietly in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament can help any of us to refocus and clarify life. A few minutes spent regularly in prayer can nourish and enrich each of us. A place of quiet, in the presence of the Holy Eucharist can become a spring of freshness welling up within our lives.

When you take advantage of this opportunity I ask that you remember to pray for your parish, to pray for the success of our parish ministries, to pray for those who are sick or troubled, to remember in prayer those who share with you the journey of discipleship in the Community of Saint Matthew.

Yours truly, Stephen Adrian, Pastor