A conversation yesterday reminded me that my personal "style" when it comes to prayer is strongly coloured by the Liturgy. This contrasts with people who have a very "devotional" style. The difference? I will tend to include an intention in my normal routine of prayer (eg remembering someone as I pray the intercessions of Morning Prayer) whereas a person with a more devotional style will find a prayer to the patron saint for that particular issue and start saying that prayer. It doesn't mean that I don't give attention to devotional (in the technical sense of non-Liturgical) aspects of the Church's life - themes that I adopt for Eucharistic Adorations in the parish usually follow the devotion associated with a particular month of the year or the Liturgical season. It does mean that I am a little bit laid back about devotions, though.
One devotion I am rather quiet on is that of praying for the dead during November. It isn't that I don't believe in doing it, and it is one aspect of the theme for our parish Adoration on 7th November; but I do feel a rather obsessive sense that seems to be associated with it during November. Catholicism that has a strong surrounding social culture (in England, perhaps the influence of Irish Catholicism) may contribute to this.
My style also colours my approach to Marian devotion. I do not have a separate devotion ot Our Lady; instead, my approach is that everything that I do in the Church should have a Marian character. This happens to leave me rather cool on Fatima, for example, or on the "Day with Mary" devotion; but not on Lourdes, though I probably see a visit there as much a visit in honour of St Bernadette as one in honour of the "white Lady" - don't ask me why. It seems to me to be a matter of one's own vocation in the Church, and other people may well have a different vocation than mine.
A liturgical style of prayer does, of course, mean that I am very sensitive to the way in which the Liturgy is celebrated. A devotional style of participation at Mass can cope with wayward clergy; but not a Liturgical style. I don't think there is anything in principle wrong with this kind of sensitivity; it is a mirror side to the entitlement of the lay faithful to have the Liturgy celebrated in accord with the mind of the Church.
However, it can become over-developed into a kind of irritability syndrome where everything imaginable causes annoyance.
No comments:
Post a Comment