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To begin your prayer, you may want to light a candle nearby. A flame is a
metaphor for prayer, inviting us into the presence of Holy God. Look at the
icon as you pray. See it as a point of connection with Jesus and the
community of saints. Try extending your hands and turning your palms
upward, a gesture both of openness to God's grace and the gift of your
hands to God.
Even though you may feel pressured by the demands of the day, try not to
pray in a hurry. Better to pray for a short time with quiet attention to
each word and each breath than to rush through many prayers. Be aware of
your breathing. You are breathing in life itself, breathing in God's peace.
You are breathing out praise and gratitude, breathing out your appeals for
help.
As you pray, cultivate an inner attitude of listening. God is not an idea
and praying is not an exercise to improve our idea of God. Prayer is the
cultivation of the awareness of God's actual presence. We may speak words
to God or just look attentively at the icon and let God speak to us.
Julian of Norwich
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Holy Trinity
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Thomas Aquinas
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Francis of Assisi
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Teresa of Calcutta
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