Fr. Wayne Sattler: Wasting Time with God (March 2025)

“Mental prayer,” St. Teresa of Avila writes, “is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us” (The Book of Her Life, ch. 8, par. 5).

When we make time frequently to be alone with anyone we love, the time will not always be filled with noticeable activity.  We come to enjoy simply being with them without much concern as to what we might be doing.  You may be familiar with the humorous remark that rightly observes how we are human beings, not human doers.  There is an art in learning to be who we are and to enjoy the being of another.  With those whom we love, we quite naturally enjoy being in their presence, and when they are away, their absence is clearly noted.

It is interesting how our time alone with the Supreme Being can become infected by a type of “activism.”  When it seems that nothing is happening in prayer, we might consider it a waste of time.  It is endearing to hear St. Therese of Lisieux reflect on her own time in prayer as being alone with “Jesus (Who) was sleeping as usual in my little boat” (Story of Soul, ch. 8). This seeming lack of activity did not concern her in the least.  In fact, she received it as a good sign of the authentic intimacy of their relationship, “Jesus is so fatigued with always having to take the initiative and to attend to others that He hastens to take advantage of the repose I offer to Him . . . instead of being troubled about it this only gives me extreme pleasure.”

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