What to do Besides Prayer

by David Lins  |  02/06/2022  |  (Being) Catholic Matters

It’s funny, I am often asked questions that end with. for children in grades K-8. We focus on academic “Besides prayer, what can I do? ”excellence and spiritual growth. For more information or to take a tour, please contact our There are times when it is about their concerns, like “I have a friend who has left the Faith. Besides prayer, what can I do?"

Other times, they are reaching out to me, as in “I hear your family has Covid. Besides prayer, what can I do?”

I understand this implies prayer is already part of their plan, but I think if we are honest with ourselves, many of us struggle with the feeling that in addition to prayer we actually need to DO SOMETHING... as if prayer isn’t actually doing something tangible.

The words we speak and write have the power to reframe our thinking. What if—instead of “besides prayer, what can I do?” - we said, “I commit to praying for my friend who has left the Faith, but are there additional actions you might suggest?” Or what about saying to someone, “I know your entire family has Covid and I’m committing to prayer for your speedy recovery. Is there anything additional that I could do for you?”

Notice how this slight rephrasing emphasizes the primacy of prayer? This is important.

Saying a prayer in our time of need isn’t akin to throwing up a Hail Mary pass because—hey—what do you have to lose? It is the firm foundation upon which all other efforts must be built.

In this weekend’s Gospel, Jesus tells Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”

Simon was a seasoned fisherman who knew the best spots for a catch and had been putting his experience into practice for hours. No success.

He responded, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing.” But he seemed to understand that Jesus either knew the lake even more completely, or was about to bless his effort. In either case, he went on. “But at your command I will lower the nets.”

We should remember to seek the Lord and His blessing before we go forth in any endeavor.

Comments, concerns, questions? Email David at dlins@oloj.org