Chaplain’s Column

In teaching the importance of prayer to the youth, there is a section in the Catechism that tells us: “Praying is as human as breathing, eating, and loving. Praying purifies. Praying makes it possible to resist temptations. Praying strengthens us in our weakness. Praying removes fear, increases energy, and gives a second wind. Praying makes one happy.”

Cardinal Robert Sarah of Guinea, South Africa, said “Each of us must schedule time for prayer each day and build up her or his prayer life.”

Cardinal Sarah explains the importance of prayer by telling a story in which an elderly professor fills a bucket with large rocks, the size of tennis balls. When the professor couldn’t fit any more rocks in the bucket, he asked his students, “Is the bucket full?”

They all answered, “Yes.”

He waited a few seconds and added: “Really?”

Then he poured gravel into the bucket and repeated his question, “Is the bucket full?”

This time the gifted students were beginning to understand. One of them answered: “Probably not!”

“Right!” the professor replied.

Again he poured sand into the bucket which settled into the spaces between the big rocks and the gravel.

Once again he asked “Is the bucket full?”

This time, together and without hesitation, the students answered “No!”

“Right!” the professor replied. And as the students expected, he took the pitcher of water that was on the table and filled the bucket to the very top.

Then the professor said: “What important truth does this experiment show us?”

The most daring of the students answered: “It demonstrates that even when we think our schedule is completely full, we can always add more things to do if we really want to.”

“No,” the professor replied, “that is not it! The important truth that this experiment proves for us is that if you do not put the big rocks into the bucket first, you will never be able to make them all fit later.”

There was a deep silence, each one becoming aware of the obvious truth of this teaching.

The elderly professor then told them: What are the big rocks in your life? Your family, your health, your friends, your dreams, your professional career? What you need to remember is the importance of putting the big rocks into your life first, otherwise you run the risk of failing to do so.

If we give priority to junk – the gravel, the sand – we will fill our life with unimportant, worthless things, and we will no longer have the time to give to the important things. So do not forget to ask yourself the question: What are the big rocks in my life? Then, put them first into the bucket of your daily routine.” With a friendly smile, the professor waved to the students and left the room.

Is prayer one of the big rocks in our lives? Cardinal Sarah said: “Prayer truly must be the big rock that has to fill the pot of our life. It is the time when we do nothing else but be with God. This is why silence is so important when we pray. Prayer can be thought of as the fostering of a friendship – in this case with God. And, as with any relationship, it takes time together.

St. Paul wrote “Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5: 17).” If the ultimate goal is, in the words of St. Paul, “to pray without ceasing,” then we need to start somewhere. The key to prayer is to set aside time for it. This time can be five minutes or an hour, or something in between. St. Francis de Sales said “Everyone of us needs half an hour of prayer a day, except when we are busy, then we need an hour!”

Try it. “Praying makes one happy.”