Carmelite nun Ruth Burrows reflects on the nature of prayer, laying a foundation for contemplative practice: Almost always when we talk about prayer we are thinking of something we do . . . . [I]t is of fundamental importance to correct this view. Our Christian knowledge assures us that prayer is . . . . not primarily something we are doing to God, something we are giving to God but what God is doing for us. And what God is doing for us is giving the divine Self in love. [For Christians,] any talk of prayer . . . . must begin by reflecting in firm belief on what Jesus shows us of God . . . . the unconditional love of God for us, for each one of us: God, the unutterable, incomprehensible Mystery, the Reality of all reality, the Life of all life. And this means that divine Love desires to communicate Its Holy Self to us . . . We are here to receive this ineffable, all-transforming, all beatifying Love. Basing ourselves, therefore, on what Jesus shows us of God . . . we must realize that what we have to do is allow ourselves to be loved, to be there for Love to love us. . . . Prayer, from our side, is a deliberate decision to avert to [the love of God], to respond to It in the fullest way we can. To do this we must set time aside to devote exclusively to the ‘Yes’ of faith. Join us for “A Lent to Renew Your Life”, two mornings of reflection and prayer on March 5 and March 26. Contact Paul Schulte with questions: 314.954.2299.