Prayer

Recently in the news has been the story of the blasphemy challenge where atheists post a video of themselves denying the Holy Spirit thus by their perspective invoking the unforgivable sin. Rational Responders suggest:

* Don’t simply "deny the holy spirit." Give it your own personal touches. Possibly add extra blasphemy or maybe even a background story as to why you feel the way you do.
* Record your video in a Church or outside of a Church.
* Walk up to people on the streets exclaiming your joy that you deny the holy spirit, and how good it makes you feel inside!
* Mention "My name is ______ and I’m from the Rational Response Squad."
* Plug your own atheist website or project!

As with most atheists the thrust is mainly "that the Christian God doesn’t exist" and if you have "the cojones to show the world." Of course they don’t post videos of themselves denying that Mohammed was a prophet which might take a bit more cojones. No diatribes against Hindus or those of other religions.

Most of this is just dumb on so many levels and a total lack of even the basic understanding of what the sin against the Holy Spirit actually is – that it is final impenitence, perseverance till death in mortal sin. Something that can’t exactly be uploaded to YouTube. If you deny what you conscience has already accepted as not true you are not exactly sinning in the first place. As a former atheist, atheist challenges like this don’t really upset me – other than a touch of sadness of what they do not yet know.

I suggest a prayer project for these persons involved in this project. Simply pick one of the people who have posted a video for the Blasphemy challenge and pray for them and perhaps start a lovingly ironic Novena to the Holy Spirit for them. No need of posting a video to YouTube for this just pray and offer up any sacrifice you can for that person. I usually pick St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross as my choice for intercession for the conversion of atheists. She also passed through atheism on her journey into the Catholic Church who after the examples of some Christians she new and upon reading St. Teresa of Avila’s biography exclaimed "This is the truth!" We can pray that they find who is the way, the truth, and the life.

I am trying to develop the habit of rash prayer. My theory is that if I could pray as fast as I might judge someone that I would be stepping in the right direction on the road to holiness. I might observe someone’s actions or read a news story and instantly I have framed the motives for the action of the person or persons involved, sometimes I then remember to pray. I don’t mean rash in the sense of ill-considered haste but in it’s meaning as boldness. Usually I have what I call the “binocular effect”; if I look through the binoculars at someone else’s sins they are magnified but if I look through the front of the binoculars towards my own sins they are reduced and minimized. This is exactly backwards and the Saints demonstrated the correct view over and over in again in regards to themselves and others. Sometimes I feel like such a hypocrite when I do remember to pray for others. When I think about the lumberyard in my own eyes it makes it difficult to do what all of us are called to. To pray for others you must do it based on a foundation of personal prayer and openness to grace. Lord give me the grace to put down the stone and walk away.