{"id":10044,"date":"2026-04-25T00:01:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T00:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=10044"},"modified":"2026-04-25T02:09:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T02:09:18","slug":"a-quick-look-prayer-performance-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/a-quick-look-prayer-performance-perspective\/","title":{"rendered":"A Quick Look: Prayer, Performance, Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5e5oPIHnHQs?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Wasting Your Life \u2014 Venerable Fulton Sheen (11 of 12 from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CatholicClips\">CatholicClips<\/a>, YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s been another &#8216;one of those weeks&#8217;, so I&#8217;m sharing a Bishop Fulton Sheen video (from a family retreat in the 1970s, I gather), talking about whatever comes to mind, and calling it a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One thing Bishop Sheen mentioned was prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"prayer\"><\/a>Prayer, Briefly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/pope-francis-prayer-health-and-perspectives\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20241028ff\/20250224-Andrija12345678-StPetersBasilicaCrepuscularRays-658.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Andrija12345678's photo: St Peter's Basilica (July 11, 2006) via Wikipedia, used w\/o permission.\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica, Rome.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Prayer isn&#8217;t the only part of being a Christian, a Catholic, but it&#8217;s an important part. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2558-2856)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Okay, first things first. Just what is prayer, anyway?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;For me, prayer is a surge of the heart;<br>it is a simple look turned toward heaven,<br>it is a cry of recognition and of love,<br>embracing both trial and joy.&#8221;<br>(&#8220;Manuscrits Autobiographiques&#8221;, St. Therese of Lisieux (1895-1897) via Catechism of the Catholic Church)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>But if prayer wasn&#8217;t anything more than a gush of emotions, I wouldn&#8217;t have much use for it. Nothing wrong with emotions, I&#8217;ve talked about that before.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/a-quick-look-prayer-performance-perspective\/#1\">1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prayer is also a gift from God. (Catechism, 2559-2561)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So is everything else, and I&#8217;m drifting off-topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Catechism&#8217;s Glossary (English language) has a pretty good definition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;<strong>PRAYER:<\/strong> The elevation of the mind and heart to God in praise of his glory; a petition made to God for some desired good, or in thanksgiving for a good received, or in intercession for others before God. Through prayer the Christian experiences a communion with God through Christ in the Church (2559-2565).&#8221;<br>(Catechism, Glossary)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Prayer involves words, gestures, or both. But it&#8217;s not <strong>just<\/strong> words and gestures. When I pray, <strong>all<\/strong> of me is praying, not just my voice and hands. That&#8217;s how it should be, at any rate. (Catechism, 2562-2564)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"putting\"><\/a>Putting Performance in Perspective<\/h4>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20130220ff\/20150128-387px-Flickr_trialsanderrors_-_Thurston_the_great_magician%2C_performing_arts_poster_1910-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Howard Thurston promotional poster, the Strobridge Lithograph Co., Cincinnati, New York, (1910) Library of Congress via Wikipedia\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Another point, an important one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prayer isn&#8217;t magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Words mean things and what I&#8217;m doing as I pray matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But prayer isn&#8217;t about putting on a technically-competent act. What I&#8217;m doing inside matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Superstition is the deviation of religious feeling and of the practices this feeling imposes. It can even affect the worship we offer the true God, e.g., when one attributes an importance in some way magical to certain practices otherwise lawful or necessary. To attribute the efficacy of prayers or of sacramental signs to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand, is to fall into superstition.&#8221;<br>(Catechism, 2111)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Another point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Asking God for something \u2014 better health, wisdom, whatever \u2014 can make sense. Imagining I can make God do something: that profoundly does <strong>not<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>God is large and in charge. Almighty. (Catechism, 268-269)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Our God is in heaven<br>and does whatever he wills.<a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/psalms\/115#23115003-c\"><\/a>&#8221; <br>(Psalms <a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/psalms\/115#23115003\">115:3<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s a scary thought, but there&#8217;s emphatically an &#8216;up&#8217; side to God&#8217;s omnipotence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Indeed, before you the whole universe is like a grain from a balance,<br>or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.<br>&#8220;<strong>But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things<\/strong>;<br>and you overlook sins for the sake of repentance.&#8221; <br>(Wisdom <a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/wisdom\/11#27011022\">11:22<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/bible.usccb.org\/bible\/wisdom\/11#27011023\">23<\/a>) [emphasis mine]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"categories\"><\/a>Categories<\/h4>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/principles-priorities-politics-and-being-catholic\/#there\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20240813ff\/20240918-lifecycle-feature-1536x402-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Library of Congress\/Shawn Miller's photo: 'Jefferson Building stacks'. (September 29, 2022) used w\/o permission\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s a whole mess of ways I can sort prayers out. One of them is by looking at <strong>why<\/strong> I&#8217;m praying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking the &#8216;intent&#8217; angle, there are at least five sorts of prayer. (Catechism, 2623-2643)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Blessing and adoration<\/strong><\/td><td>&#8216;Returning&#8217; God&#8217;s blessings, acknowledging that God&#8217;s God<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Petition<\/strong><\/td><td>Asking, pleading, &#8230;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Intercession<\/strong><\/td><td>Petitioning for someone else<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Thanksgiving<\/strong><\/td><td>Just that: giving thanks<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Praise<\/strong><\/td><td>Again, just that<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s see. What else?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some places are better than others for praying. (Catechism, 2691)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But &#8220;It is always possible to pray&#8230;.&#8221; (Catechism, 2743)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s more, lots more. But like I said, it&#8217;s &#8216;one of those weeks&#8217;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a name=\"doing\"><\/a>Doing, Understanding, Caring<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/anger-and-justice-aquinas-berra-and-me\/#self\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20240526ff\/20180604-ApathyIsRampant-329.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;Apathy is Rampant!!! But Who Cares?&#8221;<br>Brian H. Gill (2018)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>When I get an impulse to pray, it&#8217;s very often giving thanks for something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or maybe it&#8217;s praise and adoration. For me, those two are much alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But all sorts of prayer are important. Which is why my daily prayer routine includes a bit from each category: no great virtue there, there&#8217;s lots to pray about in each one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Happily, most of the heavy lifting for &#8216;intercessory\/petition&#8217; prayers \u2014 thinking of what to ask for \u2014 gets done for me. I&#8217;m part of a &#8216;prayer chain&#8217;, and get &#8216;pray for&#8230;&#8217; items via text\/email. Actually, my youngest daughter gets them, writes them on slips of paper, then passes those on to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The issues are mostly medical, very often distressing, and as anonymous as whoever makes the request wants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About intercessory\/petition prayers \u2014 Sometimes I&#8217;ll clearly ask for &#8220;A&#8221;. Then nothing happens, or maybe I get &#8220;\u2203\u2211&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I figure there&#8217;s a reason. Reasons. But I also figure that, even if I got a full explanation, I still wouldn&#8217;t understand. God&#8217;s God, I&#8217;m not, and I&#8217;ve read the book of Job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Demanding explanations? I like understanding things. But sometimes I don&#8217;t need to, so I try to avoid fretting when I don&#8217;t understand God-level decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Letting &#8216;I don&#8217;t understand&#8217; morph into &#8216;I don&#8217;t care&#8217;: sometimes indifference makes sense, like when I don&#8217;t understand why folks extol the excellencies of pepperoni pizza. Not that many do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when it comes to God \u2014 indifference is not an option. Not a viable one.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/king-josiah-consequences-and-love\/#love\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/brendans-island.com\/blogsource\/20130220ff\/20141108-450px-Crepescular_rays_in_saint_peters_basilica-329.JPG?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Jraytram at en.wikipedia's photo: 'Crepuscular rays in Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City'. (October 2008) via Wikipedia, used w\/o permission.\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Not-entirely-unrelated posts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/satan-sin-politics-and-making-sense-anyway\/\"><strong>Satan, Sin, Politics, and Making Sense Anyway<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; (January 3, 2026)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/satan-sin-politics-and-making-sense-anyway\/#theology\">Theology, Slogans, and Human Nature<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/king-josiah-consequences-and-love\/\"><strong>King Josiah, Consequences, and Love<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; (September 13, 2025)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/king-josiah-consequences-and-love\/#authority\">Authority and Consequences<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/king-josiah-consequences-and-love\/#found\">&#8220;And He Found it Very Good&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/king-josiah-consequences-and-love\/#sin\">Sin is Real, Forgiveness is an Option<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/cancer-in-the-family\/\"><strong>Cancer in the Family<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; (January 27, 2024)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/cancer-in-the-family\/#another\">Another Operation, Radiation, and Prayer<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/just-who-is-this-jesus-person-and-who-does-he-think-he-is\/\"><strong>Just Who is This Jesus Person, and Who Does He Think He is?<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; (October 8, 2022)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/just-who-is-this-jesus-person-and-who-does-he-think-he-is\/#those\">&#8220;Those Who Followed Were Afraid&#8221;??<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/just-who-is-this-jesus-person-and-who-does-he-think-he-is\/#claiming\">Claiming Divinity<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-black-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-black-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><sup><a name=\"1\"><\/a>1<\/sup> Emotions matter, to an extent:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/war-feelings-jesus-and-making-sense\/\"><strong>War, Feelings, Jesus, and Making Sense<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; (April 18, 2026)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/war-feelings-jesus-and-making-sense\/#feeling\">Feeling and Thinking<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/anger-and-justice-aquinas-berra-and-me\/\"><strong>Anger and Justice: Aquinas, Berra and Me<\/strong><\/a>&#8221; (February 11, 2021)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/anger-and-justice-aquinas-berra-and-me\/#self\">(Self?) Righteous Rage?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/anger-and-justice-aquinas-berra-and-me\/#sound\">Sound, Fury \u2014 and Thinking<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s been another &#8216;one of those weeks&#8217;, so I&#8217;m sharing a Bishop Fulton Sheen video (from a family retreat in the 1970s, I gather), talking about whatever comes to mind, and calling it a day. One thing Bishop Sheen mentioned &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/a-quick-look-prayer-performance-perspective\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"Prayer: definitions, five categories, and what it is not. Plus my take on apparently-unanswered prayers.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"A Quick Look: Prayer, Performance, Perspective","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[215,192],"tags":[80,91],"class_list":["post-10044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-being-catholic","category-journal","tag-god","tag-prayer"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7Dwtw-2C0","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10044"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10044\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10048,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10044\/revisions\/10048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}