The value of the vocal prayers
We should never underestimate the power of the vocal prayers. They may sound trite and worn-out after years of simply mechanically praying them, but they actually are the quickest and easiest way we can make ourselves truly and divinely inspired.
The reason is that these prayers are truly inspired prayers. They aren’t just human inventions, products of our pious creativity. They come directly from Christ, as is the case of the Lord’s Prayer, or from important biblical characters as is the case of the Hail Mary and other prayers.
There are also many other vocal prayers composed by saints or Church authorities who are given such power by Christ himself. The liturgical prayers at Mass and in the celebration of the other sacraments, as well as breviary of the priests, are very enlightening and helpful.
If we would just put our mind and heart into prayer, and pray with faith and piety, we would be transported deep into the spiritual and supernatural world where our deepest yearnings are satisfied, for a time.
These prayers also teach us what to say when we pray, what to ask from God, what attitudes and sentiments we ought to have toward God, others, and everything else in life, especially the different situations and predicaments we encounter.
They have the power to educate our mind and heart, conforming them to the mind and heart of Christ, which is what actually is proper to us, since we are created in God’s image and likeness, children of his.
In fact, when we pray the vocal prayers, we are praying together with and through the Holy Spirit. Our prayer would not just be our own prayer, but also that of the Holy Spirit, Christ, and his Church, since the Church is the mystical body of Christ! We should never feel alone when we pray. We have to realize we are in very good company when we pray.
If we only know what is involved when we pray the vocal prayers, I’m sure we would be deeply motivated to use them very often, especially in our moments of difficulty and special need.
That is why the vocal prayers should be taught to everybody as early as possible, as in teaching them to little children, explaining well their importance and effectiveness, and supporting such catechesis with clear examples of the elders.
Remember that the little ones learn more from what they see than from what they hear. When they see their parents and older siblings praying with fervor and piety, it wouldn’t take long for them to do the same. Their capacity to follow or imitate what they see is big. Thus, the practice of the family rosary is most recommendable.
We should pray these vocal prayers with naturalness, without exaggerated gestures that can only betray some hidden motives of a misunderstood sense of holy pride, vanity, and piosity, the caricature of piety.
But naturalness doesn’t mean shying away from some public display in praying the vocal prayers, as when we do pilgrimages, etc. vocal prayers shouldn’t be considered as simply something personal and private. They have a strong social and public character also. They actually do a lot of good.
These prayers shouldn’t be regarded as only for children or old women who have nothing better to do. Such attitude can only betray one’s ignorance of the value of vocal prayers, if not one’s defense mechanism to justify laziness, lack of faith, etc.
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