A LONGING HEART IS A PRAYING HEART



















Pic.: Neerja Panchal
There are a hundred reasons why I admire and adore Mahatma Gandhi. Like the life of Jesus Christ, the life of Gandhi inspires me, empowers me.


Heart is where God dwells. Both, Christ and Gandhi heavily emphasized on the power of love that comes from our hearts. Both taught: Love is  prayer in action!”


Today is Gandhi Jayanti.


I thought, I would write a short piece on something, that, at this moment, compels me to think of my Hero… and, I found one of his lines, which had, always, made a lot of sense to me:


“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul.

It is daily admission of one's weakness.

It is better in prayer to have a heart without words

than words without a heart.”




When our  hearts long constantly… When we sincerely admit, and submit, our human weaknesses before God, that’s our real prayer. Yes, our hearts deeply long… deeply acknowledge their weaknesses… and, through this very longing of our hearts, we evoke in our bosoms the grace, mercy and love of God…




No words are needed to reach God…



Just a heart with deep longing will do.




Today, these lines of Gandhi made a fresh meaning to me. It is quite a long time, I haven’t prayed to God in any conventional way… I haven’t chanted, haven’t opened the Bible, haven’t been to Church or even said once, Lord’s Prayer – ‘Our Father’… Yes, I am a die-hard faithful of Jesus Christ, a proud Catholic… Still, I haven’t said the prayers with any words… leave alone with rituals!


So, need I feel bad and guilty about it?


Am a bad Christian?


Only Christ, my Hero, can judge me on that…


But, my heart feels strongly, that, I have been constantly praying, constantly longing… constantly admitting and submitting my hearts weaknesses…

A very happy Gandhi Jayanti to all of you.



GERALD D’CUNHA




Comments

Hitesh Balani said…
Very well conveyed and very inspiring.
-- Hitesh
October 2, 2013 at 3:02 PM
Anonymous said…
Good insights into prayer. Monish
October 2, 2013 at 3:06 PM
Lata N. said…
Gandhi is my hero too. Lata N.
October 2, 2013 at 3:57 PM
Anonymous said…
A longing heart is a praying heart. Very inspiring.
- Nalini
October 2, 2013 at 4:45 PM
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