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Office Of Readings | Week 11, Sunday, Ordinary Time | A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Cyprian On The Lord’s Prayer | Let Prayer Be Made By A Humble Heart
‘Let your prayer come from a humble heart.’
Saint Cyprian Of Carthage
Saint Cyprian’s reflections on prayer provide a timely reminder of the essential posture a Christian must adopt when approaching God: one of humility, modesty and inward sincerity. He addresses not only the physical form of prayer but the disposition of the heart, drawing together scripture and practice in a coherent and edifying whole.
Biblical And Patristic Foundations
Cyprian grounds his teaching in the words and example of Christ, who instructs his followers to pray in secret and with sincerity. Referencing Jeremiah, he underlines the omnipresence of God: there is no corner of the earth hidden from his gaze. In this, Cyprian joins the long line of Fathers who emphasised the continuity of biblical teaching on divine omniscience and the integrity of inner worship. The example of Anna (1 Samuel 1:13) is particularly resonant: her quiet but faithful prayer, though unheard by human ears, is heard and answered by God.
The contrast between the tax-collector and the Pharisee (Luke 18:9–14) serves as a sharp illustration. The tax-collector, aware of his unworthiness, approaches God with humility, in contrast to the Pharisee’s self-righteousness. Cyprian urges the Christian reader to emulate this spirit of repentance, suggesting that no one is innocent in themselves and that forgiveness flows to those who acknowledge their need for mercy.
Liturgical And Personal Application
For Cyprian, there is a seamless unity between private and public prayer. The restraint and reverence he commends in the personal chamber are equally expected in the liturgical assembly. Here is a vision of the Church not as a noisy or showy body, but as one united in modest petition, aware of God’s holiness and attentive to the purity of intention.
The phrase, ‘God hears our heart not our voice,’ encapsulates a theology of prayer deeply rooted in interiority. This anticipates later mystical traditions within the Church that prioritise the inner dialogue between the soul and God. Cyprian reminds us that it is not verbosity or external display that moves the divine will, but the ‘heart’s desire’ shaped by faith and humility.
Contemporary Spiritual Reflection | Jesus In The World Today
In an age often dominated by noise, distraction and performative spirituality, Saint Cyprian’s exhortation to modest, interior prayer is a necessary corrective. His emphasis on humility is counter-cultural, challenging the modern assumption that self-assertion is the path to success, even in religious life.
Moreover, his insights offer a foundation for a deeper understanding of the spiritual life. True prayer, he insists, is not mere speech but a lifting of the heart to God, a recognition of our dependence, and an opening of ourselves to divine grace. In a world often concerned with appearances, Cyprian invites us to rediscover the value of silent, hidden prayer and the strength that comes from acknowledging our need for mercy.
His teaching, drawn from scripture, tradition and pastoral insight, remains a powerful guide for the faithful today: we are to seek the Lord not in boastful words but in contrite hearts, trusting in his mercy and ever mindful that he ‘searches the heart and the desires’.
A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Cyprian On The Lord’s Prayer | Let Prayer Be Made By A Humble Heart
When we pray, our words should be calm, modest and disciplined. Let us reflect that we are standing before God. We should please him both by our bodily posture and the manner of our speech. It is characteristic of the vulgar to shout and make a noise, not those who are modest. On the contrary, they should employ a quiet tone in their prayer.
Moreover, in the course of his teaching, the Lord instructed us to pray in secret. Hidden and secluded places, even our own rooms, give witness to our belief that God is present everywhere; that he sees and hears all; that in the fullness of his majesty, he penetrates hidden and secret places. This is the teaching of Jeremiah: Am I God when I am near, and not God when I am far away? Can anyone hide in a dark corner without my seeing him? Do I not fill heaven and earth? Another passage of Scripture says: The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, observing both good and wicked men.
The same modesty and discipline should characterize our liturgical prayer as well. When we gather to celebrate the divine mysteries with ‘God’s priest, we should not express our prayer in unruly words; the petition that should be made to God with moderation is not to be shouted out noisily and verbosely. For God hears our heart not our voice. He sees our thoughts; he is not to be shouted at. The Lord showed us this when he asked: Why do you think evil in your hearts? The book of Revelation testifies to this also: And all the churches shall know that I am the one who searches the heart and the desires.
Anna maintained this rule; in her observance of it she is an image of the Church. In the First Book of Kings we are told that she prayed quietly and modestly to God in the recesses of her heart. Her prayer was secret but her faith was evident. She did not pray with her voice, but with her heart, for she knew that in this way the Lord would hear her. She prayed with faith and obtained what she sought. Scripture makes this clear in the words: She was speaking in her heart; her lips were moving but her voice could not be heard; and the Lord heard her prayer. The psalmist also reminds us: Commune within your own hearts, and in the privacy of your room express your remorse. This is the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Through Jeremiah he suggests this: Say in your hearts: Lord, it is you that we have to worship.
My friends, anyone who worships should remember the way in which the tax-collector prayed in the temple alongside the Pharisee. He did not raise his eyes immodestly to heaven or lift up his hands arrogantly. Instead he struck his breast and confessing the sins hidden within his heart he implored the assistance of God’s mercy. While the Pharisee was pleased with himself, the tax-collector deserved to be cleansed much more because of the manner in which he prayed. For he did not place his hope of salvation in the certainty of his own innocence; indeed, no one is innocent. Rather he prayed humbly, confessing his sins. And the Lord who forgives the lowly heard his prayer.
Prayer With Jesus
Lord God, You see what is hidden and know the secrets of every heart. Teach us to pray with humility and sincerity, Following the example of your saints. When we are tempted to pride, remind us of the tax-collector, When we grow anxious or ashamed, remind us of Anna. Help us to seek you not with many words, But with a heart contrite and open to your grace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Glossary Of Christian Terms
- Cyprian of Carthage: A 3rd-century bishop and martyr, known for his writings on the Church and Christian discipline.
- Anna (1 Samuel 1:13): A devout woman of the Old Testament who prayed for a child; her silent prayer was heard and answered by God.
- Tax-collector and Pharisee: A parable told by Jesus highlighting the contrast between pride and humility in prayer (Luke 18:9–14).
- Liturgical prayer: The public, communal worship of the Church, especially the Mass and the Divine Office.
- Interior prayer: Silent, meditative prayer focusing on the presence of God in the heart.
- Contrite: Feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt.
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