To know is not to understand

I am reading Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle's latest book, Mother Teresa and Me and I came across this quote by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta:

"To know the problem of poverty intellectually is not to understand it. It is not by reading, taking a walk in the slums, admiring, and regretting that we come to understand it and discover what it has of bad and good. We have to dive into it, live it, share it."

A parallel to our prayer life jumped out at me when I read this quote.

How many of us surround ourselves with a complicated prayer ritual? Maybe we have two or three devotional books or styles, i.e., Rosary, Divine Office, Examen, etc., when prayer can and should be very simple. That's not to say we shouldn't be active pray-ers through these methods, but think about it . . .

To know Jesus intellectually, is not to be in a relationship with Him, actually. And to create a multi-dimensional approach to prayer does not mean that we accept the love He offers us, rather, perhaps one-sidedly, it implies it is our activity that makes the difference.

Let the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ pour into your open heart and you will know and truly experience the depth of prayer.

Happy New Year!