Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the two Beers.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then, asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then, picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then, asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.' The professor then, produced two beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided,'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---
Your family, Your children, Your health, Your friends and Your favourite passions---
And if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like; Your job, Your house and Your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. 'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf ball first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented.
The professor smiled and said,'I'm glad you asked. The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers or Pepsi's with a friend.'

論祈禱

Peter G. van Breeman 神父在他寫的「擘餅」（"As Bread That Is Broken,"）一書中，這麼論祈禱：

尋找與等待－－在祈禱中，我們其實不是在尋找什麼，相反地，我們是在一種等待的狀態中。尋找是動的，總覺得我應該作什麼似的，帶了點煩躁與不安；等待是靜的，注意力是在等待的對象上，我除了耐心的等待之外，什麼也不能作。等待代表了我的無能為力，我的無法自足，這其實也是我們面對上主時該有的態度:在祈禱中，我們放棄了對自己、對世界的控制，完全讓上主作主。我們只有耐心地等待著，時間對了，祂自然會來。 祈禱是完全的開放－－在祈禱中，我們要對上主完全的開放。在日常生活中，我們常常精打細算，像握緊了的拳頭一般。對我們能夠掌握住的東西抓緊不放，對我們不能掌握住的東西，也是一顆心懸在那裏，不能釋懷。在祈禱中，我們要張開雙手、敞開胸懷，上主問我能不能拿走我手裏的某件東西，我要微笑地向上主說:「隨您措置取用。」過一會兒，上主也許問我，好不好加一件東西到我手裏，我依然微笑地答 說:「隨您措置取用。」 祈禱是完全的奉獻－－除非我願意完全地奉獻，我的祈禱只是半調子，總是缺少誠意。我不能光說不練，只說禱詞，卻不獻身。就拿我的時間作例子，每晚子夜零時，我從上主手裏接過來一件禮物，新的二十四小時的時間。如果我真心祈禱的話，我要學會去放棄這二十四小時，不把它當作我私有的產物，而拿來做上主要我做的事。如果我是真心誠意的祈禱，我會隨時隨地、心心念念地想到「爾旨承行」。
祈禱的動機與效應－－在這個凡事講求效率的功利社會裏，我們有時免不了要問，祈禱到底有什麼效用？有什麼好處？許多人說祈禱的確有好處，這包括了:
· 在祈禱中，上主會聆聽我們的祈求。
· 祈禱帶給我們真知和卓見。
· 祈禱帶給我們誰也奪不去的平安。
· 祈禱是我力量的來源，幫助我度過生命中的難關。
這些祈禱的動機都很好，但是卻沒有抓到祈禱最根本的中心。這些動機都只能算是次要的，祈禱本身不能以有沒有效用來衡量。祈禱是完全的順服，不要求得到任何好處。為什麼這樣說呢？因為將要有一天，這些次要的原因不再生效，他們再也引發不起我們祈禱的願望。將有一天，我會覺得上主對我的祈求不聽不聞，將有一天，我在祈禱中找不到智慧，也得不到平安，覺得完全在浪費時間。那時我可能覺得倒不如把祈禱的時間拿來念一本好書，或是到公園裏去散個心。讀書或散心，至少我還會有些收獲。祈禱卻浪費我的時間，有時還消耗我的生命力。其實浪費時間還 是小事，在祈禱中我們要經驗到更深一層的喪失，在最深度的祈禱中，我們要把自己完全的交托與降服。「誰若為我的緣故，喪失自己的性命，必要獲得性命。」（瑪十六: 25）
上主會聽我的祈禱嗎－－我們有時懷疑上主聽不聽我們的祈禱，這實在是個本末倒置的想法。怎麼說呢？我們以為在祈禱中，我們是主導者，上主是回應者。殊不知上主才是真正的主導者，我不過是上主召叫的人，我才是要回應上主的人。像齊克果在他的祈禱文裏說的:「上主，您是主導者，是您先愛了我。我每天凌晨起身，投身向您，您已經等在那裏。上主，是您先愛了我。每次，我排開日常瑣事，轉身來找您，您已經期待著我。上主，是您先召叫了我，您先愛了我。」所以在祈禱時，我要安靜下來，全神專注地去聽上主對我要講的話。不要光聽我想聽的，而是完全的對上主開放，不管上主給我的訊息合不合我意，我都準備接受。
「你們祈禱時，不要嘮嘮叨叨，如同外邦人一樣，因為他們以為只要多 言，便可獲得垂允。你們不要跟他們一樣，因為你們的父在你們求祂以前，已知道你們需要什麼。」（瑪竇六: 7）