inexpressible groanings

I ran across these words from St Paul today in my morning prayer and then of course at mass this evening.

Brothers and sisters:
The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but that very Spirit intercedes with inexpressible groanings.
And the one who searches hearts
knows what is the intention of the Spirit,
because the Spirit intercedes for the holy ones
according to God's will.
(Romans 8: 26-27)

I need to remember this one next time a friend who is going through the hell that sometimes appear to be life tells me that they just can’t seem to pray.

I remember so clearly when my mom was in the ICU two and a half years ago, very close to death, and my family was falling apart at the seams and I couldn’t think what to do, or how to pray. But I knew that prayer was really the only thing that would pull me through so I could be there for Mom and my dad and siblings. All I could manage were inexpressible groanings. Couldn’t even really quite manage a “Uh, God, over here. We could use some help.” Couldn’t even manage a “help” very well. Basically as I sat there in the ICU next to mom, or later in my childhood room exhausted in the evenings and breaking down in tears, I opened myself to the one who searches hearts. And that to this day was the most powerful prayer experience I ever had. Hands down.

It didn’t matter what I said or how I prayed. I prayed, I knew I needed God. And God knew I needed God. And the spirit was with me. And luckily God – creator, son & spirit – can translate incomprehensible and inexpressible groanings.

Pretty cool. Definitely need to mark this passage.