Reflection on Prayer
Prayer is the most important thing you can do in this world, for in
prayer we gain the blessings of Jesus, and nothing is more important than that.
It is by prayer that we revitalize our spirit by uniting ourselves with Jesus.
Our Lord said, "I am the vine, you are the branches" (John 15:5). It
is the vine that gives life to the branches, and without this they wither and
die. It is Jesus who gives us our life and strength. Let us remember this when
we get too busy and forget to pray. As someone said, "If you are too busy
to pray, you are too busy.” People say
they are too busy to pray, but when you talk to them for a time they can tell
you everything that was on television the whole past week. Some of the kids
from our schools told me that they were giving up some hours of television each
week. I asked them what they would do instead and one of the answers was, pray!
Great advice for us adults too! If we
spent this time in prayer, it would change our lives. We all have time for the
things we like to do; we make time. We should make time for prayer. That is
what a wise person does. In prayer we don't have to be formal or eloquent or
elegant. We don't need fancy words — only a loving, humble heart.
Prayer helps us turn away from grumbling. An individual who grumbles
all the time doesn't pray very much. Prayer helps us to do less complaining.
Complaining turns one into a person small in heart and narrow of mind. Prayer
fills us with a graciousness and generosity and makes us big of heart and
wholesome and healthy in our outlook.
Many times we feel we don't know how to pray, but that is not important.
The important thing is that we try to pray, that we put ourselves into the arms
of God, like a little kid running into the outstretched arms of his loving
mother or father.
Prayer
O Lord, when I feel weak and helpless, that is the time I need you the
most. Even when I am discouraged and there is darkness all around me, help me
to continue to pray. The soul is lifeless without prayer. Don't let me be
telling you in prayer a lot of things you already know. Don't let me recite a
long litany of my aches and pains. Just let me think of you and rest in you.
Help me to realize that if I pray for others, you will take care of me. Amen.
I hope you all have a good week.
Fr. Phil
