The Call to Pray
one
Adam Reapel, Steve White, Olivia, May 23 – the experience of 1000s of people gathered freely around Mary in friendship and prayer is miraculous for strengthening our own faith and can be the catalyst to move our family and friends from a dead faith to a living faith. So come, be a witness and bring someone with you!
Only God and Our Lady know what will happen in the world and when. We know that God works all things for good for those who love him. I sense three time periods in which we live: The first is the time of the COVID lockdown that we are passing through. God in His providence used this time in which much of normal life was taken away to give the people of the world time to examine their lives, take stock of their priorities and recommit themselves to God especially through prayer. Now we are entering the 2nd period – coming out of lockdown – when all our pent up desires for sports, concerts, travel, restaurants, parties, vacations…can come out. Let me be clear – God made us to delight in the good things of this world in such a way that leads us to union with Him. Not away from Him. In this 2nd period, will we forget our the examination and reprioritization to God and to prayer? This is vital because the 3rd period is the time when all that Our Lady promised concerning the secrets and her Triumph are fulfilled. Those who are committed to prayer will experience the 3rd period with difficulty but with trust, hope and joy. Those who slack on prayer will experience this 3rd period with great difficulty.
On July 25, 2019 Our Lady at Medjugorje said:
“Dear children! My call for you is prayer. Prayer will be joy for you and a crown that binds you to God. Children, the trials will come and you will not be strong and sin will reign but if you are mine, you will win because your refuge will be the Heart of my Son Jesus. Therefore children, return to prayer so that prayer becomes life for you, day and night. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
two
Our Lady is asking for a greater quality of prayer and quantity of prayer
She asks for greater Quality of Prayer
· What she calls prayer of the heart,
· Moving on from vocal prayer alone to
· Meditation in the Rosary
At Medjugorje there is clearly a call for more generosity in prayer.
· At Fatima Our Lady calls for 5 decades of the rosary each day.
· At Medjugorje, she has called for the 15 decade rosary daily
o If one is quick to dismiss this as just impossible in the present world, it might be good to keep in mind that John Paul II got fifteen decades in each day
No person can be fulfilled and happy without spending time in prayer because prayer brings union with God who alone can satisfy the infinite desires of the human heart.
Prayer is friendship with God and 30 minutes is probably the bare minimum for a descent conversation. So a commitment to 30 minutes of daily meditation or the Rosary is probably the bare minimum to honestly say we have a friendship with Jesus. Believe me, if I am not talking to my wife for 30 minutes a day then our friendship is on the slide down. But if other responsibilities allow, then I want to spend more time with Sandy, talking and even more just listening to her and just being with her. In fact Ill take as much time as I can with her – why? Dumb question. Because I love her.
Even more so with God. I need at least 30 minutes a day in conversation with God but if responsibilities allow, then I’ll take all I can get in conversation with Him. Talking from the heart, praying more Rosaries, Mass, reading and reflecting on Scripture, and just being with Him in silence and stillness. Why? Dumb question, Because I love Him.
three
Distractions
The biggest reason people say they don’t spend more time in prayer is a lack of time. I’ve never heard of anyone who starved to death because of a lack of time to eat. We make time for what we love. What are the distractions that keep us from time with God in prayer? Before people count calories and track their diet, they claim they eat pretty healthy. Once they look closely, they are amazed at how much junk food they eat every day. Most people claim they are too busy. But when they look closely at their use of time, there is much wasted time on email, social media, news, sports, entertainment, you-tube. I’ll bet you right now you waste the last 30-45 minutes every night. Instead, go to bed and get up 30 minutes earlier for prayer. Or use that last part of the day for undivided time with God.
four
Invite and Teach others to Pray
Parents of children are very busy. Been there – I have 5 kids.
Get good at combining. I used to begin talking to one kid in a central part of the house, then another would join in and so on. We would talk and catch up and then I would invite them to pray the Rosary with me since its easier with others. I would read something brief out loud for them to learn their faith and think about or meditate upon during the decade. Then between each decade I would be interested what struck them, caught their attention and we would talk some more and then read the next point. We’d do that 5 times. It was a wonderful mix being together, good conversation, learning the faith and meditation. This then became our habit. I would do the same thing with my adult friends and the loved it. That is how the Rosary Podcast and the Movement began. Its just what we lived in our living room for ever.
five
It is hard to keep up our spiritual intensity over a long period of time. Teresa of Avila says we need to add courage and determination to our perseverance.
Have great confidence, for it is necessary not to hold back one's desires, but to believe in God that if we try we shall little by little, even though it may not be soon, reach the state the saints did with His help. For if they had never determined to desire and seek this state little by little, they would never have mounted so high. His Majesty wants this determination, and He is a friend of courageous souls if they walk in humility and without trusting in self. Courageous souls make great strides in the spiritual life in a short time. I marvel at how important it is to be courageous in striving for great things along this path. For though the soul is not yet strong enough, it nonetheless takes flight and soars very high…Teresa of Avila, Life, 31:3
Matthew 26:41 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."