06 Jun The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
“Sometimes our prayers seem to go unheard, what we have asked for — for ourselves or for others — is not fulfilled. Why does he not respond to our requests? The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2735) asks people to think more deeply about why they demand to see the results of their petitions: What is the image of God that motivates our prayer — an instrument to be used? or the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This passage warns people to avoid the risk of not living an authentic experience of faith, but of transforming the relationship with God into something magical. Prayer is not a magic wand. It is a dialogue with the Lord. Indeed, when we pray, we can give in to the risk of not being the ones to serve God, but of expecting him to serve us. When we pray, we need to be humble and believe that God will give me what is right to give. He knows. Looking at the Gospels, Jesus heals many people, either responding to their pleas immediately or much later. Over time, people may see that some things do work out, but in God’s way, the divine way, not according to what we wanted at that moment. God’s time is not our time. May people pray that the Lord give them real faith, because Jesus said faith moves mountains, and Jesus feels special tenderness before that faith and he listens.”
— Pope Francis
FROM YOUR PASTOR
What is PRAYER?
Holy Scripture tells us that PRAYER is being IN UNION WITH GOD in Faith and in Love. That UNION allows us to Open Ourselves totally to God as His Beloved Children, made in His Image and Likeness, and Claimed for Christ in our Baptism.
Jesus shows us How to PRAY. In the Our Father, He begins by giving Glory to God, then Presenting Petitions, and most importantly Seeking and Giving Forgiveness.
In His Public Ministry, Jesus always Begins in PRAYER — on a mountain or in a desert or in a room — before He would Preach, Teach, Heal, or Raise from the Dead.
In living this model, Jesus teaches us to Open Our Heart. As He Speaks to Our Heart, our PRAYER becomes fruitful as we become more perceptive to God’s response to our PRAYER.
Jesus was effective in His PRAYER because His Heart was in Special Relationship to God formed by key VIRTUES:
> FAITH — Confidence and Trust in God through PRAYER will allow your Actions to Transcend the Natural into Supernatural Realities in your life and in the life of those God places in your care.
> HUMILITY — A Right Relationship with God reveals Our Dependence on His Divine Providence and allows us to recognize through PRAYER the Graces He places in our life to put others before ourselves.
> OBEDIENCE — Surrender of our Personal Attitudes, Ambitions, Addictions, and Anxieties to the Will of God for Our Personal Life will allow us to accept and do whatever He Tells Us in response to our PRAYER.
> GRATITUDE — Everything We Are and Everything We Have are Gifts from God to be used in Praise and Honor to Him, in Service to Our Neighbor, and in Thanksgiving through PRAYER.
> FORGIVENESS — To Forgive Is Divine and the Depth of Our Forgiveness is not only proportional to the Depth of the Hurt and our Anger, but the Sincerity of Our PRAYER for the Healing of Ourselves and Others.
When our PRAYER LIFE embraces these Virtues, our Heart Is Open to God as we Offer Our Petitions, Seek His Response in the People and Events and Circumstances of our daily life, and Accept His Response in terms of What We Need rather than What We Want…as we Live The Daily Battle…
HOW DO YOU PRAY?
+ May God Bless You and Keep You +