Parish Faith Formation 

Life Is Meant To Be A Prayer! 

During every day of the week (not merely on Sunday) there is need for private and individual prayer. Some people kneel or sit for a few minutes each day. Some offer the Rosary. Many just talk to God in their own words about their lives and the lives of their loved ones or others. Many read a section from one of the Gospels, and then talk to God about how they might better put these words into practice.

But beyond those quiet moments of peace and solitude, there are many other opportunities we have for prayer. Even in the middle of a busy day, we can turn our hearts and minds to God.

We should try to realize evermore consciously that God is always present. God loves us and sees us and watches over us every moment. “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

The most essential starting point for making prayer a regular part of our lives is a remembrance of God’s presence. God is never absent from us.

Many of the daily tasks we do require little or no concentration. We can pray while we do them.

• A homemaker can pray while she vacuums the floor.
• A carpenter can talk to God as he goes about his trade.
• A teenager can talk with God about all the little things that matter to them as they ride to and from school or other places.

There are many topics for our conversations with God.

• We can praise God’s greatness and goodness.
• We can acknowledge that He is God, the Supreme Being upon whom everyone and everything depends.
• We can thank Him for His goodness and love. What have we that we have not received from Him?
• We can humbly ask pardon and mercy for our sins, failures and selfishness.
• We can tell Him of our sincere intention to try to be more faithful for the future.
• We can ask for the help and strength we need.
• We can tell God that we love Him and want to love Him more and more, constantly increasing that desire to do so.

The word A–L–T–A–R serves as an excellent reminder of five of the most basic topics for regular prayer: Adoration, Love, Thanksgiving, Asking,  and Repentance.

The Gospels portray Jesus regularly in prayer (see Luke 5:16 & Luke 6:12), and Mary, too, is portrayed as a person of prayer (see Luke 1:46-55 & Acts 1:14). If prayer is so important in the lives of the holiest human beings who ever lived, how much more so it is for us!

We live in a fast paced life with never enough hours in a day to do all the things we need to. We have to pick and choose our priorities. Are we making conversation with God one of those priorities? And if NOT, why not?

-Catholic Quote. Vol.73, No. 7