Pondering Prayer

 "Man has a noble task: That of prayer and love. To pray and love, that is the happiness of man on earth."- St. Jean Marie Vianney

Today we entered the fifth week of school. This means we took the day off!  It wasn't planned.  My husband took a couple of days off. We were supposed to go camping.  But real life took over so our tent is sitting in the back of the car while we sit at home.  We did have friends over and we spent some time at the park. Blissful. Beautiful day. Full of drinking in the blue skies and pondering the goodness of God.

School is going swimmingly.  We love the routine of each day punctuated by the (extra) devotions we have taken up this year.  Devotions not only for our own intentions but mostly for many of our friends who are going through incredible trials. We pray for a world that seem to be on the verge of madness (or is it there already?) There is so much to pray for.  So we do. We pray, we attend daily Mass, we say the rosary everyday, we are praying novenas, we are attending Holy Hour, we are preparing for Consecration renewal.  We remember those who may not, at this moment, have it in them to pray for themselves either due to the burden of a lessened faith or lessened will or physical ability.  And by this praying for another we too are changed. Our hearts begin to soften to our own conversion.  And boy do I need to be converted!

The funny thing with praying more than we have ever done before is realizing the bounty of time (and opportunities) to pray.  Funny when you do what matters, you don't ever seem to run out of time.

One of the meditations of Consecration renewal is that of Blessed Mother Teresa's consecration words- "lend me your heart".  A plea to Mary, she who alone perfectly loved (loves), to lend us her heart. I am awestruck by the beauty of that.  If I had even a smidgen of Mary's ability to perfectly love then I can truly love my neighbor as myself.  Then I would be on my way towards a conversion of life.

These past four weeks of immersed prayer life finds my (strong) will bending easier to the will of Love.  Don't be too impressed, I was kicking and screaming all the way. The Lord has been so patient with me.  There are days I find myself crying at the recognition of His unfathomable goodness and laughing at the absurdity of my pride.  And overall I am recognizing the joy of a lived faith.  In that joy I am able to pray more and pray more for another.  And I do hope that when that dark night of the soul comes someone else is praying for me.

I hope you have a good week of feasting with the saints.