(Thoughts by an anonymous monk)

St. Paul tells the Colossians: “We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, on our prayers for you.” (1:3) In view of this it will be appropriate to share with you a few
sentences on prayer taken from a little booklet called The Wisdom of Prayer. Here they are:

1. The first word on prayer is: keep at it.

2. If you pray, God will teach you how to pray. If you don’t pray, you will never learn.

3. Let the perfume of your prayer permeate every part of your day.

4. When you pray, rest in God without concern about how you feel.

5. We have no accurate way to evaluate our prayer. What seems to be the worst may be the
best and vice-versa.

6. Prayer is such a great good that we should practice it though we should derive no profit
from it at all.

7. To suffer is great; to pray is marvelous. To suffer and to pray is to fly to holiness on two
wings of love.

8. Pray often for the conversion of sinners. Could anyone be in greater need than they?

9. To overcome abortion we must change not only laws but hearts. This will be achieved by
prayer and suffering, alms and fasting.

10. Many people would be better off, if they would not get what they ask for.

11. There are giants walking the earth today though they pass as dwarfs. They are souls
diligently persevering in prayer.

Many people who pray are troubled because they don’t feel anything; their prayer seems useless and without fruit to them because of this aridity or lack of feeling. Listen to a parable which indicates how deceptive this lack of feeling can be.

A six year old girl had just learned to use the telephone. She called up her grandfather and said,
“Hi, Grampa, I love you.” She continued to do this day after day. Her grandfather was very
pleased. Since he was exceedingly wealthy he rewarded her by starting a special bank account
for her, putting in a thousand dollars in it each time she called. He kept this all a secret lest she
begin to call him out of love for the money instead of love for him. This went on for years until
the girl was 23 years old. Then her grandfather died and she finally learned that she was a
millionaire. She was amazed because during those years she had felt no wealthier, and had never dreamed she was becoming a millionaire.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus is the way, and no one comes to the Father except
through Him. Prayer is our way to “the Way” and our greatest prayer is the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass. By uniting our prayers to the Prayer of Jesus in the Mass they become transformed into
His Prayer. What a great privilege is it to attend Mass with our great High Priest who offered
Himself on the cross in reparation for our sins, and rose for our sanctification.