Praying Without Ceasing
Fix Our Gaze on the Heart of Jesus
I am with my family, sadly not all at the same time but in waves, Sandy John Sara Grace, Xavier, Teresa and Nick. We get up, go to daily Mass, hike big all day, cook great meals, laugh, have good conversation and pray the Rosary – well, that is whoever hasn’t fallen asleep. This is wonderful vacation. But today I felt a little lost because I am off my normal spiritual routine of spending the first hour of each day in silent meditation with Jesus and Mary. I’ve had lots of time in silence on the mountains but its not my normal routine and place for meditation so I’m off my game. I have a handful of holy nuns that pray for me, and keep my out of prison and probably from hell. One of them texted me today and I share with her how I was a little lost. She gave me a piece of wisdom that should be lived everyday and I share it with you: “The heart of our prayer routine is to fix our gaze on the Heart of Jesus and that our deepest longing is union with Him. With this I should move through the day without ever leaving intimacy with Jesus. What happens exteriorly is just different scenarios where that intimacy love and union unfold.” Great wisdom right – I should live that every day and so should you!
God in My Heart
God is not only with us when we are at Mass, or in meditation or praying the Rosary. He is present with us at every moment. We just forget this. In the Our Father we pray: Our Father Who art in Heaven. The CCC 2794 says This biblical expression does not mean a place (space), but a way of being; it does not mean that God is distant, but
It refers to His supreme majesty, and power
His presence in the hearts of the Just
Augustine “Our Father who art in heaven” is rightly understood to mean that God is in the hearts of the just, as in his holy temple.
Jesus said to St Faustina, My Kingdom on earth is My Life in the human soul
Diary 1784
Pope Benedict
This is what prayer really is
Being in silent inward communion with God
This silent presence of God at the heart of our thinking, our meditating and our being is what we mean by prayer without ceasing
St Faustina writes: The moments which are most pleasant to me are those when I converse with the Lord within the center of my being. I try my very best not to leave him alone. He likes to be always with us…Diary 1793
Fellowship with Jesus
531-534 The mysteries of Jesus’ hidden life
Jesus spent 30 years in Nazareth living an Ordinary Life of prayer and work, friendship and family
Only 3 years of public ministry
Jesus spent 10 times more doing what you do day in and day out than he did in his ministry – WHY?
2 Reasons: Remember, Jesus is an eternal person, that means all that he does remains present, never slips into the past. In some way Jesus is still present living an ordinary life and because He is present in that ordinary life you can meet Him there at every moment of your ordinary life and live it together. It is not just the suffering of Jesus that we can participate in through our own suffering. We can participate in the prayer, work, joy and suffering of Jesus. Every moment of our life can be moments united to him if we just have the right desire – the desire to be united to him, present to him. The opening prayer of Mass each day this week says – love him in all things and above all things. CCC 533 tells us to enter into fellowship with Jesus by the most ordinary events of daily life
In the Ordinary Events of Life
The 2nd reason Jesus lived this ordinary life for 30 years was to teach us - we are to live as sons and daughters of God and become Saints through the ordinary events of life
Prayer
Work – school
Friendship, marriage, family
Sickness, suffering, trials and conflicts
Living a well ordered and balanced life
Keep Our Longing Before Us
Friendship with Jesus, like any friendship, requires time and our undivided attention. That is why we need time in silent meditation each day with Jesus and Mary – talking, listening and just being with them. But when we leave that time – they do not leave us and we should not leave them. I don’t have my spiritual time and then go on with the rest of my life. We should keep our longing and the singular intention of our lives always before us – union with Jesus Christ. Call to mind the presence of Jesus and Mary throughout the day. You can be united to them in everything you do today and everything can unite you to them – your prayer, work, joy and suffering. Enter into fellowship with Jesus and Mary by the most ordinary events of this day and stay with them.