Jesus called the Rich Young man to follow Him and Jesus promised this man blessings and eternal life. Unfortunately, “possessed by his own possessions” the rich man departed from Jesus sad. He preferred his things, his wealth above and beyond the treasure of Jesus’ friendship in this life as well as in the next, heaven forever. (Mk. 10:17-31)

This Gospel passage relates, at least indirectly, to the call to the Religious Life, to the radical following of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The fact of the matter is that Jesus calls and invites the person to follow Him, but Jesus is never going to force the person. He respects the freedom of the individual.

In this short essay we would like to present for your reflection, education and meditation some of the most salient points and aspects of some of the key constitutive elements of what is called the RELIGIOUS LIFE.

VOCATION.   All of us are called universally to become saints. The words of Jesus, the “holy of holies”, are both clear and unequivocal: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” (Mt. 5: 48)  Vatican II the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium V has as a title: “The universal call to holiness.” However, it must be said that every person has their own unique vocation.  Most are called to the married state, others to the single state, still others to the priesthood, and finally there are those who are called to the RELIGIOUS LIFE. This will be the topic of our brief essay.

1. ESSENTIAL PRIMARY PURPOSE.  The ecclesial document from Vatican II on Religious Life is titled Perfectae Caritatis. This Latin title exemplifies and incorporates the primary purpose of entering the Religious Life or the Religious state of life—that is to say, to arrive at perfect charity. In a word the most important virtue in the life of the follower of Jesus is that of charity—meaning a supernatural love for both God and our brothers and sisters. One enters the Religious state with the ultimate purpose of arriving at a state of a dynamic growth and development of one’s love for God, overflowing into one’s love for one’s neighbor. Indeed, if we truly love God then we must love our neighbor. (A constant reminder in the Letters of Saint John.)

2. FREEDOM.  Once again, with reference to the refusal of the Rich young man, the call to the Religious Life must be accepted freely, totally and unreservedly—no ties or strings attached. In a word, God wants to be loved and not by force but by a free act of the will, a loving choice.

3. FOUNDER.  Religious Orders and Congregations have specific founders that transmit and leave as a patrimony and legacy the specific spirit that God has endowed them with. Examples of founders are multiple: St. Ignatius and the Jesuits, Saint John Bosco and the Salesians, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the Missionaries of Charity, Saint Francis and the Franciscans, Saint Dominic and the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), Saint Alphonsus and the Redemptorists, Saint Benedict and the Benedictines. There are many more, but we have left you with a few brilliant examples.

4. CHARISM. Each and every one of these founders have left what is called a specific charism to the Congregation. By charism is meant a specific physiognomy or characteristic note that distinguishes it and differentiates it from the others. Indeed, it is incumbent upon the members in each Congregation to get to know both the Founder (their spiritual father or mother), as well as their specific charism.

5. VOWS.  These are solemn promises made to God by the individual to arrive at a greater freedom of spirit and facility in following Jesus more radically and with a more intense love. Remember the document Perfectae Caritatis—the radical call to love Jesus fully and completely. In most Congregations the solemn promises are three—Chastity, Poverty , and Obedience.  Let us explain.

6. CHASTITY.  This is not simply a renunciation of the state of Holy Matrimony, but rather a desire to love Jesus fully and completely. In a word, Religious Life is truly a love affair between Jesus, the Bride Groom, and His Beloved, the Bride. Women Religious actually wear a ring, aware of the fact that they are mystically united to Jesus the Bridegroom of their soul. Jesus appeared to Saint Catherine of Siena and gave her a ring which was invisible to the eyes of others but visible to the saint.

7. POVERTY. This vow allows the Religious to renounce the pervasive and inherent danger of becoming overly attached to material things, and materialism as a whole. For this reason the Rich young man failed to follow Jesus because he had many possessions. If you like, he became possessed by his own possessions. In a word, with the vow of poverty, Jesus becomes the treasure of their life. Biblically, Jesus becomes the pearl of infinite value. If one possesses Jesus and is possessed by Jesus, he is richer than a multi-billionaire. Jesus warns the world: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Mt. 6: 24)

8. OBEDIENCE. By this vow, the Religious surrenders their will to God by willfully choosing to obey their Local Superior, Provincial and Rector Major (Head of the Congregation). This is done in imitation of Jesus, the model in all ways. In fact, Jesus was obedient even to death and death on the cross. (Philippians 2:8) By embracing this vow, the Religious is able to overcome one of the greatest enemies and obstacles for growth in the spiritual life—an overweening pride so characteristic of these modern times!

9. COMMUNITY. The early Christian community, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, lived in community and were of one heart and mind and shared all in common. They were united in love for Jesus and love for one another. The onlookers were impressed by their lifestyle and commented on how they loved one another. “Love one another deeply from the heart.” (1 Pt 1:22) This powerful witness of love was a powerful force of attraction and motivation to become Christians. So it is with Religious Life, it entails living in common with one’s brothers or sisters. Venerable Bruno Lanteri (Founder of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary) stated shortly before his departure from this life to the next, these heart-warming but challenging words: “Love one another and do all you can to never break the bonds of love among yourselves.”

10. RELIGIOUS HABIT. The Second Vatican Council emphasized the importance of the Religious Habit as a sign of one’s consecration to God. Also, the Religious Habit is an Eschatological sign—meaning, it is a concrete sign and reminder that this world is passing and there indeed is a world that goes beyond this short and ephemeral life on earth. In other words, it points to our destiny which is heaven.

11. PRAYER IN COMMON. Another salient characteristic of Religious Life is that of prayer. A Religious has as their first duty the contemplation of divine things—that is to say, dedication to a serious life of prayer. They pray individually, but also find specific times to pray with their brothers or sisters. In the words of Jesus:  “Where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am midst in the midst of them.” (Mt. 18: 20)

12. APOSTOLIC LIFE AND CHARISM.  Religious that are dedicated to a more active life of apostolate are called to carry out their charismatic grace by exercising a specific apostolate. In fact, if a Religious truly loves Christ then they necessarily will love what Jesus loves—the salvation of immortal souls gained through prayers, penance, but also an active apostolate.

13. MARIAN DIMENSION.  Religious Founders have Jesus as the primary purpose and focus of their lives. Jesus indeed is the WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. However, Religious Orders have Mary, a model for all religious, as their spiritual Mother and Guide. It would be an interesting future study to do a work displaying the different Marian charisms in the Church, and most specifically in Religious Life. Some examples:  Saint John Bosco and Our Lady Help of Christians, Saint Dominic and Our Lady of the Rosary, Saint Alphonsus and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Saint Augustine and Our Lady of Good Counsel, Saint Bernard and Stella Maris/Our Lady Star of the Sea, Saint Mother Teresa and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

We will close our short essay on Religious Life taking the last few words from the Decree on the Renewal of Religious Life, Perfectae Caritatis October 25, 1965, words of great comfort and encouragement:

“All religious, therefore, with undiminished faith, with charity towards God and their neighbor, with love for the cross and with the hope of future glory, should spread the good news of Christ throughout the whole world, so that their witness might be seen by all men and our Father, who is in heaven, and will be glorified (Mt 5:16). Thus through the prayers of the gentle Virgin Mary, Mother of God, whose life is a model for all ( St. Ambrose, De Virginitate 2,3, n. 5) may they increase daily and may they bring more abundant fruits of salvation.

Our Lady of Fatima appeared to three young shepherd children six times in the year 1917, from May 13^th up to the great miracle of the sun on October 13^th.  These three shepherd children were brother and sister, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, and their older cousin, Lucia de los Santos.

In every one of the six apparitions, Our Lady exhorted them, as well as the whole world, to pray the most holy Rosary on a daily basis. Our Lady appeared during the course of World War One in Europe. Many lives were taken, and families devastated.

Our Lady revealed some little-known statements to Jacinta that had great importance in 1917, but even greater relevance today.  There are five. We will list these five and offer a brief commentary, then offer three concrete ways that we can honor Mary in the month of May.

1. WAR.  War is a punishment for sin. In a time in which wars are waging and often claiming innocent lives, let us strive to pray more and sin less so that we will help bring an end to wars. Ven. Fulton J. Sheen stated that World Wars start in the hearts of many individuals living in sin. Wars from within spill over to wars among peoples and nations.

2. FASHIONS.  Certain fashions will be introduced that will offend Our Lord very much. Let us try to always dress with great modesty and strive to live in the presence of Jesus and Mary. As Saint Paul reminds us: “We are Ambassadors for Christ.” (2 Cor. 5:20) Let us never be a source of sin or scandal for anyone, but a means for their sanctification and imitation.

3. PRIESTS.  They must be pure, very pure. They should not busy themselves with anything except what concerns the Church and the salvation of souls. The disobedience of priests to their superiors and the Holy Father is very displeasing to the Lord. Let us pray and offer sacrifices for more priests and for holy priests. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (Mt. 9:37) On Thursdays, pray for priests by offering Rosaries and Masses and Holy Communions for them!

4. MATRIMONY.  Many marriages are not good; they do not please Our Lord and are not of God. Those who are married should do all in their power to live out their vocation of marriage, a vocation in which husband and wife are called to mutually sanctify each other, and this should flow over to their children. May those who are engaged take more seriously their preparation for a wonderful but very demanding vocation—the vocation of Holy Matrimony.

5. SIXTH COMMANDMENT: CALL TO PURITY.  Our Lady revealed to Jacinta Marto of Fatima that more souls go to hell because of sins of impurity than for any other reason. In the July 13, 1917 apparition, Our Lady showed the three children a very graphic vision of hell and the suffering of the condemned souls. This vision motivated little Jacinta to offer constant and heroic sacrifices to God for the conversion of poor sinners. When Pope Saint John Paul II beatified Francisco and Jacinta, he presented Francisco as a “Little Mystic” because he loved to be silently present in front of the Blessed Sacrament in prayer. However, the saintly Pope presented Jacinta in the light of a “Little Victim soul”. The reason? She willingly offered herself as a victim soul to suffer for the many souls who are in jeopardy of being lost for all eternity.

In this month of May dedicated to Our Lady, let us offer our Heavenly Mother three small but very beautiful flowers to fill her Immaculate Heart with immense joy!

First, AVOID SIN. When tempted to sin, let us pray a fervent Hail Mary and beg Our Lady, the full of grace, for the grace to say No to sin and Yes to the love of God.

Second, THE MOST HOLY ROSARY.  In this month of May, let us pray the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary daily, most especially for these two intentions: for the conversion, sanctification and salvation of the family; and for the cessation of wars and world peace. 

Third, FATIMA MESSAGE.  Why not learn more about the message of Our Lady of Fatima? How about reading a good book, watch a good movie, and/or study a well-written commentary on Our Lady of Fatima and her message, which indeed is an excellent summary of the Gospel message of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Has it ever happened that you are with some Catholic friends one Saturday afternoon and about 4:30 you get up to leave (your custom and habit is to go to Confession every first Saturday), and right before exiting, one of your friends asks, “Where are you going”?  You reply: “Going to Church!” Your friend’s rebuttal, “Why now, this is Saturday!” Quite frankly you respond, “I am going to Confession!” His rejoinder: “What have you done that you have to go to Confession? Are you really that bad?” Your next response is: “Well, like all, I am a sinner and in need of conversion, and Confession is the best remedy. By the way, if you would like to come along with me, there is room in my car, and the priest, I am sure, would be more than willing to welcome you to receive the Sacrament of Confession.” Quite bluntly your friend blurts back: “I do not want to go, nor do I need to go to Confession because quite honestly, I do not have any sins to confess.” You wish your friend the best and off you go to encounter Jesus, the Divine Physician, through the Catholic priest in the Sacrament of Confession.

This short-story, anecdote, is very real and probably most of us have experienced this scenario in one form or another. Pope Pius XII, of happy memory, made this statement decades ago that set the stage for what is truly the moral pulse of modern Catholic society. “The sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin.” In a word, it is not that the modern man or woman has no sins, quite the contrary. Rather, it is that the modern person has indeed lost the sense of sin.

THE OBLIGATION TO FORM ONE’S CONSCIENCE.  One of the greatest gifts that God has bestowed upon the human person is the gift of our conscience. That is to say, the inner voice and light that God has given to us to know what is right in order to follow it, and what is wrong, to avoid it. And when it happens that we willingly follow the wrong inner voice—we call this sin, there is remorse of conscience. If you like, it can be compared to a bee sting or thorn prick, or even walking on a small pebble lodged in your shoe. There is an inner sense of turmoil, unrest. It is incumbent upon all of us to form our conscience; and it is the moral obligation of parents to form the conscience of their children.  This is an ongoing process that lasts a lifetime!

AN EXAMPLE OF THE DIFFERENCES OF ONE CONSCIENCE TO ANOTHER.

This analogy can prove extremely useful as a motivation to do the work necessary to form our conscience and that of our children. It takes God’s grace and our own good will and effort. Let’s put into full gear our imagination!

Take your bedroom from different views or perspectives at noon or midday! You are in your bedroom at noon when the sun is shining at its highest point, however drapes cover the windows leaving the room in pitch and total darkness. As you walk, you could easily trip over material objects in the room—It is literally like being in a dark cave or tunnel where there is not a spark of light by which to see anything or any way out.

Next, you open the drapes a mere crack, such that the barest minimum of light seeps into the room. Your vision perceives objects, but it is still not possible to distinguish what they are, to distinguish one thing from another. If you are not careful, you could still stumble and fall, and break a limb.

Again, you pull the drapes open slightly more. Now what is in the room can be perceived with some clarity. One object can be distinguished and differentiated from another. In fact, in all truth you perceive a table, a chair, a desk, an armchair, a bed, and the closet. You can actually name the objects in the room without bumping into them.

Arriving at near greatest clarity, you open the drapes almost fully, as well as a window. Now all that is in the room can be seen with great clarity. With this new perspective, you perceive not only the objects and their corresponding names, but also the different artistic details. The colors, the shapes, the size, the dimensions of all can be noted and determined by the trained eye. An example would be the bed. It is 18 inches above the ground. Two pillows and a bedspread adorn the bed. Even the pattern and colors of the bedspread can be seen. It is multicolored, with brown, white and beige patches sewn together in such a way that there is a variegated line that separates one section from the next. It makes one think of a chessboard, lacking only the chess pieces and players.

Finally, the curtains are drawn fully back and the windows are opened fully. It is 12 p.m. and the noonday sun is invited to take full possession of this bedroom.  Accepting the invitation, the noon-day sun zooms into the room, inundating every available space. Now, in this moment, the light of truth has reached its apex! Now all can be seen without the slightest shadow of darkness. On the table can be perceived coffee stains and crumbs from a cookie. In the east corner of the room can be viewed a small cobweb where a spider has been lurking and hiding, fearful of being discovered for weeks on end. The sunshine pours into the room like a river or stream of light, enlightening the dust particles in the air that seem to emit energy and life. These little almost microscopic particles float of their own accord brilliantly illuminated by the midday sun. Your eyes are dazzled to view this beautiful artistic masterpiece of light, shape and color that has been totally unveiled for all to see once the curtains are drawn fully and totally!

The following has been a somewhat poetic but very real depiction of a room in a simple home at midday. The interesting fact is that the room was always the same, the room didn’t change. However, the various different views or perspectives changed markedly and even drastically—dependent upon the various degrees of light or the absence of light.

So it is with the human conscience that we are morally obliged to form. Our conscience can be submerged in the total abyss of darkness—blind if you like! Or there can be various degrees of light intermingled with the darkness. The best, of course, is when the conscience is totally illuminated by the penetrating rays of God’s truth, just like sunlight beaming down and penetrating the room as if it were the sun at midday! Let’s aim for the total and complete midday sun beaming and enlightening our inner world that we call our conscience so we can live according to God’s will for our lives, and make frequent and good confessions. May Our Lady, the Star of the Sea, enlighten us and obtain for us the clarity and light of the Holy Spirit.

The well-known, loved, and admired 50-year stigmatic, Saint Padre Pio, was known to have demanded something that may have shocked the listener: “GIVE ME MY WEAPON!” Why would such a prayerful, holy, and peaceful Friar, Franciscan, and priest be requesting a weapon? The Beatitudes! Is not one of the Beatitudes, “Blessed be the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God”? (Mt. 5:9) The reason for this insistent request was because the Modern saint had in mind a different type of weapon—this weapon: the most holy Rosary!

(Read I Samuel 17)

The young Shepherd David, taken from the fields where he was tending his flock, would be engaged in a mortal battle. He volunteered to fight one of the most ferocious, audacious and malicious enemies in the Philistine army—the giant Goliath. It was almost certain, the victory of Goliath and the death of the young and inexperienced Shepherd David. Goliath had all to his advantage. He had the height of a giant, a huge and sharp crescent sword, a shield-bearer to protect him, and years of experience of war victories underneath his army-belt. David had nothing more than a slingshot and a few stones, but he had something, rather someone, that Goliath did not have—God on his side.

THE OUTCOME OF THE BATTLE.  David ran to the line of battle, entrusting himself to the presence, power and protection of God. He pulled out a stone, placed it in a slingshot, and hurled it with all his strength. The stone took off like a bullet and riveted itself in the forehead of Goliath the giant, who fell to his knees and lost consciousness. David thereby took the sword from the fallen giant and swiftly decapitated him. A startling, surprising, and even shocking victory.

MODERN INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF THE TWO STORIES.

My friends, never have we been living in more tempestuous, turbulent, and trying times as the present. The modern Goliaths that we must confront and conquer might be considered countless. Materialism, Consumerism, Hedonism, Dogmatic and Practical Atheism, Indifferentism, New Ageism, Satanism, and Moral Relativism—all can be numbered as the modern Goliaths. They are insidious but fierce; they are both ruthless and persistent; finally, they are toxic and deadly in all ways imaginable.

THE REMEDY: THE WEAPON, ARMOR, SHIELD AND SPIRITUAL BOMB—THE ROSARY.

To overcome these powerful enemies, we must wield and implement the most Holy Rosary. The great English novelist, Charles Dickens, stated: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” So it is! It could well be that we are living in the worst of all times. However, these can be the best of all times if we make the firm decision to draw close to God through the most powerful intercession of Mary, under the title Queen of the Most Holy Rosary. The following will be our game-plan or our strategy.

1. DAILY.  Make sure that you pray the most Holy Rosary, now more than ever, all the days of your life.

2. FAMILY-ROSARY.  If possible, pray the most Holy Rosary in the context of your family.

3. DOMESTIC CHURCH. The family is indeed the Domestic Church. Father Patrick Peyton reminds us with these immortal words: “The family that prays together stays together.”

4. SET TIME.  Do not pray the Rosary only when you feel like it. If such, you will feel less and less the desire to pray the Rosary. Rather, have a set time to pray the Rosary on a daily basis.

5. BEFORE MEALTIME.  A suggested time for the family? Right before dinner. The family is gathered together, candle lit, Rosaries in hand, go for it! All is done in 15 minutes!

6. PLACE.  Have a set place to pray the Rosary. Hopefully at home there is a prayer-corner or Oratory that the family knows is the prayer-place. 

7. LEAD THE MYSTERIES.  In the family rosary, each person can lead a mystery and offer their own individual intention. Become engaged and involved in the prayer process!

8. APOSTLE OF THE ROSARY.  Become an Apostle of the Holy Rosary.  Spread this prayer that Mary loves so much.

9. GIVE ROSARIES AND PAMPHLETS.  Have in store many Rosaries, as well as Rosary pamphlets, to give away free of charge to as many people as you meet. Many will not pray the Rosary because they do not know how. Teach them

10. THE DYING.  When someone is about to pass from this life to the next and go before the Judgment seat of God, let us help them. Bring a priest! Pray the Chaplet and pray the most Holy Rosary. What a beautiful way for someone to pass from this world to the next.

May the words of Pope Leo XIII encourage us to pray the most holy Rosary now and always! “The Rosary is the most excellent prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.”

By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV

What is prayer? There are many definitions.   The CCC quotes, the Eastern Father of the Church, Sant John Damascene’s classical definition: “Prayer is the lifting up of the mind and heart to God.”   The first woman Doctor of the Church Saint Teresa of Avila defines payer essentially as FRIENDSHIP—spending a long time in silence with the one I know loves me! Another concise catechetical; definition for prayer is the following: “Prayer is listening to God, speaking to God and loving God.”  The Doctor of grace Saint Augustine quips up with a charming one-liner on prayer: “He who prays well lives well; he who lives well dies well; he who dies well, all is well.”   Finally, another noteworthy quote on prayer is a comparison easy to understand: “What air is to the lungs so is prayer to the soul.” In a word, the soul that does not breath prayer is destined to suffocate and die in the spiritual life.

Saint Alphonsus wrote a short treatise on prayer with the title Prayer, the key to salvation.  This great Doctor of the Church is also quoted in the CCC with these sobering words: “He who prays will be saved; he who does not pray will be damned.”   Prayer is a matter of life and death in our spiritual life.  Given the supreme importance of prayer we would like to list a number of helps to encourage us to not only take prayer seriously but also to put it into practice and God-willing to be an Apostle of prayer.

1. CONVICTION.  We will never carry out any objective or noble enterprise if we do not believe that it is of capital importance.  It is our hope that the above short one-liners on prayer will serve to motivate us to undertake the journey of prayer, not only to pray but strive to plumb the depths of prayer.  Saint Teresa of Avila asserts the following: “We must have a determined determination to never give up prayer.”   The key is perseverance. (Read Lk. 18:1-8). The widow won over the ruthless judge due to her insistence and perseverance.

2. TIME. Saint Benedict, the Founder of the Order of the Benedictines, was famous also for the basic Rule for Religious life. Also, he is known for a famous one-liner on prayer—ORA Y LABORA—meaning we are called to both pray and to work.  Saint Teresa of Avila expresses what might appear to be obvious: “You learn how to pray by praying.”  If you like: “Practice makes perfect.”  Saint Mark presents Jesus in the very first chapter as rising way before dawn and being absorbed in prayer. (Mk. 1) Face it: if we do not give time to prayer, we will never learn the art of prayer.

3. PLACE. Jesus had His place—the Garden of Gethsemane. We should have our own prayer-corner, oratory, of if you like, “Get-away, to get to God.” Perhaps some solitude, corner in your home; perhaps a place in nature. The best place, if possible, would be in front of the Blessed Sacrament. This was the favorite refuge and oasis for Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He was faithful to his Holy Hour for more than 50 years as a priest. He called it his “Hour of power.”   

4. SILENCE. In any case, so as to enter into communion with God there must be an ambience and milieu of silence. Remember the prophet Elijah encountered God not in the fire, nor earthquake, nor storm but rather in the gentle breeze. Samuel in the Temple could hear God’s voice in silence and consequently spoke out: “Speak Lord for your servant is listening.”

5. CLEAN THE INNER WINDOWPANE.   At times prayer may prove to be tedious, difficult and even fruitless because our heart, mind and conscience is not right with God. In a word, we are loaded down with sin and our conscience is smeared and saturated with unconfessed sins. With Confession the Precious Blood of Jesus cleans the inner window so that we can contemplate the Face of God in prayer.

6. VOCAL PRAYER. Usually, we start out in our prayer journey by learning vocal prayer: the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Act of Contrition, Acts of Faith, Hope and Charity… Any prayer said with purity of intention, faith, and confidence is pleasing to God. This includes the use of vocal prayers.

7. SPIRITUAL DIRECTION.   Many of the great saints insist on having a guide, or if you like a Spiritual Director to help us in our journey to the summit of the mountain of prayer. Among the most prominent saints who insist on the indispensable importance of Spiritual Direction to grow in holiness and to grow in our prayer life are the following: Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Faustina Kowalska, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Saint Francis de Sales.  Blind spots can easily block our growth; adequate and methodical spiritual direction can help us enormously in our prayer growth.

8. FAMILY PRAYER.  Most of us live in the context of the family. Actually, the Second Vatican Council states that the family is the domestic Church.  How important it really is when the family spends time on a daily basis in prayer.    Pope Saint John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary quotes the Rosary-priest, Father Patrick Peyton: “The family that prays together stays together.”  The same Pontiff insisted that we pray for two special intentions: for the sake of the family as well as for world peace!  How important these intentions now more than ever!

9. MARRIED COUPLE AT PRAYER.   When I preside over weddings very often, in my homily I summarize the book of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen “It takes three to get married” — the husband, the wife and Jesus Christ.   In a word, husband and wife must find times and place to pray together as a couple. This is the super-glue that will hold the marriage and family together. 

10. BIBLE: PRIMARY TEXT.  Saint Teresa of Avila said that she would never go to prayer without taking with her a book as an aid to enter into prayer.  Of all the textbooks to help us in prayer by far the greatest is the Bible—the Word of God.  Other spiritual books can be of great utility, but the Bible, God’s very Word, has pride of place.

11. PSALMS. Then in the Bible itself the Book of Psalms has pride of place with respect to explicit prayer. There are 150 in total, many attributed to King David. This Book of Psalms, inspired by the Holy Spirit, express the total emotional gamut of the sentiments present in the human heart. Praise, thanksgiving, supplication, joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams, wonder and awe, contrition due to failure and sin, fears and doubts—all of these and many more can be discovered in the rich treasure trove of the Book of the Psalms.

12. READING ON PRAYER.   Information on almost any topic is at our fingertips today; this is true also in the realm of prayer.   With proper spiritual direction you can discover what would be the best material to read with reference to prayer.  Once we have a literary guide this can point us in the right direction, and we can start to plumb the depths of prayer.  No reason to be immersed in ignorance today!

13. CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. Of the modern writings on prayer Part IV in the (CCC) Catechism of the Catholic Church is a gem, a jewel and a literary masterpiece on prayer.  The reading may be somewhat dense but it is worth the effort.   The Catechism itself states that prayer is not always easy. Quite the contrary it can be compared to the wrestling match that Jacob had all night with the angel. As in any activity worthy of pursuit there must be the exertion of blood, sweat and tears. The athletes put it this way: “No pain, no gain!”

14. ASK FOR PRAYERS.   Jesus stated: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. Whoever asks receives; whoever seeks finds; and whoever knocks the door will be opened to him. (Mt. 7:7ss) Ask a friend or a prayer-partner to pray for you to help you to grow in prayer. We are family and we should not be afraid to ask for help.

15. LIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. Brother Lawrence could summarize his growth in holiness with regard to one simple concept: LIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD!  Our goal should be such that wherever we go, whatever we are doing, that we are constantly aware of God’s all-embracing ubiquitous Presence. In the Acts of the Apostles Saint Paul quotes the Greek poet in these words related to God’s omnipresence: “In Him we live and move and have our being.”

16. MEDITATION GUIDE.  A sure guide to launch us into the deep waters of meditation is the classic of Saint Francis de Sales, “Introduction to the devout life.” One of the greatest spiritual classics The Doctor of the Church, Saint Francis de Sales offers a series of easy-to-follow meditations to introduce us into the art of mental prayer, or if you like, meditation.

17. SPONTANEOUS PRAYERS: FIERY DARTS THAT PIERCE THE CLOUDS.  Another great help for prayer-growth is the frequent launching of short prayers, fiery darts to pierce the clouds. You should choose some of your favorites. We will offer a few choice examples of these fiery darts:

• “Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.”
• “Sacred Heart of Jesus I trust in you.”
• “Jesus, I trust you!”
• “Sweet Heart of Mary be my salvation.”
• “The Lord is my Shepherd there is nothing I shall lack. (Psalm 23:1)

18. PRACTICE OF THE DAILY EXAMEN. This form of prayer Saint Ignatius would insist that all of his followers do with great faithfulness on a regular basis.  To be as simple as possible in the explanation you simply rewind the film/movie of your day and walk through it with the Lord Jesus at your side. Spend some time in thanksgiving; repent over failures and propose for the future.

19. SPIRITUAL RETREATS.  We would be remiss if we did not mention the great importance of a more prolonged experience of prayer in the context of a spiritual retreat. Ignatian Retreats over the years have proved to be most fruitful.  Time blocks vary! It could a weekend retreat, five-day retreat, eight-day retreat or even a month Ignatian Retreat.  If done well, with good will and proper direction these retreats can catapult us into the deeper realms of prayer.

20. MOST HOLY ROSARY.  The centuries old practice of the recitation of the most Holy Rosary should never be by-passed or skipped over as irrelevant.  (Read “The Secret of the Rosary, St. Louis de Montfort). This wonderful prayer praised by countless saints and Popes embodies several modes/forms of prayer that can serve as a sure path to holiness and growth in prayer. The Rosary offers vocal prayer, mental prayer or meditation, contemplative prayer, affective prayer and can be a conduit and means to deeper mystical prayer.  It can be prayed alone, or in the family, or in Church, or even on the road on the Highway to Heaven.

We would like to conclude with one of the teachings of one of the Spiritual Directors of Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Peter of Alcantara on the value of mental prayer or meditation:  “In mental prayer the soul is purified from its sins, nourished with charity, confirmed in faith, and strengthened in hope, the mind expands, the affections dilate, the heart is purified, truth becomes evident, temptation is conquered, sadness dispelled, the senses renovated, the drooping powers revive, tepidity ceases, the rust of vices  disappears. Out of mental prayer issue forth, like living sparks, those desires of heaven which the souls conceive when inflamed by the fire of divine love. Sublime is the excellence of mental prayer, great are its privileges; to mental prayer heaven is opened; to mental prayer heavenly secrets are manifested and the ear of God is ever attentive.   (St. Peter of Alcantara, Treatise on prayer, first part, c. i.)

Like fish in water may we all be deeply immersed in prayer and attain the heights of holiness that God has designed for us now so that Heaven will be ours for all eternity.