As part of my pastoral internship, I have been given the responsibility for writing our weekly bulletin reflections. Due to the nature of the medium, they are short, but try to take into account the current Sunday’s readings, most especially the Gospel. I will post these reflections here each weekend; your feedback, whatever it may be, is most welcome as I seek to refine my writing skills and ask the Holy Spirit to guide my words! More on the pastoral internship itself in a later post. Pax.

What does it mean to “pray without becoming weary” or perhaps in a more familiar formulation, to “pray without ceasing?” I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a pretty tall order! We are bombarded constantly by outside distractions, some of which are even good and necessary. Even so, we are called to make our lives ones of prayer and reliance on God. The psalm reminds us today that “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth,” and so we need to constantly turn to Him, being persistent in our faith, whether it is “convenient or inconvenient.” All we have is from God, and so all that we do needs to be directed towards Him.

How do we cultivate this life of unceasing prayer? One early Christian writer suggested this: a person “prays without ceasing who prays with good works and works with a prayerful spirit.” In other words, prayer does not simply consist of going to Mass, saying grace before meals, and other times of structured prayer. While these are good and essential for the Christian life, it also means turning everything we say and do into a prayer itself. We must not only set aside time each day for personal prayer, but make the entire day itself a living prayer. This is possible no matter what one’s vocation, job, or state in life, in good times and bad, in triumphs and challenges, and even in everyday mundane tasks. By offering our words and actions to the Lord, no matter how insignificant, we remain focused on Him, which will inevitably lead to a more balanced, fulfilling life here on Earth as we seek to be with Christ forever in Heaven.

Question for reflection: What are some concrete steps I can take to make my life more prayerful and centered on God?