Gospel: Luke 11:1-4
Father, hallowed be your name, your
Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”
During
the Battle
of Lepanto in 1571,
Pope Pius V called upon all of Europe to pray the Rosary for protection against
the Ottoman navy. Following the unexpected Christian victory, the Pope
attributed the triumph to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and
instituted an annual feast, originally known as Our Lady of Victory, in thanksgiving for the victory.
In
1913, Pope
St. Pius X permanently fixed the celebration of the feast on October 7.
Have we asked Jesus to teach us to pray?
This
is one of the most beautiful and powerful petitions we could ever make to
Jesus: “Lord,
teach us to pray.” But
do we truly pray regularly? Do we make time each day to quiet our hearts, turn
away from the noise around us, and simply be with Jesus?
When
we pray, we connect with Jesus. When we pray, we open our hearts and allow Him
to enter more deeply into our lives, strengthen us, comfort us, and renew us.
Prayer is not merely about asking God for what we need; it is also about
spending time with Him, listening to Him, and allowing His presence to
transform us.
Let
us pay attention to how we feel before and after we pray. Do we not often feel
lighter, more peaceful, and mentally stronger after spending time with the
Lord? Something within us changes when we sincerely pray. Why is this so?
It
is because prayer brings us into the presence of God. In prayer, Jesus touches
the deepest parts of our being. He gives us the grace to accept the things that
are difficult for us to accept, the courage to face our struggles, and the
strength to continue when we feel weary.
Prayer
also opens our hearts and souls to the many blessings that the Lord desires to
pour into our lives. Sometimes, the blessing we receive is not the answer we
expected. Sometimes, God does not immediately remove our problems. Instead, He
gives us the grace to carry them, the wisdom to understand them, and the faith
to trust that we are never alone.
Starting
today, let us begin our prayer with this humble petition: “Lord, teach
us to pray.” Then, let us solemnly recite the Our Father, the prayer that Jesus Himself taught
us. After praying the Our Father, let us continue our conversation with Jesus
through a personal prayer that comes from our hearts. Let us speak to Him
honestly about our joys, fears, struggles, failures, hopes, and dreams. Nothing
in our lives is too small or too insignificant to bring before Him.
And
before we end our prayer, let us ask the Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, and our
favorite saint or saints to pray for us and intercede for us. Let us entrust to
them our families, our loved ones, our struggles, and all those who need God's
grace.
If
exercise is good for our bodies, prayer is nourishment for our souls. Just as
our bodies need regular nourishment and exercise to remain healthy, our souls
also need prayer to remain spiritually alive and strong. Prayer helps us
develop and maintain an active and loving relationship with Jesus.
Therefore,
the more we pray, the more we nourish our souls; the more we pray, the closer
we draw to God; and the more we pray, the more we receive the grace and peace
to face our worries, struggles, and challenges.
Let
us never think that our prayers are wasted. Even when we feel that God is
silent, He is listening. Even when we do not immediately see an answer, He is
at work in ways we may not yet understand. Every sincere prayer brings us
closer to the heart of Jesus.
Do we have a healthy prayer life? And if Jesus were to look into
our hearts today and gently ask, “My child, do you make time for Me?”—would our
lives honestly show that Jesus is truly at the center of our lives?— Marino J.
Dasmarinas
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