Bishop Lucas on prayer

In last week's issue of the Catholic Times, His Excellency, the Most Reverend George J. Lucas offered a few thoughts on prayer:

By developing a discipline of daily prayer, we find a space in which it is possible to hear the voice of Jesus more clearly. We pray to be preserved from harm, and we intercede for those in harm’s way. More importantly, however, in prayerful moments we grow in confidence that the Lord is with us and that it is possible to live and proclaim the Gospel in every circumstance.

A prayerful attitude in the face of factors that are out of our control will lead us to rely more consciously on the providence of God. Not one breath of ours, not one drop of the ocean, not one germ is beyond God’s loving care. It helps us face the uncertainties of each day to put ourselves willingly in the hands of God, which is where we are in any case.

When I was young, we were taught to make a “morning offering” every day. This is a prayer in which one offers God everything that will be part of the day — the joys and sorrows, the successes and setbacks — in union with the perfect offering of Jesus. This reminds us that the mission of a Christian is not to have a nice day, but rather to learn and follow the will of God, in union with Jesus Christ.

Nothing enriches this day-by-day living in and with Jesus like the frequent celebration of the sacraments. The Lord gives us what we need to live faithfully in a sometimes hostile world. In particular, the weekly participation in Sunday Mass and the frequent use of the sacrament of reconciliation keep our hearts and our feet solidly on the path to full life, despite the perils of this life. The sacraments do not remove daily anxieties as if they were magic pills. They do help us to remain anchored in Christ and to long for the security that we will know completely only in God’s kingdom.

We might well use his reflections as we consider what Lenten practice(s) we will take up next week.