As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking about the many different types of prayers we make. There are prayers Children make, simple prayers like Jesus I want a bicycle to the inner yearning of our soul seen God in a mysterious, sacramental awareness. My mornings with Jesus will contain the meditation on the rosary, praying the Divine office and different reflections that people have written. And sometimes it is just the gaze of the sun rising and the birds singing I turn my prayer to praise.
Whatever way in which God speaks to your heart and you are open this is prayer. One form is not always better than the other and you would be surprised at how many ways HE can reach us. Sometimes We need to break out of our routine so that our prayer does not become just a mumbling of words. I was laughing yesterday I went to pick up some water at a store in the parking lot was rather full. As I was walking to the store a woman approached me and said, it’s nice to see you and she said did you have a hard time finding parking, and I responded yes. She said try my prayer,” Hail Mary full of Grace help me find a parking place”. she said it works every time. Prayer comes in all forms and always is basically God present to us and we present to HIM!
Today may your prayer life be real, and rich, may you look beyond and within may you touch the finger of God. Have a blessed day!
4 comments
Buon giorno Monsignor,
Today’s reading, “Prayer in all Forms” touched and solidified a particular action I’ve incorporated into my life, it’s become a routine. I jog (well, sometimes it’s just a walk, but jog “sounds” better) daily, during this hour I consciously block all distracting thoughts, to do lists, dwelling on my past mistakes and silly dumb ideas which randomly pop into my brain. I truly focus on only thinking about my Faith, it can be reciting a prayer such as: Our Father or Hail Mary, or it might be singing a gospel hymn, or my absolute favorite, just talking and sometimes arguing with our Father (for clarification the word argument is not a bad thing, it’s just explaining and supporting your viewpoint, goes back to Socrates style of teaching). So yes, on many occasions I do argue with HIM.
In the beginning, my brain couldn’t do this, I was shocked to see and feel how my brain was constantly being bombarded with all these thoughts while I was trying to dedicate a time only for prayer and meditation and talking with our Father. It took me a long long time to learn how to block everything else. Something magical happened, eventually, all the business of my thoughts just stopped. I was able to start my jog reciting Our Father then glorifying HIM and thanking HIM for all the gifts HE’s bestowed upon me: waking up, my time with our daughter, Diana Bella, being Blessed to have both my parents still with me, my brothers, my family and my true close friends who care and truly love me. I give him thanks for our oceans and our rivers which give us food and water and are a vital component of our the cycle of life. Our trees which gift us,
shade, fruit and wood to produce so many necessary items, the birds who gently wake us up with their beautiful melodies and my favorite admiring all the colorful vibrant fragrant flowers and plants from: purple lavender to purple hyacinth to purple freshia… you may have picked up my favorite color is purple.
Literally my jog/walk is spent praising and glorifying HIM for everything in my life and especially for all my painful and difficult journeys, why do I praise HIM for my dark tragic depressing passages in my life? Through pain and suffering I now am able to appreciate true love, happiness and genuine kindness. Even though my health has considerably deteriorated and I may not be here tomorrow (I have rare genetic incurable blood “gifts from God”), I’m so much happier now. I live in the PRESENT, not the past nor the future. Therefore, all my relationships, my interactions with my family and my friends I treasure, as it may truly be the last time I see them or spend time with. When I see a sunrise I’m in awe of the choice of colors HE uses to create the canvas HE paints and gifts us, when I’m at the beach, (my favorite location) I praise HIM for the sounds of the ocean, the salty air, the reprieve from the 100 plus degrees back in Bakersfield and the instant tranquil peace I sense when I’m walking barefoot on the warm sand listening to the waves with a gentle breeze blowing across my face while admiring the reflection on the surface of the endless blue ocean.
I’m at peace now, HE can take me home today, leaving this temporary world and gift me entry to our eternal home.
As you ended your reflection, “Today may your prayer life be real, and rich, may you look beyond and within, may you touch the finger of God.” I ask for your prayer Monsignor, may Our Father be present in our courtroom today, while we close our 4 year divorce and custody battle. May HE hold my hand supporting and helping me speak the truth, may the judge finally see through the many lies spewed by my husband. May the judge rule and give a fair and just decision to close and finally end our 18 year marriage. Amen
Dr. Marta E. Escobar
Amen Thank you Father Craig , Have a Blessed and Beautiful Day ♥️🙏🙏
Anxious to receive your inspirational info
Great message! I have passed it on to others as I do every day that you send a message! Aman and God Bless everyone!