Rev. Raymond Harris
All of us are very busy. How we order our daily
schedule is a reflection on what we think is important.
Regardless of how busy we may be with meeting legitimate
needs, we know that if we really want to do something,
then we will make the time for it. God is worth the time
to pray.
The greatest prayer is the celebration of the Mass.
God's people gather together to offer praise and worship
in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ and in the power
of the Holy Spirit. We gather in response to the command
of Jesus: "Do this in remembrance of me."
Another name for the Mass is the Eucharist, which
comes from the Greek word meaning
"thanksgiving." We give thanks to God for our
many blessings and for sustaining us during burdensome
times. We receive a great Gift, the very Body and Blood
of Christ, to help us to live as Christians. There are
plenty of opportunities to worship God at Mass on
Sundays and weekdays here at the Mount.
We also need to spend time with God in personal
prayer. Our relationship with God will continue to grow
if we respond to His invitation to spend time in
communion and conversation with Him. Prayer helps us to
be aware that the loving presence of God dwells within
us and around us.
There are many places in which we can pray. Our
rooms, the Grotto, while walking to class or enjoying
God's creation, while driving, or in our chapels. Our
chapels are open from 6:00 a.m. until Midnight. We can
spend some quiet time there.
Choose a time to pray. Do not defeat yourself and say
that you will pray fifteen minutes a day if you have not
started with five minutes a day. For a few minutes in
the morning, you can ask God for His blessing and
guidance for the day ahead. Look over your schedule with
God. Ask for the wisdom to help you to teach or to
learn, to aid you in your studies, and to develop your
gifts and talents. How many of us say grace before
meals? Further suggestions for prayer can be found in my
new brochure, ‘Too Busy to Pray?’ in the back of the
Immaculate Conception Chapel.
For a few minutes in the evening, we can thank God
for the blessings that we receive during the day. Then,
we can pray about situations and persons we may have
encountered. Finally, let us ask for mercy for those
times we have sinned.
Prayer helps us to have a perspective on how we
choose to conduct our lives. Too busy to pray? We cannot
be too busy for God. God is looking out for us twenty
four hours a day, seven days a week. His love for us is
unlimited, unyielding, and unconditional. Let us resolve
to spend some moments in prayer with God every day.
Read
other articles by Rev. Harris