Noise and activity will drown out our prayer. Thus did Christ always seek a place
where He could be alone to pray. He climbed a hilltop or withdrew to a secluded
spot to allow Himself to be filled and nourished by the Father. Prayer associates
us with the Death and Resurrection of Christ. To pray is to die to our ideas, our
misgivings, our sloth, our selfish desires and to be born again to God’s ideas, to
His holy Will, to a love and faith that spring from His Heart alone. Unwilling to
give us less than Himself, God discourages us from begging His gifts so that we
will seek Him alone!
Through suffering and sickness, we think
we are dying and we begin to live. God
gives us life while putting us to death. Man
works courageously and excessively, but
without gladness. We must be religious now
or never! Our lifework is the uninterrupted
hymn of gratitude that expresses our thanks
to God for the work He has committed to our
care. In practice, no time for prayer means
no faith in God! Prayer detaches us from what
we feel and attaches us to what we believe.
Prayer has too much to accomplish in us to
work fast. How can we go out to others unless
we take time to die to ourselves? We are so
haunted by the idea of saving the world
that we do not take a minute to pause and
think of God. If we do not receive from God
first, how can we give to others? We can only receive what we have been given
by Christ. Brotherly love is the only sacrament for which there are no substitutes.
The only person who must change in prayer is self. We are not God; He is! We do
not desire God; He desires us!
To pray is to welcome God into our lives so that He will help us invite our
neighbor in as well. The Pharisees were guilty on two counts: they received
nothing from God and gave nothing to others. Never having experienced His
Mercy, they felt no pity for their fellow man; never having loved Him, they could
not love anyone else. Provided we recognize Christ in our brothers and love
them with His Love, we belong wholly to Christ!!!
Let us love all men with the Love of Christ! I unite with you in prayer at the foot
of the Altar that our prayer may take flight to the heights of Heaven.
Have Courage, God is with us!!!
I impart to all of you, my priestly blessing:
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Father IVAN KOLODIY
Byzantine Rite, Greek-Catholic Church, UKRAINE
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