From the desk of the pastor for March 30, 2025

The Lord be with you! Last week we discussed how to determine what to change in our lives so that we can grow in God’s grace. Closely related to such progress is how we decide to pray. Every adult Catholic must pray daily; every Catholic who wishes to grow in God’s life needs to set aside the right amount of time for prayer.

As St. Francis de Sales mentioned over four hundred years ago, the laity have their own proper vocation to pray. In his most read work, Introduction to the Devout Life, St. Francis explains that every person gives God glory primarily by living out his vocation. Contemplative religious, like the Carmelites might spend several hours each day in prayer, but God does not expect or want the same from the laity. Instead, the laity are to sanctify their work with prayer not substitute prayer for their responsibilities.

St. Francis distinguished set times for prayers from the spontaneous prayers that one might make throughout the day. Religious and priests are required to follow what is called the Liturgy of the Hours and pray in a structured way at least five times a day. No family with even a single child will be able to do that! The day for the lay Catholic is made holy by those quick prayers and by a special time set aside just for God.

Every Catholic should be able to pray for 30 minutes total; just don’t try to start at that. Start with five or ten minutes at the beginning or ending of the work day. This time should include all four types of prayer: adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication. ACTS for short. It is normal for supplication, aka petitions, to be the biggie in the beginning, but eventually adoration and thanksgiving will come to be the main form of prayer.

If the above seems too nebulous, then just pray the Rosary or read Sacred Scripture. Podcasts and apps now exist to aid us in learning how to meditate. And meditate is exactly what adults need to do. Whereas children can only learn vocal prayer initially, adults need to learn to give their minds and hearts to God by our natural power. For Catholics meditation is the form of mental prayer wherein we use our minds and hearts to be with God.

At some point a need for more will occur. The “magis” of St. Ignatius takes many forms, but at its root it is a desire to be with God more. No two Catholics will ever experience this growth in the same way, but almost all of us will need to turn to the Tradition of the Church to satisfy our heart's longing. Fortunately for us all the Church has been blessed with so many saints and expressions of spirituality that we do not lack for choice. Next week we will go over some of the great works that can help us love God.

In His Sacred Heart,

Fr. John