Mat All Prayer

DEN ELO Wuert OP MASSLIESEN
fir Donneschdes, de 27. Oktober 2016

Liturgesch Texter hei

St. John Paul II op engem Gebietswanderung bei Edmonton, Alberta
(Arturo Mari; D'kanadesche Press)

 

IT koum virun e puer Joer bei mech, sou kloer wéi e Blëtz: et wäert nëmmen sief vu Gott Gnod datt seng Kanner duerch dësen Dall vum Doudschiet passéieren. Et ass nëmmen duerch Gebied, wat dës Gnoden zitt, datt d'Kierch sécher déi verrot Mierer navigéiere wäerten, déi ronderëm si schwellen. Dat ass ze soen datt all eis eegene Pläng, survivalist Instinkter, Erfindung a Virbereedungen - wa se ouni d'Leedung vum gëttleche Wäisheet- wäert an den Deeg drop tragesch kuerz falen. Fir Gott streift seng Kierch zu dëser Stonn of, entzitt hatt hir Selbstversécherung an déi Säile vu Selbstgefällegkeet a falsch Sécherheet, op déi se sech verluecht huet.

St. Paul is clear: our battle is not with flesh and blood… not with Democrats or Republicans, not with liberals or conservatives, not with those on the left or right, but ultimately…

…with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. (First reading)

In that regard, those who do evil are merely the pawns of Satan. Our warfare, then, is with the fallen angels who compel, deceive, and collude with the blind and foolish men and women of this generation. Our goal is to win the souls of our persecutors, and thereby defeat Satan (so watch out for the trap of falling into a political war with your neighbour!) As Christians, we have not only the armor, but the spiritual weapons to overcome this infernal enemy. And yet, it is only the childlike, those with a heart of Glawen, that are clothed in this armor. It is only the small and humble that truly wield the weapons of God. How?

With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. (First reading)

To pray in the “flesh” is to merely speak words, to go through the rote actions and prayers that do little more than vibrate the air. But to pray “in the Spirit” is to bieden mam Häerz. It is to speak to God as a father and friend. It is to constantly lean upon Him, every moment, in both joyful and trying times. It is to recognize that I “can do nothing” ^[1]cf. Johann 15:5 without remaining upon the Vine, who is Jesus, drawing constantly into my heart the sap of the Holy Spirit. Prayer of the heart, then, is what mingles our spirit with His, what unites our hearts to His, making us truly one with God. As the Catechism says,

Gebiet ass d'Liewe vum neien Häerz. -Catechismus vun der Kathoulescher Kierch, n. 2697

If you aren’t praying, brother, if you aren’t communicating with God, sister, then your heart is dying. But again, it is more than just speaking words. It is seeking God with all your heart, soul, and strength.

Love is the source of prayer… -CCC, n. 2658 ewechzekréien

This takes a conscience and persevering choice upon our part—it’s not automatic! We have the gift of free will, and thus, I have responsibility to choose life, to choose God as the first love of my life.

... no Him ze wënschen ass ëmmer den Ufank vu Léift ... Mat Wierder, mental oder vokal, hëlt eist Gebied Fleesch. Awer et ass am wichtegsten datt d'Häerz bei deem ass, zu deem mir am Gebied schwätzen: "Egal ob eist Gebied héiert oder net hänkt net vun der Unzuel vu Wierder of, mee vun der Äifer vun eise Séilen." -CCC, n. 2709 ewechzekréien

We have to keep praying, and persevering in it, until prayer becomes our joy and peace. As the most restless person I know, prayer was very difficult for me in the beginning. The idea of “contemplating” God was challenging, and still can be at times when there are so many burdens and distractions. But the conscious choice to be with my God—to listen to Him in His Word, to simply be in His presence—almost without fail draws a “peace that surpasses all understanding” into the depths of my soul amidst some of the most turbulent trials. It is this peace that Jesus gives that will sustain you and I in these remarkable days to come. Listen to your Lord again:

Fridden loossen ech bei Iech; mäi Fridde ginn ech dir. Net wéi d'Welt gëtt ginn ech Iech et. Loosst Äert Häerz net bedréckt oder Angscht hunn. (Johannes 14:27)

Not as the world gives do I give it to you. That is, the world tries to find this peace by satisfying the flesh—but the peace of Jesus comes through His Spirit, it comes through Gebied. And with this peace comes another gift: Wäisheet. The one whose heart is at peace is like a soul sitting upon the summit of a mountain. They can see and hear far more than the man who stumbles along in the darkness of the valley of the flesh. Prayer is what carries us to the Summit of Wisdom, and thus, puts everything—the meaning of life, our sorrows, our gifts, our goals—into a divine perspective. In a word, it Rüstung us for the daily battle of life.

Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war. (Today’s Psalm)

Yes, Wisdom encompasses all the armor of God in the battle against the evil one.

Yet, it is with a certain fear and trembling that I say far too many today have refused this invitation to intimacy with God, and are thus exposing themselves to the Great Delusion that is already sweeping many into apostasy. ^[2]cf. De spirituellen Tsunami Far too many have ignored the pleas of the Blessed Mother, sent to our broken world over and over again, to call us to “Biet, biet, biet. “ Can you hear Jesus, speaking to us again today through a veil of tears?

…how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling! (Today’s Gospel)

And so, waste no more time today on trivialities. Waste no more time on filling the air around you with meaningless radio, television, and internet blathering. As you carve out time for supper, carve out time for prayer. For you can miss a meal, but you kann nët miss prayer.

Last, ask Mary, Mother of the Word, to teach you how to pray, to help you to love prayer, to desire it… to desire the Father. She is the best teacher, because she is the only one on earth who spent decades learning to contemplate the direct Face of God in her humanity (and who now contemplates Him constantly in the beatific vision).

It is the Face of the Lord that we seek and desire… Love is the source of prayer; whoever draws from it reaches the summit of prayer. -Catechismus vun der Kathoulescher Kierch, n. 2657-58

This morning, during family prayer, I was inspired to tell my five sons again that they will not make it in the world today unless they pray—that they do not stand a chance unless they put God first every day, every hour. I repeat this again, to you, my beloved spiritual children. It is a warning, but a warning of love. There is so little time left to choose God. Make prayer the first priority in your life, and God will take care of everything else.

My mercy and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, in whom I trust, who subdues my people under me. (Today’s Psalm)

 

 NOTÉIERT W.E.G: Vill Lieser ginn vun dëser Mailing Lëscht ofgeschloss ouni et ze wëllen. Schreift w.e.g. Ären Internet Service Provider a frot hinnen all E-Maile vun "Whitelist" ze maachen markmallett.com. 

 

Merci fir Är Zénger a Gebieder -
allebéid ganz gebraucht. 

 

Fir mam Mark an der Rees ze goen d' Elo Wuert,
klickt op de Banner hei ënnendrënner fir abonnéieren.
Är E-Mail gëtt mat kengem gedeelt.