Why Pray? This is Pro Sanctity’s theme for the year, and for our Novena we will be pondering this question through the writings in the Catechism
The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes prayer in the following way:
2558 "Great is the mystery of the faith!" The Church professes this mystery in the Apostles' Creed (Part One) and celebrates it in the sacramental liturgy (Part Two), so that the life of the faithful may be conformed to Christ in the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father (Part Three). This mystery, then, requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate it, and that they live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is prayer.
I had never read this paragraph until I started preparing for this novena. The simplicity and the directness of it captures my heart. Prayer doesn’t seem so unattainable and far off when we think of it as “a vital and personal relationship”. From this description prayer should be as natural to us as relating to our closest friend.
Reason One To learn that prayer is a relationship and not a task: Jesus, please teach me that prayer is a relationship and not a duty. Please increase my desire to be close to you.
Prayer is God’s gift
2560 "If you knew the gift of God!"7 The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water: there, Christ comes to meet every human being. It is he who first seeks us and asks us for a drink. Jesus thirsts; his asking arises from the depths of God's desire for us. Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God's thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him.8
Reason Two, to more fully appreciate the gift of our relationship: Jesus please teach me that in the gift of this relationship the desire is mutual and in fact your desire is greater than my own. Help me to spend time today lost in the wonder of this thought.
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