My Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

St. Paul marvelously speaks to the people about God with the depth of great love through, with and in God. He tells us about three divine attributes, riches, wisdom and knowledge; all within God’s realm and so difficult for us to comprehend because we think from the earth and not from the heavens. As God created the sky and the earth and all within it, so we are His majesty comes not from the secular idea of royalty, but the majesty of Divine Love. This is His offering to each one of us, all our days.

God’s offering is our eternal prayer. The Holy Spirit dwells in the Church, inspiring every one of her activities and, in particular, prayer. Pope Leo XIV reminds us that the life of the first community is life in the Spirit given by the risen Lord. “From the time onwards the Church has never failed to come together to celebrate the paschal mystery: reading those writings ‘which were in all the Scriptures concerning Him’ (Lk 24:27), celebrating the Eucharist in which ‘the victory and triumph of His death are again made present,’ and at the same time giving thanks ‘to God for His unspeakable gift’ (2 Cor 9:15) in Christ Jesus, ‘in praise of His glory (Eph. 1:12), through the power of the Holy Spirit” (SC,6).

Prayer is essential to keep our focus on God, to guide our right path, and to transfigure our activity as a community of faith into the face of Jesus. Jesus led us to understand prayer as He lived His public ministry. He showed us how to pray by living a life of prayer. There were distractions while Jesus lived, just as there are distractions today to keep us from prayer. The difference may be sophistication, but the result is the same. If we do not place ourselves in the presence of God, we will move away from God.

As we love one another, we understand we are in relationship with one another. We bear one another’s difficulties; we speak with one another with words of encouragement and consolation; we treasure one another and hold one another in our heart, even when we are not physically in the presence of the person. God seeks this eternal relationship with each one of us. It is His prayer that we respond!

Pope St. Paul VI said, “God comes first; prayer is our primary duty; the liturgy is the primary source of the divine life communicated to us, the primary school of our spiritual life” (Address, St. Peter’s Basilica, December 4, 1963).

The Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours are the breath of the life of the Church. In this prayer, Christ “joins the entire community of mankind to Himself, associating it with His own singing of this canticle of divine praise” (SC, 83). The Liturgy of the Hours sanctifies the time of our daily lives: in the morning, we begin the day with faith and gratitude; at midday, we ask for the strength to remain faithful amidst our labors; in the evening, once our work is done, we entrust ourselves to God’s peace. It nourishes the spiritual life of the People of God. Whether we pray the Liturgy of the Hours individually or with friends or family or a community of faith, we keep watch with others throughout the world who pray with us. Bound to the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours is our prayer of hope.

St. John Vianney wrote, “This is the glorious duty of man: to pray and to love. If you pray and love, that is where a man’s happiness lies … Prayer is nothing else but union with God … God and the soul are fused together like two bits of wax that no one can ever pull apart.” Prayer is not just conversation with God, but communion with Him. Hearts that remain with Him are transfigured by Him.

Through our prayer, may we come to understand the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!