To Pray or Not To Pray

   Most every morning I wake up with a prayer thanking God for the rest given during the night and the new day in which to serve Him.  I genuinely look forward to getting up and starting the day.  I enjoy going to daily Mass and worshiping in communion with others.  I am strengthened by receiving the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus in the Eucharist.  My day always goes better when it’s full of prayer.

   There are days, however, when even the simplest of prayers become a chore.  I almost look for a reason to skip Mass that day.  My normal routine of prayer and spiritual reading becomes difficult.  I sometimes struggle to continue my normal practices.  Those are the days when life seems most harsh and difficult.

   Many of the great saints and mystics often wrote of a dryness in their prayer life; a time when it seemed that God was no longer listening.  St. Teresa of Calcutta suffered this feeling of abandonment for many years.  Others have had the same experience.

   Despite the pain of those times, none of them gave up on God.  They continued to pray and do those things that they knew pleased God.  In their hearts they knew that God was still there even though He seemed distant.  Many have said that these are the times when it is most important to continue the spiritual life.  Perhaps that’s why they are saints.

   Those days when it’s hard are the ones when it’s even more important for me to pray and attend Mass.  Those are times when I can almost hear Satan feeding my mind with all the reasons that I really shouldn’t worry about it, it’s no big deal.  That is exactly what I should worry about.

Father some days prayer is hard.

Those are the days I need You most.

I need to be with You.

I need You to be with me.

Amen