Prayer is what we are about, not just here in Church but as people committed to Jesus
Christ. We need to nurture our dialogue with him, our prayer Life. We come to Mass to
pray the Lord’s Supper as a community and to reverence the Lord within us in
communion. We call out to the Lord throughout our day whether it is simply grace
before meals, or speaking to the Lord the three meditations: God loves me
unconditionally, God forgives me and God is with me, or whether it is devotional prayers
like the Rosary, or night prayer. Our days are meant to be united to God in prayer.
Prayer expresses who we are, the People of God. We need each other for our prayer
life to grow. We need each other so we can really celebrate God’s presence to such an
extent that He becomes present on the altar through the gift of Holy Orders. Sometimes,
I come upon people who say that they don’t attend Church, but they pray on their own. I
think it is great that they are praying, but I also know that they are depriving themselves
of the greatest prayer, the prayer of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, on the Cross and
at Easter. It is great that they are praying alone, but by refusing to join the community
they are depriving themselves of the Eucharist. The Eucharist, Holy Communion, the
Presence of the Living Lord at the Last Supper, on the Cross and at the Resurrection is
within us whenever we receive communion. “Teach us to pray, Lord,” the apostles
asked. He taught them the Lord’s Prayer, and He gave us the Eucharist.
-Deacon Mariano
