The Second Part of the Introduction: The Necessity of Prayer


The Second Part of the Introduction
Various Instructions for Elevating the Soul to God by Prayer and the Sacraments
1: “The Necessity of Prayer”

We must be deliberate in our action and intention to get the right photograph. It takes waking up before dawn and planning to get the right shot. Prayer is similar. (photo. P. Smith) 

                “[P]rayer places our intellect in the brilliance of God’s light…” Prayer is an intellectual assent to Wisdom and Grace of God. It is a choice we make to put ourselves in His presence and to let Him guide us to right thought, action, word, etc… to the point that all we do is good…all we do is virtue. De Sales tells us to practice mental prayer. That is, do not simply go though the motions of prayer; rather, be mindful…be deliberate. As teachers we certainly should be setting aside specific time for prayer in the presence of the Lord, as, again, we cannot Love our students as much as they deserve to be Loved. Moreover, we need to invite our students to be mindful of their own prayers in the same way. Prayer means nothing if it is just words or actions… prayer must be our entire will.

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