October 20, 2010
St. Paul of the CrossDear Family of Mary!"And may your life be unceasing prayer." (September 25, 2010)On this feast day of St. Paul of the Cross, I have a 1st class relic of St. Paul right here by my computer. I am asking Him to help me write tonight. He is a wonderful saint. He learned everything about God through the Passion of Jesus. It was Jesus, crucified, who showed St. Paul what love is, what mercy is, and what salvation comes from. Just to gaze on the Crucifix was enough for St. Paul. Here is a beautiful quote from St Paul of the Cross about prayer: "By habitually thinking of the presence of God, we succeed in praying twenty-four hours a day.
The continual remembrance of the presence of God engenders in the soul a divine state."
Our Lady also spoke of unceasing prayer on February 25, 1989: "Dear children! Today I invite you to prayer of the heart. Throughout this season of grace I wish each of you to be united with Jesus, but without unceasing prayer you cannot experience the beauty and greatness of the grace which God is offering you. Therefore, little children, at all times fill your heart with even the smallest prayers. I am with you and unceasingly keep watch over every heart which is given to me. Thank you for having responded to my call." The divine state that St. Paul is talking about is when we "experience the beauty and greatness of the grace which God is offering [us]." God is overflowing with love. He is so full of love that it cannot but pour out of Him on His creation. That love is meant for each of us. But we cannot experience it if we do not receive it. Because of our free will we have to open to the love that God pours out. And prayer is the way we open to the grace of God. Prayer of the heart is the prayer that makes us capable of receiving God's love. And remember, prayer with the heart is REAL prayer. It is heart to heart prayer, in which we are honest and straight forward with the Lord. No pretenses! REAL prayer! Further, Our Lady says, "Therefore, little children, at all times fill your heart with even the smallest prayers." These little prayers are the way to habitually think of the presence of God! We humans only talk to someone if they are with us, listening to us. So if we talk to God, it is because we are aware of His presence! Those little prayers are the sign that we are aware of God's presence. They remind us that He is present! They connect us to Him in a flash! Isn't Our Lady so clever! She shows us just how to stay in God's presence, not with complicated teaching, but with one practical little suggestion. Even the smallest prayers! We can do that! Let's ask St. Paul of the Cross to pray for us today, that we will receive the love of God through constant, unceasing prayer of the heart! (I am praying for you all with the relic right now!) In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan
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