Dear Family of Mary!
Prayer is the first stone in Our Lady’s program for us. And I would say it is the last stone as well. She cannot imagine our lives without prayer. It is impossible to live without prayer. She told us:
“Dear children, you must understand that one has to pray. Prayer is no joke; prayer is a conversation with God. In every prayer you must listen to the voice of God. Without prayer one cannot live. Prayer is life.” (09/11/1984 – Jelena)
Again she said:
“My children, pray! I say again, pray, because prayer is indispensable to life.”(01/01/1984)
Prayer is indispensable to life! Our Lady knows what prayer actually is. She lived by prayer every moment on earth. And now she is with us in our daily lives trying to guide us into that same living prayer! She told us:
“Dear children! Today I invite you to respond to my call to prayer. I desire, dear children, that during this time you find a corner for personal prayer. I desire to lead you towards prayer with the heart. Only in this way will you comprehend that your life is empty without prayer. You will discover the meaning of your life when you discover God in prayer. That is why, little children, open the door of your heart and you will comprehend that prayer is joy without which you cannot live. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (July 25, 1997)
Our Lady tells us that our lives are empty without prayer. I am sure we all know it! But still it is easy to let prayer slip. Denis discovered something that St. Faustina wrote about prayer that has really impressed us both. Here is what she wrote about prayer:
“A soul arms itself by prayer for all sorts of combat. In whatever state the soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul which is pure and beautiful must pray, or else it will lose its beauty; a soul which is striving after this purity must pray, or else it will never attain it; a soul which is newly converted must pray, or else it will fall again; a sinful soul, plunged in sins, must pray so that it might rise again. There is no soul which is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer.” (Diary entry 146)
Truly there is not one moment of our lives that does not require prayer. Not one situation, not one state of soul, not one joy or sorrow that does not need prayer. Only prayer can see us through to Heaven. As St. Faustina wrote: “Every single grace comes to the soul through prayer!”
Thank you, Dearest Mother, for teaching us to pray!!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
Mary TV