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Prepare your heart to meet God in the unexpected.

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“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”- John 10:27

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“It happened one day I was entering the oratory and I saw a statue representing the wounded Christ. I felt so keenly how poorly I thank him for those wounds that it seems to me that my heart broke. I threw myself down before him with the greatest outpouring of tears.”- St. Teresa of Avila

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"God’s mercy is the most profound expression of his love."
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“The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God.”- CC 1803

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Our hunger for God cannot be forgotten, may we continue to seek him with all of our hearts no matter how difficult our external circumstances are.

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“One act of trust at such moments, gives greater glory to God than hours passed if prayer is filled with consolations.”- St. Faustina
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“If you want to grow in agape love in your marriage, you’ve got to turn to the source of agape love itself, Jesus Christ.”

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The world tells us “you be you,” but Jesus didn’t die so that I could just be “me”... he died so that I could become like him.

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St. Mother Teresa's chapel was bare, austere, and simple, yet two simple words were written on the wall where a large crucifix hung: “I thirst.” What do you think these two words meant to Mother Teresa? Is this phrase simply a statement of God’s collective love for mankind, or did Mother Teresa understand it to mean more than that?

Today’s episode begins by reflecting on this simple, yet amazingly profound phrase that reminds us of how much Jesus longs for love from each one of us. It ends with the reminder that the way to quench our Lord's thirst is by making time to encounter him in prayer.

 Snippet from the Show

Jesus thirsts for you. He thirsts for your soul, your love, your time, your attention, your surrender. The infinite God begs for your whole-hearted love—how often do you make time to quench his thirst?

Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity

If you’ve ever had the chance to visit a chapel of the Missionaries of Charity, you’ll notice that they are marked by three characteristics: simplicity, devotion, and austerity. However, in every chapel the sisters have a large crucifix, with the words “I thirst” painted next to it. These words are among the last words said by Jesus before dying on the cross, and they acted as a constant reminder to St. Mother Teresa about the Lord’s love for each one of us.

The Theme of “Thirst”

The word “thirst” can be found several times throughout the Bible and within the writings of the saints, but Mother Teresa had a special way of understanding this phrase. Often times, when people think of thirst, they think of people’s thirst for God, such as in Psalm 42:

“As a heart longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

And in the writings of St. Augustine when he says:

“...our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

However, another way we can look at thirst is through God’s love for each of us, and further, his thirst for souls. St. Mother Teresa takes this even further, explaining that it’s not just God’s thirst of souls in general, but a thirst for her soul, for my soul, and for your soul. She makes this thirst incredibly personal, saying:

“At that most difficult time on the cross, Jesus proclaimed “I thirst.” People thought he was thirsty in an ordinary way and gave him vinegar, but it was not for that thirst, it was for our love, for our affection, that intimate attachment to him. He said “I thirst” instead of “give me your love.” “I thirst.” Let us hear him saying it to me, and saying it to you.”

Putting This Into Practice

Mother Teresa would often encourage her sisters to picture themselves as the subject of the Lord’s thirst, and we can do the same. Take some time to sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament and prayerfully imagine Christ calling out your name and saying, “I thirst.” For example, I’d pray, “Edward, I thirst.” 

Mother Teresa gives further advice on this prayer, saying:

“Just put yourself in front of the tabernacle, don’t let anything disturb you, hear your own name, and “I thirst.” I thirst for purity, I thirst for poverty, I thirst for obedience, I thirst for that whole-hearted love, I thirst for that total surrender. Are we living a contemplative life? Jesus I thirst for that total surrender.”

What should be our response?

How should we respond to this overwhelming thirst Jesus has for each one of us? Mother Teresa was in awe of this thirst—that the Lord, who’s so great a being, wanted her, little tiny her. 

“[How bewildering] that God, who is so big, needs something from me. That he wants my love, he thirsts for my love, he begs for my love. I cannot understand it, I cannot understand it, I cannot understand it."

Have you ever been overwhelmed by God’s love? The saints realized how profound God’s love was and how he craves our love and attention.

The Woman at the Well

If you look at this story under the original Jewish context, Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritan woman becomes much more powerful. Back then, Samaritans were seen as great sinners for their separation from Israel, intermarriage with pagans, and idolatry of pagan gods. Because of this, Jews did not have any relations or contact with the Samaritans. So Jesus spending time with a Samaritan, let alone a Samaritan woman who’s had several impure relationships, was wildly shocking. 

Despite her past, however, Jesus seeks to give her a future with him. In John 4 we read that Jesus, for some reason, has a strong urge to go to Samaria, and no doubt to meet this woman. In fact, in John 4:4, Scripture tell us Jesus had to take this route to get to his destination of Galilee, saying:

“He had to pass through Samar′ia.”

John 4:4

Yet, it’s easy to see on a map that there are other routes Jesus could have taken to get to Galilee. In fact, going through Samaria would have been one of the tougher and more rugged paths to take, as he would have had to go through mountains and rocky terrain, not to mention through a city as hostile as Samaria. But Jesus “had to pass through Samaria” not for geographic reasons, but because he was on a mission. Love is what drove him to that well. And what does he say to the woman when he sees her?

“There came a woman of Samar′ia to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”

John 4:7

This theme of thirst again! The Lord needs something from this woman, this woman that everyone views as sinful and as someone with nothing good to offer. Yet, Jesus longs for her, he needs something from her, he thirsts for her. The Catechism points out that we become the woman at the well in our prayer. When we pray, the Lord reaches out to us, and expresses his need for us, even though we’re sinners. 

Dying of Thirst

Mother Teresa spent most of her ministry serving and aiding the poor and suffering of Calcutta. There were often times when she would encounter a person dying of thirst, and would do anything she could to get them water. Taking this practical example, Mother Teresa challenges us to ask ourselves, “Do I react the same to God’s thirst of me as I would a man dying of thirst?”

How do we react when we feel God is calling us to do something? How do we prioritize our prayer? Do we view it as a chore or do we value our time of encountering God’s thirst? Mother Teresa says this about spending time with God:

“Jesus longs for you. He misses you when you don’t come close. He thirsts for you.”

Don’t think of prayer as an obligation, think of it as a response to the thirst the Lord has for you. Let’s make time to come close to him, to quench his thirst.

Resources

• God with Us: Encountering Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew by Dr. Edward Sri
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Dr. Edward Sri explains how this Advent, the Lord has special graces in store for you, if only you make space for him in your life.

Snippet from the Show
“Make room for the Divine infant, for he desires to grow within your soul.” -Dom Prosper Louis Pascal Guéranger

**Why four weeks of Advent?
**Recalls the four thousand years of Biblical history. Advent walks us through that biblical story. We’re entering into Israel’s longing for the messiah—into humanity’s yearning for a savior. That’s what the season is all about.

**Why So Much Purple During Advent?
**Advent is a penitential season, a time we do some acts of penance. In the early Church, it was almost treated as if it were another lent. It included forty days of fasting, from the feast of St. Martin through Christmas. In the ninth or tenth century, the Church eventually changed the fasting to abstinence.

*What Abbot Dom GuérangerSays about Advent
*
There are three different kinds of men:

1. Those who live saintly lives, living deeply in Jesus
2. Those who have completely rejected God
   
3. The last category is the largest: those of us who want friendship with Jesus but don’t live it out well. We sin and we get lukewarm. Dom Guéranger describes this group, writing, “Jesus is in them, but they are sick and weakly. Because they do not care to grow in his divine life. Their first love has become cold.”
   

Advent is for those of us who are in that final group..those of us who feel like we aren’t progressing in the spiritual life, or who are going backwards.
“Our Lord knocks at the door of our hearts. He comes to ask us if we have room for him, for he wishes to be born in our house.”
When we are so busy, we don’t hear him knocking.
“You who have had him within you, without knowing him, and have possessed him without relishing the sweetness of his presence, open your hearts to welcome him this time with more care and with more love.”
“Jesus repeats his visit of this year with an untiring tenderness. He has forgotten your past slights. He would make all things new.”
Maybe we’ve become slack in our spiritual life or in our relationships with others
This Advent is the time to start over: “Make room for the Divine infant, for he desires to grow in your soul.”

**
Practical Ideas to Make Room for Jesus **

1. Sacrifice: picture that the manger is your heart. It has a whole lot of stuff in it...your music, your entertainment, your money, your dreams, your obsessions. This advent, give up a little something to make room for the baby Jesus to be placed in that manger.
2. Make a gift to our Lord in this season: An extra devotion, some spiritual reading, act of service or kindness to someone in your home or workplace, extra time for prayer.
3. Make time for prayer each day in Advent: December is hard…ask yourself, how can I encounter God in the midst of all the expectations and pressure? Take a little time each day to close your eyes and talk to the Lord. You can tell him all the things you need to do, but that little space of extra care and attention for Jesus will allow him to make you new.

Resources
The Advent of Christ

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Dr. Edward Sri records this week’s episode from a place on the Sea of Galilee near Capernaum--where Jesus healed the paralyzed man who was lowered through a roof by his friends. Reflecting on the story of the paralyzed man lowered through the roof by his friends, Dr. Sri explains how Christ invites us to be part of his healing ministry by interceding for our friends, loved ones, co-workers, and even total strangers.

Snippet from the Show:
"God does not need our help or our prayers. But even though he doesn't need them, he invites us to pray. He is moved by our love for someone else."

The Healings of Christ’s Public Ministry

St. Luke and St. Matthew’s Gospels tell us about many sick people who were brought to Christ by their loved ones for healing.

In Matthew 8, we see that Jesus cleanses a leper, heals a centurion’s servant, heals many at Simon’s house, and drives out demons from the Gadarene demoniacs. In Luke 4, we also hear about the healing of the man with an unclean spirit.

Perhaps one of the most famous of Christ’s healings was that of the paralyzed man who was lowered through the roof of a house by his friends.

This paralyzed man could not walk to Jesus on his own. We don’t have any record of the paralyzed man asking his friends to take him to Jesus, but we know that his friends take the initiative to do just that … they bring their friend to Jesus. Determined, they go through great lengths to do this—they take him through crowds, up onto the roof of a house, and lower him down through the ceiling. That’s how much they love their friend and that’s how much faith they have in Jesus Christ.

We know the end of the story—Jesus heals the man and forgives his sins. But we often forget what the scripture says—Matthew tells us that when Christ saw “their faith” (the faith of the paralyzed man’s friends), he forgave the paralyzed man’s sins and healed him.

What does this teach us about the power of intercessory prayer? It’s not the prayer itself, it’s not about how many prayers or novenas you say, it’s about how much love we put into those prayers.

It Is Good for Us to Intercede for Others
God doesn’t need our help or our prayers, but he invites us to help. Why?
Interceding for others is good for us...it grows our love and expands our hearts
God is moved by our love. When he sees a humble heart come before him petitioning him for someone else, he can’t resist.

Practical:
The first thing to do is identify what friends, family members, co-workers need prayers. Ask yourself, who in my life is “paralyzed?” Who can’t/won’t walk to Christ themselves?

Next, commit to interceding for them. Ask yourself, do you love them enough to pray for them?
Finally, bring them to Jesus. Bring them to him especially in the Eucharist. Pray for them at Mass, offer communion for them, pray for them in the Adoration chapel.

Our chapels should be packed! When Jesus visited towns, he couldn’t even move because of the crowds who gathered.

Mark 3:7-12

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed … a great multitude, hearing all that he did, came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they should crush him; for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits beheld him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

Resources:
God With Us: Encountering Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew
Matthew: The King and His Kingdom

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This episode will leave you with an essential truth about the all consuming love of God, motivation to continue your own spiritual growth, and several spiritual practices to help you remember the dead.

Who Goes to Purgatory?
Sometimes Catholics think of purgatory as a place where bad Christians go for a supernatural “time out” before they can get into heaven. But, that’s not at all what the Church teaches. At its simplest level, we can understand the three states of the afterlife as this:
Heaven is for those who die loving God with “all their heart, all their soul, and all their strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
Hell is for those who die without loving God at all.
Purgatory is for those who die with divided hearts—they love God, but their hearts are also held captive by love of sin or attachments to this world.

*What Are the Fires of Purgatory Really All About? *
In 1 Corinthians 3:15, St. Paul says that some will be saved, but only through fire. Oftentimes, we view fire as dangerous and frightening, but the Bible uses fire as an image of God’s closeness. This is the type of fire that is associated with purgatory; it’s not fire of God’s wrath—it’s fire of God’s love.

Scripture provides us with several images where fire indicates the closeness and power of God’s presence:

Hebrews 12:28-29 – “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”

Exodus 3:1-3 – “Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Mid'ian; and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.”

Exodus 13:21-22 – “The LORD preceded them, in the daytime by means of a column of cloud to show them the way, and at night by means of a column of fire* to give them light. Thus they could travel both day and night. Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire by night ever left its place in front of the people.”

Acts 2:3-5 “And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

St. John of the Cross on the Fires of Purgatory
St. John of the Cross provides us with a beautiful analogy of a heart in love with God as a log in the midst of a burning flame. The flame consumes the log, and the log begins to burn from within. St. John of the Cross explains that this is what happens when a soul is consumed by God’s love—flames of love leap up through the soul itself

But what happens when God draws close to souls who have many imperfections and weaknesses? Those souls experience the flame of God’s love in a way that is painful or afflictive. It’s similar to a damp log placed into a fire—it resists the fire, causing it to take longer for it to catch and burn.

So what difference does the doctrine of purgatory make in our lives today?
The doctrine of purgatory reminds us that in order for us to enter into heaven, our hearts must be fully in love with God and detached from all sin. So, let’s not wait for purgatory to begin this purification of our hearts and souls. Let’s root out sin in our hearts and try to love God with all our hearts here on earth.

This doctrine calls us to remember the dead. We must not assume that our relatives and loved ones are in heaven, and thus neglect to pray for their souls. In her final words to her son, St. Augustine, St. Monics begs him to pray for her after she dies. If such a holy woman asked for continued graces through prayer after her death, we shouldn’t assume anyone is in heaven unless they are canonized by the Church.

*How do we pray for the dead? *
Write a list of names and pray daily for each soul
Offer up a rosary, a decade, or even just a Hail Mary for those souls.
Pray for those holy souls in purgatory who don’t have anyone to pray for them by name.
Offer communion for all holy souls in purgatory

Visit a local cemetery and pray for the dead

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Snippet from the Show
“We can’t experience God’s providence unless we let go, unless we have confidence in his promise, unless we are willing to jump.”

SHOWNOTES

John 4:46-54 - So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Caper′na-um there was an official whose son was ill. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living. So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live”; and he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

Fr. Jacques Philippe - As long as a person who must jump with a parachute does not jump out into the void, he cannot feel that the cords of the parachute will support him, because the parachute has not yet had the chance to open. One must first jump and it is only later that one feels carried. And so it is in spiritual life: “God gives in the measure that we expect of Him,” says Saint John of the Cross. And Saint Francis de Sales says: “The measure of Divine Providence acting on us is the degree of confidence that we have in it.” This is where the problem lies. Many do not believe in Providence because they’ve never experienced it, but they’ve never experienced it because they’ve never jumped into the void and taken the leap of faith. They never give it the possibility to intervene. They calculate everything, anticipate everything, they seek to resolve everything by counting on themselves, instead of counting on God. -Fr. Jacques Philippe

How to Trust God More

1. Admit your fear. Say, “God, I’m afraid to jump,” and give him your fears about the outcome.
2. Pick something you’re afraid to do (it can be small), and do it anyway. Trust that whatever the outcome, God has a hand in it.
3. Invoke the help of Mary and the saints. Ask a saint to pray for you and intercede on your behalf.

Resources

• Rejoice! Advent Meditations with Joseph Journal
• The Advent of Christ
• Dr. Sri is traveling to the Holy Land! Send your prayer intentions to info.edwardsri@gmail.com

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Oftentimes we’re challenged by our protestant brothers and sisters with the question, “Why pray to saints when you can just pray to Jesus?” You’re not alone if you believe there’s a good answer to that question but struggle to explain it yourself.

As All Saints Day approaches, Dr. Edward Sri walks us through scripture passages wherein holy men and women from the Bible intercede before God for their communities.

This episode not only will leave you with a good apologetic answer to these questions, but—more importantly—will leave you with a renewed sense of appreciation for the cloud of witnesses who inspire us, intercede for us, and draw us deeper into communion with the blessed Trinity.

*Intercessory Prayer Is Scriptural *
The Bible shows us that the saints aren’t disconnected from and uninterested in those who are living.
*Old Testament: *
Jeremiah 15:1–Long after their deaths, Moses and Samuel are depicted pleading for the Israelite people on earth
*New Testament *
Revelation 8:3–The prayers of the saints rise up before God, and then God acts on earth.
John 15 – “I am the vine, and you are the branches.”
St. Paul – We are the “body of Christ.” It doesn’t make sense that death would rupture this bond.
Hebrews 12:1 The saints are a “cloud of witnesses”

*Intercession Is Not Optional for Christians *
Love of God and love of neighbor go hand in hand. The saints are our neighbors. They are our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. When we grow in fellowship with our fellow Christians, we grow in fellowship with Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:11–St. Paul commands the Christians in Corinth to pray for him.

1 Timothy 2:1–Timothy commands the Christians to pray for each other

*How to Grow in Fellowship with the Saints *

1. Pick a few saints that you want to get to know.
2. Read their writings and learn about their lives. Fill your mind with their stories and their example.
3. Talk to the saints, every day. Share your weaknesses with them and ask them to walk with you in your difficult times. Don’t just ask them to pray for you...invite them to be with you in every part of your life.

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_Snippet from the Show
Whatever is burdening you right now, talk to Jesus, name your fear, and beg Jesus to give you the grace to open the doors of your heart to him.
_
*Our Modern Condition
*
How many of us live in fear and anxiety? We’re anxious about work, success, our relationships, our dreams for our family ... Pope John Paul II addressed this reality in his inaugural address:

“So often today man does not know what is within him, in the depths of his mind and heart. So often he is uncertain about the meaning of his life on this earth. He is assailed by doubt, a doubt which turns into despair. We ask you therefore, we beg you with humility and trust, let Christ speak to man. He alone has words of life, yes, of eternal life.”

So what did Pope John Paul II urge us to do? He prescribes a life-changing remedy for our anxiety:

“Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power…. Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ.”

What Christ Says about Anxiety:

Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day.”

Questions to Ask Yourself when You’re Anxious or Afraid
What is God trying to tell me?
Is this a sign that something is off spiritually?
Am I too attached to something—someone’s esteem of me, my position at work, a plan for my children or family?
Do I want too much control in my life?

The First Step to Opening Your Heart Wider to Christ
In prayer, name your fear to Jesus. Tell him everything about it. Don’t ask him to resolve it; just be honest with him.

Admit your weakness and ask for his grace.
Ask Jesus if there’s something he wants to do in your heart surrounding the issue of your anxiety.
Pray a prayer of surrender. Tell Jesus you want to let go of your attachments and open the doors of your heart to him
Tell him you trust in his plan for your life! Repeat St. Faustina’s prayer of trust: “Jesus I trust in you.”

*Pope John Paul II: An Example of a Man Whose Heart Was Wide Open to Christ *
Think about Pope John Paul II risking his life to meet in clandestine Catholic small groups during the Nazi occupation. It was by taking that risk and opening his heart that his vocation took root. See the great fruit that has come from his surrender!
God will do incredible things with you as you surrender your life more completely to him. When you ask him to open your heart and help you overcome your fears, you’re going to be able to bless others in an incredibly powerful way.

For an exclusive bonus episode on what we can learn from three historic moments in the life of Pope John Paul II, sign up for the All Things Catholic weekly shownotes!

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Using the theology of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Dr. Sri explains how this is the opposite of what God wants us to do. When we fail, instead of navel-gazing, we can recognize our littleness and let the Lord into our hearts by surrendering our shortcomings to him.

Snippet from the Show
Paradoxically, the real victory in the spiritual life comes from surrender. When you say, “Lord, I give this to you because I can’t do it on my own.”

SHOWNOTES

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Letter 243 - “As soon as God sees us convinced of our own nothingness — He stretches out His hand to us; but if we wish to attempt great things, even under the pretext of zeal, He leaves us alone. It is sufficient therefore to humble oneself and to bear our imperfections meekly: that is true sanctity.”

2 Ways to Surrender

1. Morning offering prayer
2. O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.

3. O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits ; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love.
   O my God! I ask Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in Heaven for all Eternity. Amen. (Offering Prayer by St. Thérèse of Lisieux)

4. Offer up your suffering.

5. Next time you face a trial or difficulty, use it as an opportunity to surrender your weakness to God. Say, “God, I give this to you.”

Resources
* Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love

• Story of a Soul

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4 Reasons We Struggle with Prayer

1. Sin - if we haven’t repented of our sins, it will be difficult to pray.
   
2. The devil - the enemy knows how important prayer is for the faithful and he will do everything he can to get you to not pray.
3. Humility - God may be trying to humble us.
4. God wants to draw out our desire for him.

Tips for Prayer

• Focus on the very beginning of prayer to set the tone.
• Say God’s name with reverence when you make the Sign of the Cross.
• Set an intention for your prayer time.
• Offer the prayer time up to God.

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