In Prayer Always

“When a believing person prays, great things happen.” (James 5:16)

Prayer is a powerful, enlightening, healing, enriching, awesome thing.  Prayer is one of the most fundamental elements of our Catholic Christian life.  The Lord communicates with us through His Word in scriptures and through His Spirit in our hearts.  We communicate — we forge our relationship with God — through prayer.

Our prayer life is intensely personal. There are probably as many styles of prayer as there are people who pray.  Often our prayer is solitary — even when we offer it up in the midst of a commotion!  But there is a special joy and strength that comes when we pray in the company of others.  At St. Mary Magdalen Parish, there are a variety of opportunities to join with others in our faith community and pray as a body united in Christ.

We begin our weekday Masses with the Liturgy of the Hours.  A Miraculous Medal Novena is offered on Mondays after the 7am and 8:30am Masses in the Church.  We offer Eucharistic Holy Hour with Benediction on Tuesdays at 7pm -- an invitation to spend one hour-a-week in the presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.  Centering Prayer is a contemplative prayer practice that can deepen and strengthen our relationship with God.  Centering prayer gathers on Mondays from 7-8:30pm.  Our Lady's Rosary Prayer Group joins together on Wednesdays at 7pm in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel to pray for the conversion of all to Christianity.  The Spanish Rosary is offered on Tuesdays at 7pm and the Juan XXIII Prayer Group gathers twice a week to seek God’s presence in their life.  On Friday evenings, you will find the Spanish Charismatic Group praising the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.  For those who wish to pray at home, a list of ministry prayer requests is mailed out each month.

Throughout the year, we offer special prayer services and Masses.  We gather as a community on All Souls (November 2nd) to be with those in our St. Mary Magdalen family who have lost a loved one during the past year.  On the feast of the Holy Innocents (December 28th), an evening service is held in the grotto to commemorate all children who have died due to natural causes, abortions, or from an accident.  Last year, we spent several weeks in Eucharistic Adoration as we prayed for those discerning their call to discipleship.  We will again be offering 24x7 prayer at the end of April and early May, as we focus on the annual renewal of our call to ministry (Stewardship of Time & Talent).

A new ministry forming at our parish will be known as the Prayer Angels.  This group of parishioners will pray for individual intentions within the community.  Those who wish to leave a request will be able to send an e-mail to Prayer@StMaryMagdalen.org or leave a message at the parish office.  The Prayer Angels, part of a prayer chain, will receive the requests and incorporate the intentions into their daily prayer.

Father Charlie Mitchell reminds us that the most fundamental prayer of our church is the liturgy and the Eucharist itself. It is a time when we connect not only with our community but with the worldwide church in prayer and communion. That is why attending Mass is so powerful and so important.

“When a believing person prays, great things can happen” (James 5:16).  Keep praying every day in your home.  Keep praying with our community and our church throughout the world during Mass.  And please know that you are warmly welcomed to join any of the prayer groups within our parish.  The parish office can provide you with further information on any group that might meet your needs.  As you pray and deepen your own relationship with God, great things will happen in our community, in your life and in your heart. 

“If the only prayer you say in your entire life is ‘Thank you,’ that would suffice.”

~ Meister Eckhart, Dominican and 14th century Mystic.