Restoration
Posted June 27, 2005 in The Pope's Corner:
Why Pray?
by Pope John Paul II.
Through prayer, especially to Jesus at Communion, you will understand so many things about the world and its relationship to him, and you will be in a position to read accurately what are referred to as the “signs of the times.” Above all, you will have something to offer those who come to you in need.
Through prayer you will possess Christ and be able to communicate him to others. And this is the greatest contribution you can make in your lives: to communicate Christ to the world.
Through prayer you will receive the strength to resist the spirit of the world. You will receive the power to show compassion to every human being—just as Jesus did.
Through prayer you will have a part in salvation history as it unfolds in your generation. In prayer you will be able to enter into the heart of Jesus and understand his feelings toward his Church.
By using the psalms, the prayer book that Jesus used, you will be able to repeat, under the action of the Holy Spirit, the praise and thanksgiving that have been offered to God for centuries by his people. In all the circumstances of your lives, you will find that Jesus is with you. He is close to you in prayer. It is prayer that will bring joy into your lives and help you to overcome the obstacles to Christian living.
When you go to Jesus in prayer—and through him to the Father—you will always find inspiration in Mary his Mother. With every generation of disciples, you will learn to pray with her, and with her to await the action of the Holy Spirit in your lives (cf. Acts 1:14)
From Insegnamenti de Giovanni Paoli II, (a collection of the pope’s talks and writings), June 2, 1982, Vol. V, 2, pp. 2100-1.
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