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Lord of hope, help me to grow in the practice of self-giving, lived as a prayerful request for your nearness, so that I might be freed from every desire that does not have you at its heart.

Most merciful Father, do not allow to turn inward or away from you in my daily trials and suffering; allowing my sufferings to become a place of union with you. Teach me to seek your face and to live beneath your graze of love.

Our Father in heaven, it's hard to hear your voice in the chaos of this world. Thank you for this place where I can pray to you in peace.

Heavenly Father, thank you for directing all things by your loving wisdom. Please give me the grace to trust more fully in your wisdom and in your love. Amen.

Sunday, the Lord's Day, is the principal day for the celebration of the Eucharist because it is the day of the Resurrection. It is the pre-eminent day of the liturgical assembly, the day of the Christian family, and the day of joy and rest from work. Sunday is "the foundation and kernel of the whole liturgical year" (SC 106)

Most merciful Father, grant me the grace to turn to you from my sins. Keep me mindful of your Son's mission of mercy, so that I may grow in holiness of life and attain the banquet of heaven.

God, merciful and just, with your help may we courageously fast at your death so that we might experience the joys of the wedding feast at your Resurrection.

Merciful Father, as I live the discipline of Lent, help me each day to entrust myself more fully to you.

Heavenly Father, grant us a fervent spirit of love for your Son Jesus as we begin these days of Lent. Give to our hearts especially a desire for prayer.

As of July 1st, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and the Extraordinary Form (Latin) Mass community have moved to their new permanent home: St. Vitus Parish 607 4th St. San Fernando, CA 91340 Phone: (323) 454-1002

In John Main’s talk “The Way of the Mantra” he says that the invitation of the Christian life is to be one with Christ; to live your life in union with Christ.  Silent prayer is a communion in which we discover within ourselves a oneness with Christ.  This union takes us right out of ourselves as we become the people we are called to be; rooted and founded in love.

We hear John Main saying in his talk entitled, Set your mind on the Kingdom, “Jesus is at the center of our soul.”  By setting our minds on the Kingdom of God and establishing conscious contact with our own being, we are essentially maintaining our Christ Connection.

When I was a child, my family went on many car trips up and down the California coast.  Sometimes, my father would have to pull over at a rest area if he was getting too tired to drive, and the family would take a nap in the car.  I remember the sound of the freeway with the cars rumbling by loudly, and then the engine sounds trailing off into the silence of the night.  But even during the wee small hours of the morning, there is always the sound of cars on the freeway.

I saw a print advertisement for the city of Palm Springs.  It showed tanned, young people lounging in the sun by a majestic hotel spa façade.  The caption read, “Master the art of doing nothing.”  I thought about how so few of us practice this ancient art in these pressured and multi-tasking times.  I also thought of how so many new technological devices have made silence, solitude and leisure a thing of the past, or a privilege confined only to hospitals and rest homes.

“Now, my sisters, you will go to the chapel for your last prayers before you enter our blessed community.  Tomorrow is the day.  You will pray for the help you need, each one speaking to God in her own way.  Ask Him now to give you the things of the spirit. Ask Him in silence for strength in the practice of silence.  Remember interior silence is the very marrow of perfection as told in our Holy Rule.”  “My Waterloo, Gabrielle said again to herself.  But I’ll smother every voice that talks back to destroy my inner quiet.”  (Excerpts from the book The Nun’s Story by Kathryn Hulme, 1956).

What is the purpose of meditation? In the ”prayer of the heart”, we seek the deepest ground of our identity in God. We seek to gain a direct experience of finding ourselves in God’s truth. We return to simplicity and sincerity of heart. We listen for God’s will, in direct and simple attention to reality. Prayer means yearning for the simple presence of God, for a personal understanding of his word, and for knowledge of his will.

As Christians, we are called to go deeper; to think on a deeper level; to live on a more mindful level.  Meditation makes this possible.  It is in meditation that we move beyond the frivolities, amusements and distractions of our busy thoughts and begin leading more meaningful lives of contemplation.

On Tuesday, May 24th, I heard Fr. Laurence Freeman speak at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Long Beach, CA.   His talk, Changing the World, Changing Yourself:  Contemplation Today included a 20 minute meditation session and Q & A.  Here are some of the highlights: We began with the prologue: Be still and know that I am God. We recited it together, dropping one word each time until the only word left was “Be.”