prayer: the first, not the last, resort
"Mary has chosen the good portion, and she shall not be deprived of it." —Luke 10:42, our transl.
Every Martha needs to have been and continue to be a Mary. We need to work for the Lord with all our heart, but we need to pray first. Before we work, doesn't it make sense to listen to the One Whose love motivates us to work? (see Lk 10:39; 2 Cor 5:14) Before we do something, shouldn't we get instructions from the Lord Who tells us what to do? It's true that we shouldn't just sit there; rather, we should be doing something. However, we shouldn't just aimlessly do something, but rather first sit there in prayer.
Before Jesus began His public ministry, He fasted and prayed for forty days (Mt 4:2). Before Jesus started His day's work, He first prayed (Mk 1:35). Before Jesus died on the cross for our salvation, He prayed an hour in the garden of Gethsemani (Mt 26:36ff). Before the early Church began to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth, she prayed for nine days in the upper room (Acts 1:14). Before Paul began working harder than all the other apostles (1 Cor 15:10), he spent three years in Arabia and Damascus, most likely seeking God's direction in prayer (Gal 1:17-18). Work hard, but pray first, pray on, and pray always (Lk 18:1).
Prayer: Jesus, teach me to pray first and always (Lk 11:1).
Promise: "He who was formerly persecuting us is now preaching the faith he tried to destroy." —Gal 1:23
Praise: Michelle attended church purely out of obligation. A priest gave her a rosary. While watching TV, she decided to pray it. Jesus touched her heart. She now attends Mass frequently and prays the rosary daily. Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.
Reference: (To grow in your prayer life, order our book, Conversion-Conversations. This book contains short daily prayer conversations with the Lord for a period of forty weeks. By faithfully praying this book, you will grow closer to Jesus.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 24, 2014
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