Thursday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

“Stay awake.” How is it that we fall asleep? How do we lose our focus in life and get lost in the mix of things? That is our nature, unfortunately. People are inconsistent, unfocused, and lost. Humanity will continually lose sight of its destiny, blessed adoption by God. Thus we are called to stay on track, to keep heading on the right way. What is your march? What is your stride? What are the things that you have to do in order to keep a healthy prayer life?

Imagine this. Let’s say someone wanted to walk across the United States mainland in a year. They would have to walk twenty miles a day consistently in order to do that. They would need a constant 20-mile march so they could achieve this goal. This principle also applies to our spiritual lives. To be actively engaged in the Church and the life of faith, you need to have a good “daily march.” This means attending Sunday Mass always, and daily Mass when you can. It means doing some type of spiritual reading regularly, praying the rosary daily, and going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least monthly. Each Catholic will have a different march depending on their state in life, vocation, and career. Still, without a constant prayer life in which we are committed to Christ, it is next to impossible to be spiritually healthy.

So, keep on your march. Pray as you can, not as you can’t. Keep a prayer schedule that is realistic and rewarding. Commit to a prayer life where you are faithful to the sacraments and your own private prayers. That way you can stay awake with Christ, and you will find the Lord will keep watch with you. Amen.

Reflection by Br. Matthew Marie, OSB