GO INTO THE SILENCE

MARK : 6:30-34

Have you ever heard a gentle voice, from somewhere deep inside of you, reminding, encouraging, even urging you with the following words: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest"{v.31NIV]? Prayer is at the heart of the Christian life because in prayer we commune with God. The more we pray, the more we want to pray; the less we pray, the less we want to pray. With prayer we flourish; without prayer we wilt.  With prayer we grow in our relationship with God; without prayer God becomes ever more distant and remote.

 Something terrible has happened to our understanding of living the Christian faith, something truly alarming and frightening, and if we don't do something to stop it, our faith is under threat. What is this terrible, alarming and frightening thing that has happened? It is this:  we have replaced prayer with action, contemplation with the apostolic; we value doing over being, and social action over the interior life. We have lost sight that God works from the inner life to the exterior life, and not the other way around. In fact, there is a new undercurrent which clings to the notion that the Christian faith is purely and simply about helping and serving others. Of course, it is self-evident that the Christian life involves love and service but a love and service which is rooted in prayer, firmly established first and foremost in a living, breathing relationship with God.

 Christians are not the only ones who undertake works of love and charity- often people of no faith are outstanding and wonderful humanitarians. The Christian life cannot be reduced to social action.
We need to spend time in Eucharistic Adoration.
Let us reflect on the following words from St Teresa of Calcutta:
" I know I would not be able to work one week if it were not for that continual force coming from Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament[during my holy hour of Adoration] to be alone with Jesus in adoration and intimate union with Him is the Greatest Gift of Love- the tender love of our Father in Heaven".
[ Taken from Bible alive Sunday 22nd July 2018]