February 5, 1976

THEY PRAY BADLY

My son, write:

“I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”

Also write:

“Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind.”

You have become accustomed to hearing these Commandments just like you hear the sound of bells that are heard every day; everyone hears them but almost no one pays attention. In the same way the Commandments have remained as a dead letter, although they should be intensely alive in your hearts.

I desired to make this premise, to make you understand better how they pray badly, even the few who do pray. Very few are those who pray well, since it is not possible to pray, if one ignores the First Commandment, and even worse, if knowing it, one forgets it.

To place oneself in the presence of God means: to fulfill a series of spiritual actions that are essential for good and efficacious prayer.

It is necessary to make an act of faith that elevates our soul toward him; this means: making a spiritual contact with God, three and one. This act of faith must necessarily be followed by acts of humility, of confidence and of love, that are necessary to intensify the contact w ith God, and they are indispensable for a good prayer, for they prevent a purely mechanical action that is repugnant to God. I withdraw from those who honor Me only with their lips and not with their heart.

Unfortunately, there are many among the few who pray, those who pray only materially, thinking mistakenly that they have fulfilled their duty, when in reality they have not fulfilled it.

In the correct position

By what I am explaining to you, you can see what grave deficiencies there are in the spiritual life of Christians, and I limit myself for the moment only to this one, but how many more could I point out.

“Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.”

For him who truly loves God, placing him in the center and filling all one's life with him, there is no danger of offering him prayers that might be an expression of pride and of egoism, as it would be to ask success in material affairs, health, riches, etc. If one asked only for these things, he could not establish any contact with God.

God does not enter into souls filled with material worries, thirsting for earthly goods; these souls are wrapped in darkness.

He who truly loves God places himself in the correct position before God, seeking his glory and his love. He who truly loves God seeks as the very first thing in his prayer, the kingdom of God in souls, for his greater glory: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all the rest will be added unto you.” God would not be God, if he were not faithful to his promises. “Seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

He who prays and remains without an answer, owes this to the fact of placing himself outside the First Commandment. “I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other God besides Me.”

His prayer is not heard, for he does not observe the fundamental Commandment: “Love God wtih all thy heart.”

It has been forgotten that I taught the apostles how one should pray: “Our Father who art in Heaven...”

To place oneself in the presence of God is the first element in prayer; the one praying forgets himself to ascend with his soul to God the Father, who is the only Great one, the only Holy one, the only Benign one.

Some reflections

Here enters the Commandment of love, as an essential part of the prayer to God the Father. The divine paternity is also equivalent to the love of one's neighbor. We say: “Our Father” to remind ourselves of the love toward the brethren who like ourselves are children of the same and only Father, from whom our life has issued by creation, and toward whom we return.

In him we should fix our glance with confidence, as a shipwrecked person looks with confidence and hope toward the polar star.

“Hallowed be thy name.” We should hallow, that is, glorify, the holy name of God, uniting ourselves to the chorus of all voices (for all creatures have voices), fulfilling thus the finality of creation, which is the glorification of God.

“Thy kingdom come.” He who truly loves forgets himself, for his thought runs toward the person loved, from whom he desires happiness.

“Thy will be done (FIAT) on earth, as it is in heaven.” To seek our own desires and wishes is to place ourselves before others, and this is egotism; to place the Divine Will before our will, so that God may work his will in us, as he does it in heaven-this is love. If he who prays does so with these sentiments, and if he places himself in God's presence, preoccupied only with his glory, with the desire that his kingdom may come and that his Will may be done, operating in him, he will see un-thought of and marvelous effects produced in his prayer; everything will be given to him and in a superabundant measure.

Perchance could God, the infinitely benign Father, permit himself to be surpassed by his children? No, this could not happen! Therefore he will allow to fall upon the praying one a shower of graces and of heavenly gifts. God asks us to love him; he does not tolerate our putting him behind our human pettiness, for this would be an offense and ingratitude.

Teachers of prayer

Should not my ministers be untiring teachers, who should teach the faithful to pray? A good mother never ceases teaching her children, when they are growing up, the necessary things for their life, and my ministers, are not they the ones who give birth to divine life in souls by means of baptism? Are not all of you living an authentic spiritual paternity toward the faithful entrusted to your care? What is it that is making you neglect such important duties?

The disastrous effects of this poorly exercised paternity toward your spiritual children, can be verified by you, if you have the courage to observe it!

Nothing escapes God, the just judge, of all that you should do. The salvation of so many souls, whose value is infinite, is at stake.

My sons, it is true that the causes of the crisis of faith that is approaching its epilogue, are diverse, and some of them are outside of your will, but it is also certain that some of these causes must be imputed to you. What will become of all of you, if you do not repent and do not do penance?

What will become of you, if you continue serving yourselves, instead of serving God?

My sons and priests, the time that remains is not much. Not I, but you yourselves, are determining your eternity.

Son, I do not tire of asking of you prayers and reparation.