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                               June 28, 2026, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

                               Reflection on the Lord’s Prayer: Concluding Notes. 

Dear friends, we come to our final comments on the theme of prayer. A few quotes from the saints may help us emphasize the profound necessity, importance, power, and benefits of prayer.

First, "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God" (St. John Damascene). "Prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven. It is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy" (St. Thérèse of Lisieux). In the liturgy of the Mass, there is a beautiful moment when the priest invites us, saying, "Lift up your hearts," and everyone responds, "We lift them up to the Lord." Then he says, "Let us give thanks to the Lord our God," and all respond, "It is right and just." Thus, prayer involves the raising of our minds, hearts, and voices to the Lord.

Second, "Prayer is the encounter of God's thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him" (CCC 2560). Prayer is about the covenantal relationship between God and His people. "If a man wants to be always in God's company, he must pray regularly and read regularly" (St. Isidore, Bishop). "Prayer is nothing else but union with God" (St. John Vianney).

Third, prayer is both an ambassador and a weapon. "Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God's heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips but with your heart. In fact, on some occasions, you should speak to Him only with your heart" (St. Padre Pio). "Prayer stands before God as an honored ambassador. It gives joy to the spirit and peace to the heart" (St. John Chrysostom).

Finally, next to the Liturgy of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, and Eucharistic Adoration, we have two of the simplest yet most profound prayers. They are powerful and encompass the entire history of our salvation: the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary. Therefore, when we pray the Rosary, through the Blessed Virgin Mary, we enter into the mystery of our salvation. 

The words of St. John Paul II are worth mentioning here: "The Rosary is my favorite prayer. A marvelous prayer! Marvelous in its simplicity and its depth. In the prayer we repeat many times the words that the Virgin Mary heard from the Archangel, and from her kinswoman Elizabeth. … The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christ-centered prayer. It has all the depth of the gospel message in its entirety. It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb. … So, to pray the Rosary is to hand over our burdens to the merciful hearts of Christ and His Mother."

Therefore, if we take the Rosary as our weapon and pray it daily, Mary, our Mother, will not only defend us from the powers of evil, but she will also lead us to her Son, the Holy Spirit, and the Father in heaven.  

                                                                                                                           — Fr. Jesu