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Daily Scripture, February 28, 2023

Scripture:

Isaiah 55:10-11
Matthew 6:7-15

Reflection:

How do we pray?

We are all familiar with the Our Father as Jesus gave us in today’s scripture.  It is a prayer most of us learned as a child.  In a trip to the Holy Land many years ago, I visited the Church of the Pater Noster (Lord’s Prayer).  Constantine had this church built on the top of the Mount of Olives where Jesus taught his disciples the Lord’s Prayer, foretold the terrible destruction of Jerusalem and revealed his last coming and the end of the world.(Mt. 24:1-3, Lk. 21:5-7).  Over the years, the Church of the Pater Noster was destroyed several times.  In 1868 Princess Aurelia de Bossi de la Tour d’Auvergne, purchased the land and donated it to France.  In 1875 she built a convent for the order of the Carmelite nuns.  Inside the church and on the walls of the cloister the Lord’s Prayer is written in 62 languages.  It is a moving experience to realize the vastness of the Kingdom of God at prayer!

How do we pray?

As I prepared to write this reflection, I call upon the Holy Spirit to give me wisdom and guidance that my thoughts and words may inspire and nurture those who meditate upon this message. She never fails!  Over the past several weeks and continuing to the present, we are witnessing a profound experience of the Holy Spirit at work in our area.  The site is Asbury University located in Wilmore, Kentucky.  Several weeks ago students gathered for a routine morning chapel gathering, but rather than head to class afterward, students stayed and continued to worship.  As the weeks go by people of all ages, from near and far have joined in this celebration.  For those who come they say they are experiencing an outpouring of the Holy Spirit!  Hundreds and thousands are tuning in on social media and in person to spend time in prayer! Wow!

How do we pray?

During this season of Lent, we are called to spend more time in prayer, to enter into the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We don’t necessarily have to travel to Asbury University or the Church of the Pater Noster, to experience life-changing prayer experiences.  During this season of Lent, we can set quiet time aside each day for personal prayer, we can attend Stations of the Cross, we can meditate on the Lenten scriptures, we can make a retreat or attend a parish mission.  We can fast from social media, playing games, texting, etc., and instead make a personal visit or place a phone call to a lonely or grieving person.  Whatever we choose to do this Lent, may it be a time of personal transformation, opening us to the Spirit who walks with us through the desert, stands with us at the cross, and ultimately joins us in celebration at the open tomb.  Have a Blessed and Challenging Lent!

Theresa Secord is a retired Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.

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