“Blessed be God who refused me not my prayer or His kindness!” When the mind is agitated, heart heavy, thoughts and feelings gloomy, turn to prayer, turn to Our Lady for she gently hears us, cares for us, and graciously receives our poor little prayers then leads us ever so gently back to God. Mary understands us. She gets us. She knows where we are, where we have been and where we need to be. When we are lost or downcast, she shows us the miracle of the sun, of a cloudless day, of a deep blue sky, of the gentleness of a breeze and the grace and beauty of prayer when offered through Our Lady and Queen and Mother of Perpetual Grace. Mary helps us recall the Father’s loving embrace, the gift of a deep conversion, the grace of a good confession, the depth of heartfelt contrition, the room for true repentance. In prayer, the Father holds us. Never let Him go. It’s as if two individuals who have not seen each other for eons suddenly see each other after so many centuries and years. We hug as if to never let go. As prodigal children who left home seeking fortune and fame only to have squandered our inheritance, after so many years of searching and losing, losing, and seeking, seeking not finding until we remember to turn and walk towards home again. In prayer, we are back home in the Father’s house, in His home, in His heart, in His hand and grasp, in His loving touch and loving embrace and under His loving care. As prodigal children, we focus our attention on worldly things, gizmos, and gadgets, that only cause us to become lost faster, easier, cheaper, without ease. Until prayer, I never realized how beautiful being with the Father was. It is prayerful, dedicated time to reacquaint ourselves with heaven, with heavenly things and the joy and beauty of creation. It’s time to meet and serve with those who work in the Father’s vineyard. Time to rest and play by the meadow next to God’s house. Time to pray in His garden. To walk and worship in His field. God trusts us. It is a profound thing to consider. That God actually believes in you, has confidence in you. He really trusts in you. In prayer, love invites us to learn, to grow, to deepen our loving relationship with our heavenly Father. It’s a loving invitation to grow in God’s intimacy, through the heart and prayer of our beloved Mother Mary.
