Pray Always

27. Only for my Son Jesus

November 27, 1973

Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Catherine Laboure

“I want all the Priests of my Movement to rely on Me as little children. They must no longer think of themselves; I want to take care of them myself I will grant all their requests and satisfy their deepest desires. They must no longer live for themselves; not even as regards their priestly activity, which absorbs them so much, tires them, and consumes them, but leaves them empty and far from Me.

On the contrary, they must live only for my Son Jesus, carrying out the Gospel to the letter. For this, they must live only for Me, with Me. I alone will be able to form them to an ever greater unity of mind and of heart with my Son Jesus; I will have them act solely for Him, as though led by the hand by Me and under the sweet influence of my inspiration. They will then be still doing the same things, but in how different a manner! And because these same things will be done by them in union with Me, I will manifest myself in them, and through them I will be able to carry out my great plan of salvation.

But it is necessary for Me that these Priests become ever increasingly mine: in silence, in prayer, in humility, in equanimity. How beautiful it is when they speak of Me, but it is even more pleasing to my Heart when they live Me. I want to live again in them so as to be once again as a Mother in the midst of my children. Let them be docile, humble, and kind toward all, especially toward those who are furthest away, who are lost, who are despairing.

I want to give them my Heart; for this they must accustom themselves to live always in my motherly Heart. Let them worry about nothing: for the rest, for all the rest, I myself will provide so that my great and loving plan may be realized.”2599

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“2599: The Son of God who became Son of the Virgin also learned to pray according to his human heart. He learns the formulas of prayer from his mother, who kept in her heart and meditated upon all the “great things” done by the Almighty.⁴¹ He learns to pray in the words and rhythms of the prayer of his people, in the synagogue at Nazareth and the Temple at Jerusalem. But his prayer springs from an otherwise secret source, as he intimates at the age of twelve: “I must be in my Father’s house.”⁴² Here the newness of prayer in the fullness of time begins to be revealed: his filial prayer, which the Father awaits from his children, is finally going to be lived out by the only Son in his humanity, with and for men.”  __Catechism of the Catholic Church

Prayer as communion

2565 In the New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with his Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. The grace of the Kingdom is “the union of the entire holy and royal Trinity . . . with the whole human spirit.”¹² Thus, the life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the thrice-holy God and in communion with him. This communion of life is always possible because, through Baptism, we have already been united with Christ.¹³ Prayer is Christian insofar as it is communion with Christ and extends throughout the Church, which is his Body. Its dimensions are those of Christ’s love.^{14  Catechism of the Catholic Church}

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