August 4, 2024, 12:00 PM

I hope not! As we move into the next phase of the National Eucharistic Revival, we need to be ready to carry Christ to others who are in need. A great way to start is with prayer. Many pray often, but sometimes our prayers are just words we say to get the prayer over with. To enhance our prayer life, I offer you a prayer challenge, or maybe three. This summer we’re spending time in various activities with families and friends and many are getting ready to go back to school. So, to help us refocus on our prayer lives, I offer this challenge: stand alone, with no distractions, no physical reading or electronic sources, close your eyes, if you like, and recite the Apostles’ Creed. For those who frequently pray the Rosary, this is quite easy. For others, it may take some effort. Once you have mastered that prayer, now recite, from memory, the Gloria that we say in Mass. It is harder than we might think since it can be so mindless during Mass. Now, once we have mastered the Gloria, try reciting the Nicene Creed from memory. If we are truly praying it, this will come naturally. If we are just mouthing the words each Mass, then this exercise will be difficult at first. By asking the Holy Spirit to lead us, these prayers will soon flow from our hearts, not just our minds. I ask all of us to challenge ourselves, even have friendly competition with our families, to master these three prayers over the next month, before the academic year begins. We will set a much stronger foundation for our prayer lives and taking Christ to others. Now you know!