Another necessary pillar of Lent is prayer. The renewal of our conversation with God is the means by which we become more spiritual persons. Through honest and earnest prayer we deepen our interior life. Without this growing inner life, our apostolic actions and even the penances we undertake have little supernatural value.

Written a hundred years ago, Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard's text, "The Soul of the Apostolate," speaks about this supernatural life of the soul as the necessary foundation for any meaningful apostolate or charity. It is, he says, "the life of Jesus Christ Himself in the soul, by faith, hope and charity." It is the vital action of Christ, like the action of the head or heart on the members of the body. In the exercise of this interior life, Abbot Chautard teaches that "the soul withdraws from all that is opposed to the supernatural life; seeks to be recollected; and tends upward toward God, uniting itself with Him." This is, of course, the meaning and goal of prayer: the raising of the mind and heart to God. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2559)

So, how is your prayer this Lent? Perhaps you have determined to say the rosary or attend the Stations of the Cross. These are significant ways to place ourselves before God in the context of the Church's prayer tradition. But more than these vocal prayers, we must somehow make some time to be with God, speaking to Him as our Father; sitting or kneeling before Him with an adoring heart; listening to Him. When we listen for God, we do not normally expect to hear His voice like that of another person or friend. God speaks to the heart and we have to learn how to hear Him better. It takes time and attention. Lent might be the moment to establish, within our plan of life, some time for this practice of mental prayer.

Prayerfully reading some short passage of the Bible may be a way to start. The Sunday readings (found every week in this newspaper) would be an obvious choice. Another option could be reflecting on some part of the Holy Mass, or thinking about the mysteries of the life of Christ from the rosary or the Stations.

In his message for the beginning of Lent this year, our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI invites us to reflect on the crucified Jesus Christ. He gives us an image from St. John's Gospel, "They shall look on him whom they have pierced." (Jn 19:37). "Lent," the Pope writes, "is a favorable time to stay with Mary and John, the beloved disciple, close to Him who on the Cross, consummated for all mankind the sacrifice of His life." Our prayer could be as simple as that: to stay with Christ, with Mary and John, for a while, reflecting on His gift of His life. The Pope suggests that "On the Cross, it is God Himself who begs the love of His creature: He is thirsty for the love of everyone of us." Meditating on these truths will cause your own love of God to grow.

In order to make the many good activities of our Lent more complete, we must first heed the call of Christ with which we began this Lent, "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." We must make this change of heart while we have time. "Remember, you are dust and to dust you shall return!" Then, we must go aside for a while, recollect ourselves and begin to discover the spiritual life God has granted us in our soul. We must lift our hearts, and converse with Him. We must be with Him in prayer.

Let us also pray for each other for a Blessed Lent.

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