Saints… in the name of Jesus
Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ,
May the peace of the Lord be with us.
In this month of October dedicated to the prayer of the Rosary, we wish to entrust ourselves once again to the maternal protection of the Holy Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus and our mother. In her many apparitions around the world, the Immaculate Holy Mother has always invited us to pray, an act that brings us closer to God the Father.
The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. – Psalm 145:18
As we draw near to God the Father in our search, we are invited to change and transform, just as when we train to run a long marathon. Prayer trains our souls to recognize our goal, to respond to challenges along the way, and to encourage our fellow runners to reach the finish line with joy on their faces.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer. – Romans 12:12
Just like physical exercise during a race, the fatigue, cramps, thirst, and discouragement on the uphill paths and obstacles in the road can weaken us. So too in our journey toward God, without continuous strength from the training of prayer, we risk losing our way and taking paths that lead us away from our goal or in other directions.
The infernal enemy is always ready to mislead us, to draw us away from God and slow us down. In fact, our most precious asset is the time we have to love and worship God in our lives.
If our lives are turned toward the Creator, the source of all goodness, then even the hardest trials offered with love, though limited to our years on earth, are remembered and cherished in the heart of God the Father for eternity.
Returning to the Holy Virgin Mary’s invitation to prayer, we can simply ask our Heavenly Mother to help us pray, to guide us as a mother guides her children. Accompanied by her, we can only aspire to one thing: holiness.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. – John 14:13
Let us prepare to celebrate All Saints’ Day, with the hope that we too may one day be welcomed into the heavenly court as the finish line of our marathon.
We invite you to join us in the 138th International Prayer Marathon:
Saints… in the name of Jesus
October 29-30-31, 2024
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