Br Alex Swain

“All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.”
—Acts 1: 14

Siblings in Christ,

Prayer was, for a chunk of my Christian journey, a word shrouded in a blurry mystery at best and a checklist of things to say at worst. As a child, I prayed while at church, reciting the words which we were supposed to say. Check.

I asked God for the things I needed or wanted and asked for the needs of others. Check.

My understanding of prayer was skeletal.

Today in Acts, we see the deep depths of what prayer is.

Following the Ascension of our Lord, Holy Mary, Mother of God, and the other male and female disciples, were praying—devoting themselves in prayer together.

Devoting oneself to prayer means that they were giving substantive portions of their time and energy to the practice of prayer throughout the day.

Prayer is an offering, a sacrifice of our time and energy, to God. Prayer is a part of the day—busy and hectic and frenetic as they so often are—in which we come before the footstool of God and offer that time back to God. Time itself is a very valuable gift for us mortals, as it is one of the very few things in life that we cannot get back.

In prayer, we find ourselves reoriented towards God.

We are pulled in many different directions throughout our day. The act of praying to God is a profound act of orienting towards the Creator and Sustainer of all things. It is an embodiment of repentance, of turning away from death and turning towards Life.

In prayer, we find ourselves connected. Even though we may be without sentiment during it, it is enough to know that in prayer, we are together. We devote our time and energies towards God with all those on Earth and in Heaven who are praying.

We find ourselves enmeshed in the Communion of Saints who offer prayer to God and intercede on our behalf. We join the ranks and choirs of angels as we intercede for this world.

As you pray today, consider some of these elements. How might prayer change for you if you keep these things in mind? Is there a form of prayer you resonate with strongly?

Yours in Christ,

—Br Alex