On the Universal Call to Prayer

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On this occasion I would like to talk to you about the Universal Call to Prayer, since prayer is not only reserved for priests and religious, but for everyone. By virtue of our Baptism, we are called to prayer. Prayer is at the heart of our relationship with God. It is a response to the One who seeks and loves us first.

Sacred Scripture continually invites us to pray. Our Lord Jesus Himself gives us the perfect example. Throughout the Gospels, He withdraws from the crowds to pray, teaches His disciples the Our Father, and calls them to remain watchful in prayer. St. Paul tells us, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

If we are called to pray without ceasing, then we must understand Prayer, not as simply something we do at certain moments of our lives, or during certain moments during the day; but arrive at the understanding that once we unite our human will to the Will of our Lord Jesus and offer everything up in union with Him, everything turns into a prayer. Then and only then we begin to pray without ceasing. Even the simplest act as the blinking of the eye becomes an act that glorifies God, and at the same time it sanctifies us.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church beautifully reminds us that “prayer is the life of the new heart” (CCC 2697). It also teaches that we cannot pray “at all times” unless we intentionally pray at particular times. That is why it is so important to offer up our day as soon as we open our eyes in the morning, having the sincere desire of wanting to glorify God with our very existence, through our work, words, joy, and sufferings, etc. In summary in this way we Glorify God with all our acts as long as they are not sinful. Whether through the Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary, Scripture reading, morning and evening prayer, or a simple conversation with God during the day, each of us can make room to glorify God at every moment of our day.

A beautiful example of this way of living comes from St. Thérèse of Lisieux who in her own words described prayer in a wonderful yet simple way: “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven.” Her words remind us that prayer does not require eloquence. God desires our hearts.

My dear brothers and sisters, the universal call to prayer is ultimately an invitation to friendship with God. Wherever we are in our spiritual lives, the Lord calls us to come to Him. And invites us to keep climbing the spiritual ladder. To go deeper into His heart we just have to ask for the grace to have the constant awareness of His presence in our lives. As our Lord Jesus tells us, “Ask, and it will be given onto you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you” (Matthew 7:7).

This week, may each of us set aside a few moments each day to turn our hearts toward God and simply say: “Lord, here I am, I give you my human will.”

May each one of us become a living house of prayer!

With Blessings,

+Fr. Gabriel Barrera.