Sr. Gail’s Reflections

May 2012 Quote and Reflection

“Prayer feeds our lives. Prayer is a gift. It is a gift because Christian prayer is based on our knowing the Lord Jesus Christ and on our having the power of the Holy Spirit stir and anoint us, and move through us prayer. Prayer is based on our being a part of the Body of Christ and standing with Jesus in prayer. United with the angels and saints before the throne of God, we are able to worship, never alone, but always as a part of that great community which will reign forever with the Lord. Prayer is a tremendous gift.”

Fr. Michael Scanlan, T.O.R.

Appointment with God, Apostolate for Family Consecration

Reflection for May

In the month of May, three great realities are always first in my thoughts:  the Blessed Mother, her Rosary, and power of the Holy Spirit.  They are all connected.  In the Gospel of Luke we hear repeatedly about Mary, “and she pondered these things in her heart.”  She prayed about these things, she considered them, she surrendered them, she offered them, she interceded for them.”  In the Gospel of John, Mary’s only words are, “Do whatever he tells you.”  These words were inspired by the Holy Spirit Who dwells forever in Mary.  She always leads us to listen to Jesus, to wait for Him, to do what He asks us.  The Rosary leads us in the Spirit to contemplate and so imitate the life of Jesus – to allow His life to fill us with joy and hope, to recall that in living in Him His life,  we are ever pleasing to the Father, our Father.  You say, “We fail, we cannot!”  Yes, it is true.  We are so very weak, ever running into ourselves.  Yet our Father stands at the top of the stairs and encourages us to try again.  Mary stands by us to help us up, and Jesus ever looks upon us with love.  They make it all possible in spite of ourselves.  They will bring us up if only we will let them.  We do that in prayer.