How Prayer Changed My Life

As a lifelong Catholic, prayer has always been and will always be central to who I am and what I do. There isn't anything that's happening that doesn't require me to say a prayer or two to God. There isn't anything more important in my day that would substitute for my need to pray on a regular basis. Like other Catholics, my prayers include daily recitations of The Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary on the way to and from work, decades of The Holy Rosary while waiting in line, and the Act of Contrition before the Sacrament of Penance.

According to Catholic teachings, the Eucharistic Prayer is the center of the entire celebration of Mass. It is during the Eucharistic Prayer that the bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. The Eucharistic Prayer allows Catholics to offer themselves and their lives to God. It's an important prayer that Catholics say each time they go to Mass.

By praying often and on a regular basis, Catholics acknowledge both the power and goodness of God as well as our own humanity, humility, sinfulness, and need. We give praise and thanksgiving in our prayers. We meditate in prayer. Prayers are said before meals and for those who are in failing health. We pray in church and in our homes. We pray for all kinds of reasons and in all kinds of circumstances. According to Catholic teachings, we pray to God in adoration, to petition, for intercession, and to give thanksgiving and praise.

Prayer Can Change Your Life

Sure, like other young Christians, I drifted some. When I graduated from high school and went to college, there was a period of time when I put faith and prayer on the back burner. I was young and on my own for the very first time. As such, I thought I could go it alone. But I soon learned that friends, fun and worldly things were poor substitutes for strong faith and prayer. I discovered that prayer, especially daily prayer, was critical to keeping God front and center in life.

Prayer Makes Life Better

What happens when you put prayers to work? Simply put, life gets better. Sure, the challenges keep coming your way, but prayer puts things into perspective. Prayer opens up a wonderful line of communication with God and strengthens your relationship with God. Prayer makes life better and brings a clarity to any circumstance that wasn't there before it. Prayer is an essential ingredient to a faithful life, and not a side dish.

The Memorare

My favorite prayer is one my father taught me when I was young. It's called the Memorare and it goes like this:

Remember, O most pious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

I have since learned that this is a Roman Catholic Prayer devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This prayer was popularized by Fr. Claude Bernard in the 17^th century who claims that he learned it from his father. The Memorare is actually part of a longer 15^th century devotion. According to several Catholic texts, Fr. Claude Bernard or "The Poor Priest" devoted his life to preaching The Word to condemned prisoners, many of whom reconciled with God before they died thanks to Fr. Bernard. I love the Memorare for its powerful message about the role Mary plays in our lives as both mother and intercessor.

I can't tell you how many times I've said prayers for friends and family members where my prayers were answered. Whether it's about life's daily challenges or when someone's sick, prayer is powerful. The Memorare, in particular, is a perfect way to enlist Mary's help in providing care, comfort, joy, whatever it is you need. Teach your children the Memorare and they will find great solace as well in this beautiful Marian prayer.

The Power of Prayer to Overcome Fear of Flying

Shortly after my child was born, I discovered that I had become afraid of flying. This was quite surprising given the thousands of miles I had racked up in the course of a demanding career on the road. My flight attendant pals told me it wasn't unusual for new mothers to suddenly become fearful in the air. They were right: things that never bothered me before, like flying, took on greater importance and magnitude. Before long, I dreaded taking a flight and being away from my family. Nothing could shake my fear, even the prayer I usually recited before each and every flight.

One Sunday, our parish's Parochial Vicar at the time gave a sermon that soon changed my life. He told our congregation of the power of saying The Holy Rosary. This in itself was hardly surprising, until he advanced the case for saying The Holy Rosary in parts during the day, while waiting in line, driving in the car, and so forth. He even suggested that saying The Holy Rosary together or in parts can have a calming effect while under stress. This made a lot of sense to me, so I brought the idea with me on my next flight out of town. Sure enough, it worked and I've been saying decades of The Holy Rosary ever since.

The Holy Rosary

The Holy Rosary is considered a perfect prayer because it tells the story of salvation. The Venerable John Paul II wrote in Rosarium Virginis Mariae, "The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, which gradually took form in the second millennium under the guidance of the Spirit of God, is a prayer loved by countless Saints and encouraged by the Magisterium. Simple yet profound, it still remains, at the dawn of this third millennium, a prayer of great significance, destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness."

Did this powerful Catholic prayer, The Holy Rosary, take away my fear of flying? It sure did. Has The Holy Rosary made a difference in my life? It sure has.

Can this prayer work for you? Of course it can, and so can others. Where to start? Look at your own faith tradition. There should be any number of prayers, devotionals and meditations that resonate with you. Where to start? Eliminate the distractions. Find a quiet place where you can think, pray and meditate. What to pray for? That depends. What about world peace?

RESOURCES

Catholic Prayers
www.catholic.org/prayers

Catholic Devotionals
www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers

Traditional Catholic Prayers
www.ourcatholicprayers.com

World Prayers
www.worldprayers.org

World Religions Prayers for Peace
www.souledout.org/newworldreligion/worldprayers/peaceprayers