Pope Francis will open the 11th edition of the “24 Hours For The Lord” Lenten initiative this Friday, March 8, at the Roman parish of San Pio V.
St. ThéRèse of Lisieux said “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” Manuscrits autobiographiques
In paragraph (2559) the CatholicCatechism teaches “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.”2 But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or “out of the depths” of a humble and contrite heart?3 He who humbles himself will be exalted;4 humility is the foundation of prayer, Only when we humbly acknowledge that “we do not know how to pray as we ought,”5 are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. “Man is a beggar before God.”
Father Mike Schmitz in Day 245 of his CIY podcast covering Catechism paragraphs 2691-2699, says: “We know we can pray anywhere at any time, yet certain places are more favorable for prayer. There are also certain rhythms of prayer in the life of the Church that foster regular attention to the Lord. As Fr. Mike emphasizes with the Catechism, we can’t pray always “if we don’t pray at specific times.” Today Fr. Mike encourages us to find our place and time for prayer.
Observed annually in dioceses worldwide on the eve of the fourth Sunday of Lent, the “24 Hours For The Lord” Lenten initiative, dedicated to prayer and reconciliation, was inaugurated by Pope Francis at the start of his pontificate. Pope Francis has asked for every parish to open its doors for 24 hours so that the faithful might encounter Jesus Christ anew in the Sacrament of Penance and Eucharistic Adoration.
“Prayer is the best weapon we possess, the key that opens the heart of God” – St. Padre Pio
The theme for this year’s event is “Walking in a New Life,” taken from Romans chapter 6: “4 We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. 5 For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.”
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