Ave Maria Meditations
To pray is to believe in and worship God and to acknowledge that our existence has a supernatural goal, and that we have not only a bodily but also a spiritual life; we put God first, others before ourselves, and ourselves before worldly things, before all that is transitory and that is not as valuable as our immortal souls.
To pray is to live in constant, calm, strong, and lasting union with God, to look at everything from God’s point of view, and to be so peacefully anchored in eternity that annoyances, unavoidable struggles, and continual activity have no ability to disturb us or to drag us down. Do not think that when I speak to you in this way about living in eternity in advance, that I forget that though you are a future citizen of heaven, you are at the present time a young citizen of earth. I am not encouraging you to neglect your human responsibilities.
When life is established on a solid foundation of faith and when Grace sustains us daily, we can live on earth and do our part in building up society. We are able to enjoy the happiness and love that comes our way to a degree scarcely known to those who do not put a little of eternity into their love and pleasure. Nothing human is foreign to us, and we possess the priceless privilege of being simultaneously members of the human race and sons of earth, and also members of the heavenly race and sons of God.
Prayer calls for action, just as action requires prayer to inspire and direct it. Yes, indeed, let us pray a great deal. Let us always work with courage for ourselves, our brothers and sisters, and for God
The Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur
