The world has become so rebellious to the gospel, so sure of itself, so proud, that only the "strong wine" of the Spirit can win over its unbelief and lead it out of its human and rationalistic sobriety, which is sometimes called scientific objectivity.

Fr. Cantalamessa, "Sober Intoxication of the Spirit" p. 151

"Come away and rest"

Now prayer - the life of prayer - maintains, stimulates, quickens and perfects those feelings of faith, humility, trust, and love which together constitute the best predisposition of the soul to receive an abundance of divine grace A soul to whom prayer is a familiar thing profits more from the sacraments and other means of salvation than does another in whom prayer, intermittent prayer, is disconnected and without vigor. A soul that is not faithfully devoted to praying can recite the Divine Office, assist at Holy Mass, receive the sacraments, hear the word of God, but its progress will often be mediocre. Why is that?

Because the principal author of our perfection and of our holiness is God himself, and prayer keeps the soul in frequent contact with God; it establishes, and having established keeps going, a fire-hearth in the soul, as it were - one where, even if it is not in action all the time, love's fire is all the time smoldering, at least. And as soon as that soul is put into direct communication with the Divine life (for instance in the sacraments) this is like a strong breath of air that sets the soul ablaze, stirs it up, fills it with a marvelous superabundance. A soul's supernatural life is measured by its union with God through Christ in faith and love. This love has to produce acts: but those acts, if they are to be produced in a regular and intense way, require a life of prayer. It can be established that, so far as its ordinary paths are concerned, progression forward in our love of God depends in practice on our life of prayer.
Author: Blessed Columba Marmion. (Taken from Magnificat, July '09)

Ask. For God surely Hears Prayer

1. "Abraham was greatly distressed... but God said..." (Gen 21:11 & 12)
2. "He (Ishmael) began to cry. God heard the boy's cry." (Gen 21:16 & 17)
3. "The demons pleaded with Him." (Mt. 8:31)
4. "They (the townspeople) begged Him to leave." (Mt 8:34)

We see from Wednesday's readings four very different requests. God hears and answers prayer.

First God hears the distress in Abraham and promises to take care of Ishmael. Secondly, Ishmael is dying of thirst in the wilderness and God sends his angel, who reveals to Hagar the hidden well. In the third scenario, the demons prayed to Jesus asking him not to send them out. They ask to go into the swine. Jesus grants their prayer. Fourthly, the townspeople, upon seeing Jesus, beg Him to leave their presence. (How often do we, too, ask Jesus to leave our presence ?)

Here are four accounts of God hearing and answering. "Ask and you shall receive." (Jn 16:24)

Reflections adapted from a homily on 7/1/9 by Fr. John Linden.

Quieting the Storm Within

If, my beloved, you are not yet acustomed to overcome sudden impulses and the excitement of passions, roused, for example, by insults or by other clashes, I advise you to do this: make it a rule every morning, while you still sit at home, to review in your mind all the occasions you may meet with in the course of the day, both favorable and unfavorable, and visualize the passionate impulses, lusts, and irritations they may provoke; then prepare in yourself beforehand how to stifle them at the very inception, without allowing them to develop. If you do this, you will never be taken unawares by any movements of passions, but will always be ready to resist them, without being troubled with anger or enticed by lust. This review of what may happen should be practiced especially when you have to go out and visit places where you are bound to meet people, who can either attract or irritate you. Being prepared, you will easily avoid the one and the other. If a wave of passion arises, it will roll over your head or will break against you as against a rock, instead of carrying you with it like a flimsy boat. Let [it]...compel your mind and heart to rise to God on high and, having produced in yourself a clear consciousness and feeling of God's boundless love and of his impartial truth, try through this to thrust out the passionate movement and to replace it by its opposing good.
Father Lorenzo Scupoli (Taken from June Magnificat, pps 308-309)