When is a prayer not a prayer?
When it’s about me and not about God or a desire for God’s work or influence.
You cannot pray when you are angry.
When you want someone to notice that you are praying.
When you want to rewarded for prayer. You will be rewarded, but you can’t expect it.
Ministry done for your own glory, or the visibility and credit for that glory.
When prayer is insincere.
Gospel Mk 12:28-34
The economy of words in this passage just blows my mind. The love of God means following His commandments, yes that is true, but loving your neighbor, everyone else requires us not to be judgmental but open, humble not proud, sharing not covetous, … the list goes on.
This was a call to action to live out our lives through Christ. To have God within us and operating in the world on His behalf. Doing His work. Spreading The Word.
Let us renew these commandments today.
And only where God is seen does life truly begin.
Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is.
We are not some causal and meaningless product of evolution.
Each us is the result of a thought of God.
each of us willed,
each of us is loved,
each of us is necessary.
There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel,
by the encounter with Christ.
There is nothing more beautiful
than to know Him.
And to speak to others of our friendship with Him.
By His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Daily prayers and meditations 