On Spirituality… The Mighty Sword of Prayer

Isn’t it amazing that the birth of one small boy could have so much impact on the world? There has never been a birth in all of history that has brought about so much joy and so much sorrow. Jesus is the prince of peace, but not without cost.
Patriots will tell us that freedom is not free, lives will be sacrificed to defend our borders and interests abroad, and while I personally detest war, I’ve spent my whole life living in the freest nation in the world because we fought them.
Jesus said he did not come to bring peace but division. Aligning ourselves with Him was going to mean setting ourselves apart from the crowd. It meant we would have to make sacrifices for our beliefs, not by waging war in the traditional sense but by the sword of prayer. The sword of prayer is the weapon we use to combat the ills of our society. The sword of prayer is where the power of God is made manifest in our world today.
There are Benedictine monks and other religious orders of men and women who devote their entire day to prayer. It may begin at 3 or 4 in the morning and again at 6am and continue through the day, into the late evening, every day. Their prayer is a mighty sword for peace and justice in our world. They could leave the monastery and work in a soup kitchen, or hospital, or in many places to help the poor but they believe their prayer moves the hand of God.
The mighty sword of prayer moving the all mighty hand of God for Gods purpose that we might have a more perfect world. One day I am sure we will know how much better our world is because of the effort and dedication of these holy men and women.
How can we ever show our gratitude to that little child born on Christmas morning, the one who taught us to pray Our Father? Peace and blessings, Deacon