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Dear Members, Benefactors and Apostles of the Living Rosary,
I take this opportunity to share with you
what your generosity and prayers mean
to the Church in Ukraine, to the Parish of
St. John the Baptist and our youth and
families. Your help to us, the Sacramentals
you send and the many spiritual writings
make our families strong. They are united
in prayer through their daily DECADE
in the Living Rosary and they are strong.
God is powerful and He will save us!
We are very sorry to hear about the
high suicide rate in the USA. Drugs of
every kind, those prescribed by doctors
and those found on the streets, are often
the cause of death and suicide. When
someone in Ukraine learns that he has a
life-threatening disease, he does not take
drugs or undergo surgery. It is the last
thing he would think to do. Our suffering
and sick turn to natural remedies and
return to the Sacraments to make their
peace with God.
It is a devastation that people have
forgotten how to pray. So many pray
little and very poorly. Our lives are crammed with activities, distractions and
even good works, so much so that we do not have a moment for anything else.
We do not have time for God. Deep down, we are convinced that we would be
wasting time praying to God when we could be doing other things of value. We
may give God our good works, our voice and even our money, but let Him not
ask for our time. We are weak precisely because we do not pray.
God wants quiet; He works in silence and He needs serenity to act, and time to
calm us down. He insists that we treat Him with consideration. We must take
time to think of Him. God is not the one who must change; we are the ones who
must change. We come before Him wholly taken up with ourselves, obstinate in
our desires and half crazed with complaints. It takes time for us to adjust our
tempo to His tempo, to subdue self and enter into a state of peace. God does not
fail us because He is silent and remote, but it is we who fail God. In time, God
becomes visible to a soul that prays. Prayer is our surrender to the Holy Spirit. In
prayer, we become calm and receptive to His inspirations. God always answers
our prayers.
We must pray without ceasing and never lose heart. Too many words kill prayer.
Words are often empty and so drained of meaning that we say them without
thinking. This is a prayer which bears little fruit. To pray is to die and be born again!