St. Bernadette learned a lot about prayer from the Blessed Mother during the visions. Today I want to explore that a bit more. Also, I know there are specific prayers that are written for the intentions at Lourdes. I am particularly interested in the prayers for healing.
One of the central themes in Mary’s messages to Bernadette was the importance of prayer. She called on Bernadette to pray for the poor and the suffering. Bernadette reported, “now and again she would say, ‘penance, penance, penance, pray for sinners.'” (cited here, para 5)
I think this is at the heart of the message for us. Mary knows how important it is that we pray. Our prayer should first be about praise, gratitude, trust, and joy. Then we should include suffering, serenity, solitude, health, and illness.
I have mentioned before that I like the Prayer Process card that I got from Dynamic Catholic. It has been helpful as I get comfortable just having a personal conversation with God. At the same time, I would also recommend a prayer journal as a way to really engage in prayer. It surprised me how munch I enjoyed it, and now it is the best part of my routine.
I got started as part of the Best Lent Ever program, also from Dynamic Catholic. This year they offered an optional companion journal, and I decided to try it. I am so glad I did! I felt like it really helped me to engage in the prayer experience on a deeper level.
Then when Lent ended, I missed it. I liked the way that the Lenten journal had prompts to guide my writing, and they connected to the video meditations I received each morning. A blank journal didn’t really appeal to me because I wanted something that would give me a bit more guidance.
So I bought a book that I thought was going to be a journal with prompts, but it ended up being a book about how to get started with a prayer journal. It is called, Praying with a Pen, (by Mary Beth Weisenburger) and I consider it quite a happy accident. Well, actually I don’t believe in accidents anymore. I’m sure the Lord guided me, once again, to a resource that would enrich my life.
In Praying with a Pen, Mary Beth suggests how to plan your prayer routine and how to find inspiration for things to write. She talks about setting up a personal space, and she shares a lot of writing prompts. This turned out to be the perfect resource for me.
Of course, if we’re thinking about Our Lady of Lourdes and her advice for us to pray, we have to think about the rosary. In Bernadette’s first description of “the lady” she describes Mary with a rosary hanging from one arm.
The rosary is such a beautiful prayer tradition. I enjoyed the opportunity this summer to join my parish rosary group after weekday morning masses. In fact, that is one of the biggest things I miss now that I’m back to school. I can say a rosary by myself, but there’s something powerful about joining in a community of prayer. It’s both comforting and inspiring.
So what is your prayer routine? Do you have one? Do you pray whenever you happen to find time, or do you purposefully plan time in your day to talk to God? I hope your prayer life is enriching your life and helping you to find that joy that God wishes for us.
Dear God, thank you for sharing Mary, the Blessed Mother, with us so she could lead us to prayer. Help us to follow her guidance, and allow our prayer to draw us always closer to You.