DOES PRAYER “WORK?”...

How many times do we bemoan the fact that we have prayed and prayed but the situation we hoped might change will not budge?
Even getting as far as quoting to ourselves “Ask and you shall receive...” and adding with trembling lip; “But I haven’t!!!”
Feeling this way is a big de-motivator to continuing in prayer. We can feel confused and burned out. Prayer we feel is no longer “enjoyable” or worthwhile and we doubt if God is listening at all.
Many have written on this subject, with greater insight than I, but I should like to share here what I have learned about it to help reassure others.
To tackle the problem, let’s define what prayer is -
The Catechism describes it in this way; “Prayer is raising the heart and mind to God.”
Therefore, prayer is: Being able to speak from the heart, in confidence to a loving heavenly Father.
Just for the record, let’s also define what prayer isn’t: Jesus said “Do not babble like the pagans…” Reciting prayers with no thought of whom you are conversing with, or what the words mean is not praying - it is noise.
Do we need to ask ourselves, are we actually praying? Or just “making noise"?
This takes me to the “unanswered prayer” question:
Our motives are important, if we are praying constantly and fervently to win the lottery, well maybe God knows that too much money would only buy us a ticket to hell, so in that case he makes the executive decision not to grant it. When I found that I was miscarrying my second child, you can bet I prayed as much as possible to keep it. But God decided it was better with Him.
You see, the reason for prayer can be misunderstood; the gift of prayer is not so much to have God serve us, but so that we can learn to serve him by letting him in. Then God’s love can spread to others through us, and the whole world gets to be a better place. (May thy kingdom come.)
As to the Virgin Mary, she had no “ambitions”- except to do the will of God. Many girls of her time may have prayed specifically that they might become the mother of the Messiah, but Mary in her humility did not – her reply “You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said."(Luke 1: 38)Is evidence of her submission in prayer.
~ Prayer is about developing a relationship with God, where we accept his Father – ship, and we can become his children. As for those prayed for situations which “will not budge”, well it is possible for all the graces our prayers have merited for someone are rejected by their own free will, like an unwanted gift. Sometimes children refuse what is good for them. The gift is not wasted though; it is given to the child more open to receiving it.
Often our prayers are answered but not in the way we would like, accepting this, is accepting that God has answered us – with a “no” or a “not yet.”
It has been said though, that constant fervent prayer will always overcome the darkness.
And to bear this out, let’s look at just one of the cracking human beings God in His wisdom has gifted this world with; (O.K. lets make that two of them!)
Over many years the persistent prayers of Saint Monica affected the conversion of her son, who was addicted to all sorts of worldly pleasures. Though there must have been times she was tempted to give up, thankfully she didn’t as her son of course became Saint Augustine. We cannot measure or count the good which has came from the works of his monastery or the wisdom of his spiritual writings to souls worldwide.
God knows, if we cease to communicate with one another, relationships do not last, so he eagerly awaits our prayers.
And if you are still wondering if prayer works and if God is listening at all; then know that what ever we offer with our hearts to God in love or supplication, he accepts like a daddy would his toddler’s undecipherable crayoned efforts and gives them pride of place in his heart… like any good parent, he also keeps from us all the things we may whine for, which would only result in a trip to the casualty department!
God is the best of Fathers, He never gives gifts that are useless – Finally, Praying works, simply because God himself decided it was meant to!
PHOTOS: 1.praying mother and child - archive of the Sanctuary of Fatima
2.The Annunciation - Rosary Basillica Lourdes. 3.Child's crayon drawing.

WHAT IS A NOVENA ? explained...

A Novena is a period of nine days, or weeks in which one prays for a particular intention. The number nine is not chosen as having any magical significance;In scripture after the Resurrection, Jesus instructed his apostles to await in Jerusalem for the descent of the Holy Spirit. There are nine days between the Ascension and Pentecost ~ Pentecost marking the occasion of the Holy Spirit infilling the apostles as they prayed at the cenacle.
In the New testament we read in the Acts of the Apostles that ~ "With one heart all the apostles joined constantly in prayer, together with some women, including Mary the Mother of Jesus..."

The Novena devotion really came into its own during the middle ages, when it was adopted more widely as a practice of reciting prayer for nine days. Its a small means of edifying our fluctuating wills in our relationship with God, and affirming our commitment to, and confidence in Him. Jesus's example showed that we are to "pray constantly - without ceasing" Prayer using a "Novena", is a reflection of this example.
PHOTO:Icon depicting Pentecost, artist unknown.

IMAGE OF OUR LADY of Perpetual Succour...

The original picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour was painted in Crete over 500 years ago. It was stolen by a merchant in 1498 and taken to Rome. It is recorded that the merchant fell seriously ill the following year, and he asked a friend to take it to a church where it could be seen by the faithful once again.
But on the death of the merchant, his friend placed the picture in his own home. Soon after this, the man's wife began to have visions of Our Lady, requesting that the image be placed in the church of Saint Matthew in Rome. They were convinced that this was indeed a message that they could no longer ignore, and finally complied with Our Lady's request.
In 1798 The church of St. Matthew was destroyed ,and the icon was kept safe by the Augustinian friars. Eventually a new church of St. Alphonsus was built on the site of the old church of St. Matthew, and the Pope requested that the picture be moved to this new church of the Redemptorists.

It was solemnly installed in 1866, and the first copy of the picture to leave Rome came to Bishop Eton Redemptorist church in Liverpool England, where the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help continues to this day.
I had the good fortune to be baptised in a church dedicated to St. Matthew. My childhood was punctuated with visits to church for the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. The shrine was particularly beautiful in the dark of winter. The glow of the candles warmed the jewel -like colours of the icon, and animated the gilded backdrop of a golden heaven, upon which the two archangels attended Mary and her son. It was a much -loved devotion, the central focus being that special time when the Blessed Sacrament was adored in the monstrance during recitation of the Magnificat. I have enjoyed many favours through this Novena devotion. Not least of which was a "second conversion" in which a Redemptorist priest of the afore mentioned Bishop Eton was instrumental. Our Lady of Perpetual Succour provided the help I needed to return (from my brief lapse from the faith) through one of her devoted sons.

I personally love this image for more than the comforting memories it evokes in me: For see how tenderly she holds the Christ-child's trembling hands as his life's work is revealed by the two attendant angels, Michael to the left, and Gabriel to the right. Michael holding the lance and sponge, and Gabriel the cross of Christ.
Clinging trustingly to his mother, the infant squirms in alarm, losing his little sandal at the thought of his forthcoming passion and death.
Mary's hand is cupped around him, enthroning him, as she supports him in his ordeal.
The artist of this icon succeeds in telling a truth about Mary's motherhood which, many parents understand. It echoes the truth that parenthood entails loving sacrifice ~ A message poignant for today. There are greater truths to be found if one should care to gaze upon it prayerfully.
Understandably it is one of the best known and and much loved icons in the world.
(Resources for image and history presented with thanks to the Redemptorists.)

FATHER GINO'S STORY (part four ~ the end)...

Not long after these events, the Bishop Francis Carrol prayed for some time and told Gino “Great changes for the better will soon take place in your parish.” And although the honour of consuming the miraculous host was given to another priest, Father Gino was allowed to re-consecrate his church of Saint Joseph’s.
Sergeant Parsons, his wife and children all took instructions in the faith, and many fallen away Catholics returned to the church. The tears Father Gino had sown in winter were now starting to bloom. The church was full to overflowing, and there was talk of extending it to accommodate the people.
However, Father Violini received orders that he was to move to the parish of Gleichen, sixty-five miles east of Calgary. The people of his parish became incensed to resist the move, so Father Gino, wanting only to fulfil his promise of obedience left Cowley for Gleichen in the early hours of February 3rd 1951, before anyone was up.
In 1980. Father Gino Violini’s health began to suffer when he was diagnosed with cancer. He retired though still made himself available to people, spending long hours listening to confessions, and celebrating many masses in his home. He was known for his love of people, animals, and his particular devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
He departed this life on March the 9th 1992, at the age of 85, at the Holy Cross Hospital Calgary.
PHOTO: Contemporary version of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, copywrite G-nette's Art.
(Written with thanks to Patrick Owens, and Kathleen Deering)

FATHER GINO'S STORY (part three)...

The day of the search began in heavy rain as the volunteers combed long stretches of the shoulder on Highway three. Toward the afternoon, there was great excitement as the pix in which the Eucharist was kept was found, but it was empty and there was no sign of the host.
In the meantime, two suspects had been picked up. Father Gino recognised them as two guys he had chatted with at a baseball game. Despite his fears that the host would have disintegrated in the heavy rain, Father Gino received permission from the Mounties to question the men. He explained to the men kindly, how precious the object he was looking for was to Catholics. He promised to drop all charges if they would only help with retrieving it.
The non – catholic sergeant was both amused and moved by Gino’s earnestness remarking” It may not mean much to you or me, but you just stole his Jesus!”
One of the men described the bend in the road on the high way shoulder where he had discarded it through the window of their vehicle.
Seeing the look of urgency on Father Gino’s face, Sergeant Parsons of pincher creek agreed to take Father Gino to the spot.
It was approaching six O’ clock in the evening, the rain clouds had dispersed and the sky was clear.

As they rounded the bend in the road east of Bellevue, they were astounded to see the Host suspended in the air beside the highway emanating rays of coloured light. Overwhelmed with joy and delight at finding Jesus safe, Father Gino was out of the car before it came to a halt.
Close on his heels was the non-catholic sergeant who joined Father Violini on his knees in the same muddy puddle left by the rains.
As Father Gino stood to take the Host from the air, (which was fresh as the day he had consecrated it) he heard a clear voice say to him: “Father Gino, take me back to my home in Cowley.”
Father Gino would often weep in thinking of this event, whose meaning was clear to him. “I wanted to leave Cowley, but I found Jesus on the highway asking me to take him back to Cowley. Never again would I ask to be moved from a parish, no matter how disagreeable it might be to me.”
PHOTOS: "Sacramentum" and "last rays" Copywrite G-nette's Art

FATHER GINO'S STORY (part two)

On Thursday, 3rd of June, Father Gino was anticipating the feast of Corpus Christi and the tenth anniversary of his priesthood. “Here was I, Big shot, planning for a big celebration.” he said.
He rose early as usual, and went directly to the church, and on arriving found the front door was hanging by one hinge. In disbelief he gazed at the windows, seeing every one had been broken. Inside the church the statues and the walls were all in disarray. Fearing for the contents of the Tabernacle, Fr. Gino wasted no time in collecting and counting the small consecrated hosts as he followed their path along the main aisle of the church
One by one he picked them up, counting them as he went along, with great relief he recovered them all; all but one...his greatest fear was realised when the large Benediction host was nowhere to be seen.
Father Gino alerted Father Harrington of the Crows nest deanery immediately.
Having obtained permission from the Bishop of Calgary; Father Harrington initiated prayers of reparation for the desecration, and search Parties were drawn from the neighbouring towns of Bellevue, Hillcrest, and Coleman, and as far away as Natal in British Columbia….yet in his own parish, Father Gino found no hands willing to help.
The Bishop suspended Father Gino Violini from the faculty of saying mass until an investigation was made (clearing of him of fault regarding church security.)
This was a painful blow to the memory of his ordination day, for he who through his long years of illness, had only one wish: to be a priest and offer at least one Mass before the prognosis given of an early death came to pass.

FATHER GINO AND THE EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE (part one)

PHOTO: "Yours, Father Gino," With thanks to Ms.K. Deering, (one of his Canadian parishoners.)

When the time came for Gino Violini to be ordained, he was in such poor health it was feared that he would go to the Lord before even saying his first mass. His Bishop however thought otherwise and prophesied that "God had work for him to do."
And he was ordained by a "last minute instruction" from the Vatican.
During his priesthood, Father Violini acquired a reputation for reviving parishes which were near to demise.
On July 18th 1946, he was to have his toughest challenge yet, sent to St. Joseph’s church in the parish of Cowley near the Crows nest pass, with its legendary wind storms and below zero temperatures.
Not only was the weather in Cowley hostile, his four faithful parishioners cautioned him that no one here wanted a priest, and he’d best not provoke people by wearing his cassock in public.
The rectory opposite the church was known locally as the “rat house”. Snow blew in through the cracks in the walls and the ceiling, to settle on his bedclothes. To ensure that mass was daily available to his small congregation, he often had to crawl on hands and knees to the church, and the neighbouring parishes he visited, or else be blown away by the winds.

His first Christmas collection amounted to a dollar and thirteen cents. To be frugal, he would cut a loaf into seven pieces; one for each day of the week, and in the summer picked and ate a salad of wild dandelions. He begged bones and meat scraps for his two dogs by joking to the local butcher that he might be catholic, but his dogs were “good Protestants.” His good humour kept his dogs reasonably fed.
His parishioners came to realise his plight, and began to invite him for lunch and dinner on a regular basis. Despite this act of kindness, after two years Father Gino felt discouraged and wrote to his Bishop asking to be moved. The reply came, reminding him of his vow of obedience, and the confidence the Bishop had in his giftedness of bringing revival to neglected parishes.