THE PRAYER

I was always touched by the our Lord admonition  " be ….. praying at all times" (Luke 21:36). It seemed to me, at the first-time, an excessive demand, impossible to achieve, but then gradually I ' have understood the meaning, so it seemed to me to be the most natural thing to do.  Let me explain better: I have first understood that praying did not mean to say words and words; the Lord's told: " 'In your prayers do not babble as the gentiles do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard." (Matthew 6:7), and John (4:23) " the hour is coming -- indeed is already here -- when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth: that is the kind of worshipper the Father seeks."  So I have understood the Lord wants from us more than some words, He wants our heart and He wants it belongs completely to Him, because, following St. Augustine "Confessions", "our heart is made for Him."
I have then understood  how the Lord, the Almighty, wants our prayer have to be: the words of our own heart. I also realized that if my heart belongs completely to God, not only if I love Him above all else, but if I love anyone and anything in Him to whom my heart belongs, then every day actions, even the most banal or most fun, become prayer: if somebody do it for His love: then to eat, to sleep, to go to the disco, being with his own fiancée or bride, traveling, going to the movie, etc… is prayer.  Saint Paul tells us in effect " Whatever you eat, then, or drink, and whatever else you do, do it all for the glory of God.." (1 Corinthians: 10.31).
So if I take the Psalms or the prayers of the Liturgy, they are for me praying and not just words, only if there will be the added value of my heart for the Lord.
In this manner I think to answer to the Lord request to "pray all times".

                                                                                                Enrico Pierosara