Just as one needs to communicate appropriately with one’s friends and family to maintain relationships, one needs to pray, converse with God on a regular basis. Prayer should not be motivated solely by our temporal desires, but by our need to grow in faith and become more intimate with God.
Often we expect that God will simply give us whatever we ask for in prayer and are disappointed when we do not receive it. But prayer has effects more far reaching than merely having petitions for temporal wants met.
The outcome of the different levels and methods of prayer must always be a stronger relationship with God and a greater compassion for our brother – represented in all of humanity.
The uniqueness of Catholic prayer is that apart from always being an intimate dialogue with God, not only do we have different types of prayer, we also lean heavily on the saints and especially the Blessed Mother to direct our intentions to the Holy Trinity.
Prayer is the spiritual manna for the soul, essential to cement our bond with God. Prayers said in faith, love and charity are prayers said unceasingly, marking a mature relationship with our Maker.
Bishop Stephen LEE announces that, from 11th March to 19th March 2022, in addition to the Prayer to St. Roch, the following prayer, released earlier by Pope Francis, will be recited in all parishes after public Masses, with the special prayer intention for our brothers and sisters in neighbouring Hong Kong in the midst of the worsening epidemic.