October 19, 2025: Pray Always
Pray Always
[Invite children up around the altar.] Do you know what this is?" [Hold up a magic wand.] "Can anyone think of any characters who use a magic wand? [Allow answers: Harry Potter, Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio, Glinda in The Wizard of Oz, maybe even in the upcoming Wicked movie.]
magic wands can do some pretty amazing things. Watch this [Perform the trick of producing a flower from an empty cup.] "Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could make all our wishes come true with just a wave of a wand?"[Send kids back to their seats.]
Today’s gospel reading is all about prayer. Sometimes, we hope that our prayers get answered just like a magic wand—quickly, and exactly how we want. But that’s not how it works. God isn’t a genie in a lamp, and prayer isn’t about getting everything we want right away. It’s about something much deeper: building a relationship with God.
But what does work is to stay constant in prayer. Just like we need to stay connected with family and friends, we need to stay connected with God—every day. That means we don’t just pray when we need something, like when we say, 'Dear God, help me with this situation, please.' That’s important, but it’s not enough.
The key is to make prayer a habit. For example, set a time every day to connect with God—whether it’s in the morning, at night, or during your lunch break. There are many ways to pray: reading scripture, saying a rosary, silent mediation, journaling. It’s all good. A very simple technique is to simply tell God about your day. For example, share one high and one low. Or share something you’re thankful for, and something that was a challenge. Try to make it at the same time each day, so that it becomes part of your rhythm. The key is consistency.
And go ahead and talk to God as if you are talking to a friend. St. Teresa of Ávila (whose feast day was this past Wednesday) said "Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God." You don’t have to have the 'perfect' words. Talk to God like you’d talk to a friend.
When I pray, sometimes I speak to God as the Creator, but for the last few years, I’ve preferred to talk to Jesus. And it’s the same with you—whether you pray to Jesus, the Holy Spirit, or God the Father—it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you just do it.
Consistency is key—not just in prayer, but in other areas of life, too. For example, with exercise: do something every day. You don’t need to run a marathon or spend hours in the gym, but do something, consistently If you can’t do your regular routine, do something small—stretch, do a few push-ups or crunches. Just don’t skip it.
The same goes for sleep. Try to go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every day. And this goes for simple things around the house—make your bed, wash the dishes, pick up after yourself. Small actions, done consistently, make a big difference.
And as Moses found out in the first reading, things work even better when done with others. So, for your prayer, try sharing the experience. We have a group that prays together on the first Monday of each month.
Join them. Or pray before you eat or pray as a family before bedtime. It’s all good.
God, or I’ll say Jesus, wants to connect with you every day. Not just when you have a problem or need something. Imagine if you only contacted your friend when you needed help. That wouldn’t be much of a friendship, right? Jesus wants to hear about the highs and the lows, the good and the bad—every day. So, take the time to speak with Him. Not just when you need something, but because you want to.
William McGill (former president of Columbia University) once wrote "The value of persistent prayer is not that God will hear us, but that we will finally hear God."
