Defining prayer is so complex as defining love itself, if we asked; each person would say something different, because prayer is different and special for everybody. Praying is seeing God face to face, smiling at Him and letting Him smile at you, it is crying with Him of joy, of pain, of emotion, of sorrow, experiencing His tenderness, His consolation, hearing His heart beats, having His same feelings, in a word, praying is loving God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength and letting God loving you. This is what some friends or “lovers” of God say about prayer:
• “Prayer is a frequent, lonely and friendly deal with God, by whom our soul feels loved” (St. Therese of Avila).
• “For me, prayer is a heart impulse, a simple glance to heaven, a cry of recognition and love, both, from grief and joy” (St. Therese of the Child Jesus).
• “Prayer is the elevation of soul to God or the request to God for convenient goods” (St. John Damascene).
• “Prayer is a conversation or talk with God” (St. Gregory of Nyssa).
• “Prayer is to talk with God” (St. John Chrysostom).
• “Prayer is the devout love of the mind to God” (St. Bonaventure).
• “Prayer is the conversation of the mind with God with devout and humble love” (St. Augustine).
• “Prayer is the beginning and the end of spiritual life, with it we communicate with God from heart to heart” (Monsignor Luis Ma. Martinez).
• “Prayer is a prelude to heaven. With it God is discovered. Even when Prayer is a divine gift, the Holy Spirit gives it to pure or purified souls” (“Conchita Cabrera of Armida”).
“PRAYER IS A RELATIONSHIP NOT ONLY A RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY"
This last thing is important, prayer is not only an activity that has to do with the fact of being Catholics, it is a way of being connected with God, with Mary and with the saints, it means that it is a two-way thing at least. Prayer is an encounter with God, who loves us so much.
