It’s easy to begin Lent with more superficial commitments, such as giving up a favourite food or doing an extra good deed. Some choose to use Lent as a time to get in better physical shape, and others decide to dedicate more time to spiritual reading or good works. All of this is good and useful, however, the three pillars of Lent; prayer, fasting and almsgiving are key. In particular prayer. The cornerstone of our Lenten journey is prayer.

“…But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your  Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” (Matthew 6:6) 

Prayer is conversation with God. It is essential for fasting and almsgiving because prayer gives us the strength to fast. Pope Francis said, “Lent is a privileged time for prayer.” In prayer, we draw closer in relationship with God. Relationship with God makes us grateful for the blessings we have received.

The great mystics have taught us that there are many levels to prayer. We often begin with the recitation of prayers, such as the beautiful prayer of the rosary. From there we meditate, ponder and reflect deeply upon the mysteries of our Lord and His life. We come to know Him more fully and, little by little, discover that we are no longer just thinking about God, but we are gazing at Him face to face.

As we begin the holy season of Lent, reflect upon your practice of prayer. Commit yourself to the discovery of God in prayer. There is no limit and no end to the depth to which God wants to draw you through prayer. True prayer is never boring. When you discover true prayer, you discover the infinite mystery of God.