Series on The Practice of the Presence of God (Part 2 of 4)
What does a good prayer look like? We don’t know. Everyone has the freedom on how they pray. But thinking about God, reading a book about God and just saying words about God is not praying. Praying is the relationship that brings us in to a conscious living contact with God himself. Everything is at the service of relationship with Him. There’s a real person looking back at us in prayer — who loves us and wants to draw us close to his sacred heart. Jesus wants to meet us in that contemplative space and experience his heart there.
In relation to Brother Lawrence’s Book, this episode talks through some amazing insights on the relational aspect of prayer as well as some logic and application of prayer. An invitation for us to re-evaluate our prayer life which is meant to put us in relationship with God.
You can find the Presence of God challenge in the Hallow app or this link, where you can join in and reflect with Fr. Mark-Mary on The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.
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They Will See God
What if seeing God isn’t about trying harder, but desiring Him more simply? For this week the friars turn to the Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.” In this episode, they explore what purity of heart really means, not moral perfection, but a heart that looks to Jesus without distraction, without divided desires, without constantly turning back toward the world. They talk about intimacy with God, the battle against distraction, how sin clouds our vision, and how purity isn’t about hating yourself but forgetting yourself so you can finally fix your gaze on the One who loves you. Through the lens of St. Francis, the saints, and our own daily struggles, this conversation invites us to reorient our hearts toward the Father and receive again the joy that comes from seeing Him clearly. Walk with us as we learn to desire what He desires and see God in a new and life-changing way.
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Jesus’s Favorite Things: Lowliness
What does lowliness mean to you and God? The experience of lowliness can sometimes be what we dislike about ourselves. These are times when we’re not doing great or not rich or attractive—these are usually the parts we reject about ourselves. But part of the mystery is that in this lowliness, God mainly manifests His love for us and reveals His heart for us, and Jesus embodies this kind of lowliness. In this…
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Mercy, Mercy, Mercy!
Are we good at repenting? When someone notices our stuff and points it out… are we open to it? To repenting wholeheartedly? Or do we hold onto it? We need help repenting and finding healing, so God constantly sends prophets to speak into the lives of his chosen people. David’s a really good example of how…
