www.vocation.com - Zeal Fostered in Prayer

On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you." He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come." So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I want to be your apostle. I come to you in prayer with all of my sinfulness, my weakness, and my human frailty. I unite my miserable nothingness to your infinite greatness. With you I can do great things; without you I can do nothing. Lord, teach me to be an effective apostle, always doing what you want me to do and the way you want me to do it.

Petition: Lord, help me to foster apostolic zeal through a life of prayer.

1. Jesus Had Much To Do. Jesus was constantly working. He was up early in the morning and late to bed. When he enters Simon's house, he takes care of his mother-in-law right away. When people come to him with their sick and lame, he does not turn them away but cures as many as come to him. He is constantly on the move, going from town to town and synagogue to synagogue. His life is filled with apostolic action. We must marvel at the intensity of Jesus life. He never stops. There is always someone else who needs him. There is always another soul to be saved.

2. How Does He Do It? Mark reveals to us the secret of Jesus intense apostolic life: Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Jesus finds his motivation and his direction for his apostolic life in intimate filial prayer with his Father. How he must have looked forward to those moments of quiet solitude! They must have been moments that re-energized him, preparing him to take on the grueling intensity of a never-ending apostolate.

3. Prayer Keeps Him On Track. When the disciples find Jesus in prayer, they want to go back to the town to do a repeat of the night before. Everyone is looking for you! They were excited about Jesus popularity and success. But Jesus, through his prayer, has a much clearer idea of his mission: "Let us go onto the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come." His prayer helps him to keep his mission clear and not to get caught up in the vanity of success.

Conversation: Lord, I want to have the apostolic zeal that you had, giving of myself generously day in and day out whenever someone needs me. I know I cannot do it without a deep prayer life. Help me never to separate my apostolic activity from my prayer life. Never let me become so absorbed in activity that I lose the true motivation for that activity. Keep me always close to you in intimate prayer.

Questionnaire

1. Am I truly as open as Christ was to working, spending myself for souls? What holds me back?

2. In what ways does my prayer help me to keep God's will first in my life? Do my prayers make any difference? How would I describe the effect it has on me?