Grow in faith when you face the obstacles that arise within you or from people around you. See how the centurion acts in St Luke’s narrative: When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed” (Luke 7:6-7).

Obstacles disappear with prayer

Difficulties and obstacles disappear as soon as we go to God in prayer. Let us go and speak to Jesus humbly and frankly, bearing in mind that whoever walks in integrity, walks securely (Prov 10:9), and then light will appear, and with it, peace, serenity and joy. And we will be happy, even when there is still mud on our wings. Then, with mortification and penance, the mud will fall off and we will soar like eagles to the heights of faith and works.

Like the man described in the book of Sirach, we have to wake up early in the morning to direct our hearts to the Lord who created us, to pray in the presence of the Most High. We will open our lips in prayer and we will ask pardon for our sins; and if it pleases the Lord, he will fill us with a spirit of intelligence. The Lord will pour forth like rain his words of wisdom, and in our prayer we will praise the Lord. Let us direct our will and our intelligence to meditate on the divine mysteries. Let us proclaim the teachings of his doctrine (Sir 39:6-11, Vg).

Prayer leads to the good divinisation

Prayer will give us the good divinisation that is humble and holy, and we will be able to work in all environments, without any danger. Da, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus: ut, quae divina sunt, iugiter exsequentes, donis mereamur caelestibus propinquare. As a reward for our continued and persevering faithfulness to divine things, the Lord will generously shower on us the richness of his gifts. He will divinise us in the good sense. Da nobis, quaesumus, Domine, perseverantem in tua voluntate famulatum; ut in diebus nostris, et merito et numero populus tibi serviens augeatur. Let us persevere in God’s service and we will see how this army of peace, this people dedicated to co-redemption, grows in number and holiness.