Jesus went up on the mountain by himself to pray

Jesus went up on the mountain by himself to pray.

Walking across campus at the University of Marseilles, an economics student observed a priest praying his breviary.   For Jean-Baptiste Chautard, this seemingly mundane experience “produced in me an urgent need to pray from then on.”   Eventually, Chautard decided to return to the faith of his childhood.   He entered a Trappist monastery and was ordained a priest in 1877. All of this because of an anonymous priest’s prayer!

Chautard later wrote The Soul of the Apostolate.   Prayer, he wrote, should always undergird spiritual activities, especially missionary activity.   Prayer should become the “soul” of any work in the name of the Lord.

On one occasion, Chautard was tasked with rescuing the Trappist community in Paris from financial ruin.   Unfortunately, his eloquence and economic expertise proved useless.   Despondent, he brought his concerns to God and the Virgin Mary at a nearby shrine.   As he left the shrine, he met a stranger, who asked, “Are you a Trappist? Can I be of any assistance to you?”   The monastery was saved through the stranger’s generosity, and Chautard once again saw the importance of prayer.

Jesus continually circled back to prayer in the midst of the demands on his time.   In scripture, we see him withdrawing “by himself to pray” after a long day ministering to the crowds.   Repeatedly, he told people that he only did what he heard his Father tell him to do—in prayer.

If Jesus needed ample time with the Father, then so do we.   And if he was blessed by times of prayer, we will be too.

Life is busy.   Distractions are innumerable.   Temptations seem unending.   Don’t let them pull you down!   Persist in prayer.   Every day, take the time you need to rest your heart in Jesus.   Talk with him about your day, the highs as well as the lows.   Or read a psalm slowly, and allow the words to wash over you.   Seek Jesus’ presence, and you will experience his peace and his direction.   Remember, he loves you and he wants to spend time with you.   As Fr. Chautard wrote, Jesus is calling out: “Come back to me. . . . Withdraw yourself a little from the crowd.” Make prayer the soul of your life.

word among us