For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/092207.shtml
It is great to have the Apostles of the Interior life at the St. Lawrence Center at KU. The sisters do such an extraordinary job of teaching students how to build a life of prayer and meditation. The interior life is always given priority over one’s apostolate, for one’s good works should always be the fruit of the victory Christ is winning within one’s soul. The story of Martha and Mary, with Mary having chosen the better part, does not excuse a lack of good works in one’s life, but gives priority to listening to Jesus, who will mark out our apostolate for us. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you, and appointed you to go out and to bear fruit that will remain.
The parable of the king who began to build but could not finish is also a reminder to us to give priority to the interior life. Without prayer, we do not have a chance for Jesus to purify our motives for serving Him; nor do we allow Him to give us new eyes to see how His kingdom is being built in and through us. Our enthusiasm at having been called by name by our Lord, and entrusted by Him to go out and to bear fruit that will remain, must cause us to form solid habits of the will that are stronger than the habits of distraction that inevitably threaten us. These habits of prayer are the good soil of which Jesus speaks.
If we learn how to pray, we will converse with Jesus intimately as with a friend. This is the source of Jesus' own power – that He speaks to His Heavenly Father face to face always, as with a friend. Without this interior conversation with out Lord, we will bear no lasting fruit.
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