A good question to reflect on today is why do you pray?  A first response may be, because it is the right thing to do or because I was taught to pray growing up and have continued that habit.  Look deeper though, really why do YOU pray?  Something draws us in to prayer, something that may not make sense to us, something beyond us, something bigger than each one of us.  That something is God.  In the Gospel reading the people in the crowd similarily felt drawn to Jesus.  They may not have understood why, but they followed Jesus, they were drawn to him.  The Gospel says, “They were like sheep without a shepherd.” (Mark 6:34)  Jesus is our shepherd, He is the more that we are drawn to.  St. Augustine says, “You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O Lord.”  Through Jesus Christ’s presence among each one of us, especially in the Eucharist, we are drawn to God where we find truth and happiness, just like the apostles and crowds were drawn to follow Jesus.

In this Year of Faith we are asked as Catholics to enter into deeper faith, a deeper relationship with God, deeper prayer.   We are about five months into the Year of Faith; how is prayer going?  Have we responded to God’s call to enter into a deeper relationship of prayer with Him?  Have we followed in Mary’s example, saying Yes to the Lord?  I know I have not, not in all of the ways that I can.  The good news is that the Year of Faith is just that, a whole year long.  We are not quite halfway yet, there is still opportunity to respond fully, to say Yes to the Lord.  Take this opportunity today to reflect on your prayer life and what you have done for the Year of Faith so far.

Not sure what to do for the Year of Faith?  The first reading gives us a good place to start.  “Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise” and “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.”  Everything we are, every gift we have is from God.  Let us live our lives knowing that and offering our lives back to God in praise.  Today, enter into prayer not as merely saying words, but to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, to listen to Him and how He speaks to your heart. Then take that prayer, that relationship to your daily life. 

“The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”