Prayer as Activity

Prayer is not inaction. Prayer is not sitting back and watching everyone else do good deeds. Prayer is not useless. Prayer is not meaningless. Prayer is not ineffective. Prayer is not dependent on our own goodness. Prayer is not dependent on the opinion of those who think it is useless.

Prayer does spur us on to action. Prayer does make our action more effective. Prayer does raise our action to God. Prayer makes us more aware of the good we need to do. Prayer does impel us to make effective political and social change. Prayer is action. Prayer is the highest action. Prayer is loving.

So as you pray for Las Vegas, Florida, Texas, Sandy Hook, Paris, southeast Asia, Montana, Oklahoma, Dallas, Orlando, any other hashtags, cities, or people that/who I am forgetting, let prayer be your starting and ending point. Do not let those who do not believe in prayer or God stop you from prayer. They are hurting and raw and betrayed and frustrated and rightly so. They may simply not need to know that we are praying, and that's ok. They'll come to know. Prayerfully donate blood, food, water, medical supplies, money, and any other needed resources. Prayerfully vote for politicians in local and national elections who will unwaveringly establish needed changes. Pray. It doesn't need a hashtag to work. You don't need to announce it if you don't want to. You can do it in a prayer vigil, at Mass, with your family, or as you reflect on your own. Just do it.

Lord have mercy on us.