s I stated on our "Time" page, "The family that prays together stays together.  Just as budgeting our money is important, it is just as important that we learn to budget our time.  Statistics show a divorce rate of almost one in two for couples who don't attend Church, don't pray with one another and who marry outside the Church.  Investing an hour a week in Church attendance decreases the rate to 1 in 55.  If they pray with each other every day besides, the divorce rate is 1 in 1005.  If they use Natural Family Planning as their family planning method, no divorces have been recorded.  The investment of very little time can help us reap great rewards.  If we are not married, that investment can help our lives be more peaceful and meaningful as well."

Prayer is so important.  Jesus went off to pray before he did anything important in his life.  We can hear many people talk about the power of prayer.  A recent study compared the progress of heart patients who were prayed for as compared to a group that wasn't.  Although neither the doctor or patient knew who was being prayed for, or even that anybody was ... those who were prayed for recovered with greater success and less medication than those who weren't.

We can't even know all the benefits of prayer.  It's the most powerful force, though.  Many of us find it very natural to pray when we're in trouble or when someone we love is sick.  When things are going well though, it's easy to forget.  That's the history of God's people.  When the chips were down, they prayed and reformed.  When things were going well ... they forgot.  How much better things are for us when we remember to pray.  Individual prayer is valuable, that's for sure.  One of the saints though, described communal prayer in this way.  Individual prayers are like burning pieces of straw, scattered all over the ground.  Communal prayer is like huge mounds of straw, burning together and forming a huge fire that reaches toward heaven.

Study is important, too.  We're never too old to learn more.  Sometimes we pretend we know more than we really do.  Other times we become defensive or avoid speaking about things of faith because we don't know as much as we'd like to know.  

Where do we start?  For the past several years, I have been sending a daily e-mail Morning Prayer to thousands of people all over the world.  It's a very simple prayer indeed, and takes just a minute or so each day.  It is also possible for us to ask the entire group to pray for our intentions.  There are hundreds of stories of miracles that have come about through this group.  It's free, and it's easy to subscribe.  Click Here for complete details.  The Rosary and memorized prayers from our childhood are valuable as well.

Community prayer is very important as well.  We can begin to attend Mass again.  Some of us may not yet be able to receive the Eucharist, but we can attend Mass and gain great strength and many graces.  We can begin again, to see others as sisters and brothers we have not yet met.  We can become involved in parish life and do what we need to do in order to participate more and more fully.

We can learn more about our Faith.  We can obtain a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or even click here to access the Internet version.  We can get a bible too, or click here an on-line bible and the scriptures for each day.  For the past year or two I have been sending the link for the scriptures for the upcoming weekend, some reflection questions and a spiritual reflection for each weekend.  It can be very helpful.   Click Here for complete details.

Some of us will need a structured way to learn more about the Catholic Faith, especially if we didn't attend Religious Education classes or if we missed receiving First Eucharist or Confirmation.  It's good then, to contact a nearby Catholic Church and get involved in the program they offer those wishing to learn more about the Catholic Faith.

here is no shame in learning how to pray or learning about the Church.  We seem to learn even better when we're motivated to do so.  As we seek meaning in our lives, that search can provide the motivation we need.  Learning and praying are lifelong pursuits.  We're never so smart that we shouldn't try to learn more.  We're never so old that we couldn't benefit from more and better prayer.  We learn and we pray best one day at a time.  Each day provides new opportunities to learn and to pray.  Why not c'mon back?!