Pray for me – how often we hear these words, how often we use them. People and ourselves do wish to have others pray for them/us. It is in times of need, of difficulty, of stress, when we feel we ourselves cannot pray that we ask others to pray. But there are other times too – important events in life, joyful occasions such as marriage, birth of a child, etc., when the need is felt to express thanks to God and to ask for his continued protection. People are encouraged when they know others are praying for them.

There are constant, almost daily, requests for the safety of both mother and child at the time of birth. Then people write asking for thanksgiving prayers to be offered when a child has been safely born. Young people ask for prayers for the exams, for guidance in their career. The list is almost endless.

During times of war, when acts of terrorism cause loss of life or injury, when earthquakes, kidnapping and other such atrocities take place, there are always appeals for prayer for those who suffer, those who have died, those who mourn them.

At times like that, distance, race, religion, are no obstacle to prayer, all Gods people are enfolded in our prayer.

We have a special emphasis on prayer for priests. St. Teresa of Avila, our Foundress, enjoined it on us as a duty. St. Therese of Lisieux made it a priority. When she entered Carmel she declared: “I have come to pray for priests and to save souls.”We pray with people each morning when they come to join us at our Morning Eucharist, or are present while we recite the Divine Office – the Prayer of the Church.

Again when a sister dies and her family and friends come to be present at the Funeral Mass we are very close to them and the atmosphere of peace here seems to help them at such times of grieving.

There are joyful occasions also when we all join in prayer – at a sisters Religious Profession, and Silver/Golden Jubilees of Profession.During our annual community Retreat and occasional Triduums, people share in our Retreat Mass. The days of retreat are very special to us and the mutual remembering in prayer is surely very beneficial to us all.

We are all Gods children, one family and He is there is the midst of us.