Prayer illumines the pathway of the religious journey.  St. Augustine’s confession that “You have made us, O Lord,  for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee” marked the beginning of his self-understanding.  It is estimated that John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, traveled over 250,000 miles on horseback alone, preached over 40,000 sermons, and wrote, translated, and edited more than 200 works.  What gave him strength? Each of Wesley’s days began between 4 and 6 a.m. with an hour of prayer, and Wesley also ended each day with an hour of prayer.  Mother Teresa of Calcutta, perhaps this century’s most beloved saint, well-known for her service to the least fortunate of society, claimed that prayer was her most important activity.  Here is a prayer she repeated every day:

Lead me from death to life
from lies to truth
Lead me from despair to hope
from fear to trust
Lead me from hatred to love
from war to peace
Let peace fill our heart
our world our universe with peace.  Amen

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This Week’s MEDITATION

THE LOST COIN concerns the efforts of a woman to recover something precious.  Are we, too, in 2012 searching for something valuable lost in 2011?