It is true for individuals. And it is true for churches. No prayer, no power. And humanity itself is in need spiritual power, perhaps now more than ever.
The Leonine Prayers formed a ritual that from 1884 to early 1965 was prescribed for recitation by the Priest and the people after the celebration of Mass. They were not part of the rubrics of the Mass itself, but were commonly referred to as the Prayers after Mass.
The name "Leonine" derived from the fact that they were initially introduced by Pope Leo XIII and were modified under the Pontificate of Pope Saint Pius X.
The intention for which the prayers were offered changed over time. Originally they were offered for the defense of the temporal sovereignty of the Vatican.
After this problem was settled with the Lateran Treaty of 1929, Pope Pius XI ordered them to be said for the tranquillity and freedom of the people of Russia to profess the Catholic faith. This gave rise to the unofficial use of the term Prayers for the Conversion of Russia in referring to them.
The formula of the Leonine Prayers most familiar to American Catholics consisted of the recitation of the Hail Mary three times, followed by the praying of the Hail, Holy Queen, a versicle and response, a prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel and a threefold invocation, “Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us."
On September 26, 1964, the Holy See declared that these prayers were to be suppressed, the order itself taking effect the following March 7, 1965.
I was 18 years of age and in minor seminary when the decree of suppression took force. I thought then and still do that it was a mistake to deprive the world of such a powerful witness of the invocation of prayer itself in responding to and combating against the evils of this world.
Again, simply put, no prayer, no power.
Unfortunately, many Catholics do not have a clear understanding of prayer.
Prayer is not magic. We cannot summon God as though He were a genie, waiting to grant our wishes without regard for our circumstances or the consequences.
Prayer does not make demands. While we can make requests of God in prayer, we dare not make demands. God is the Creator of the universe and does not take orders from us.
Prayer is for our benefit, not God's. We need a relationship with God, available to us through Jesus Christ and engaged primarily through prayer, because we were made to function best when we are in a proper relationship with our Creator.
Prayer is not a guarantee against suffering.
Prayer is a relationship. More specifically, prayer is the conversation of that relationship. In our prayers, we humbly communicate, worship, and sincerely seek God's face, knowing that He hears us, loves us and will respond, though not always in a manner we may expect or desire.
Since it is a conversation, it requires our input: the admission of sin and request for forgiveness, the acknowledgment of favor and a word of thankfulness, a request for a particular need, and perhaps, most importantly, a humble recognition of the sovereignty of the Divine Godhead over our lives.
But prayer, likewise, requires a goodly amount of listening on our part, allowing God to truly respond as He opens our minds and our wills to accept both the timing and the answers to our prayers best suited to bring us to salvation.
Sadly, the Church has lost track of the majesty of prayer as an ever-available and power spiritual resource in our lives, not just offered in times of crisis, but regularly in our journey of faith. Sadly, we are hardly ever reminded by of the many prayers Jesus Himself offered and how we can learn from His Divine example.
It seems today the Church is more ready to emulate the wisdom of secular society and turn to programs and funds in seeking to resolve life’s problems rather than the rich and beautiful spiritual resource of prayer.
For Catholics and all Christians, life is a journey. As we journey together, let us ask the Lord to instill within us a joyful and fruitful prayer life.
Prayer can make a profound difference in our world. But it is up to us to offer our prayers humbly and regularly.
Let us simply never forget this simple yet enduring wisdom: no prayer, no power!
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