Amid the pain and suffering, God remains present in our hearts. No matter how much we wail and shake our fists, He will abide with us.

We need not see prayer as activity for a solo operator only.

His point was that a mundane action, carried out in a disciplined way, can be transformative. So it is with prayer.

Dec. 10, Second Saturday of Advent

Ultimately, the jobs, the degrees, the nice houses, are all chaff in God’s eyes—they do not make us virtuous or worthy.

Mary shows us qualities to seek in our prayer life: receptivity to the divine word, thoughtful reflection and finally, the subordination of our wills to God’s wisdom.