I want to make sure to keep all interested parishioners updated concerning the results of the Capital Campaign and the progress of the Master Plan. I shall be doing this using the St. Monica “FlockNote” feature. If you are interested, take out your smartphone; text ” Monica1897″ to 84576. After about 30 seconds, you will receive a message where you can click on a link to register with FlockNote and then join the various St. Monica FlockNote groups. Follow the directions to join “Capital Campaign/Master Plan.” I shall be updating all interested parishioners under this title on a regular basis.

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Over the past two weeks, we have been looking at Jerome Kropp’s article, “The Top Ten Excuses Not To Pray” which was published in the March 2015 issue of Liguorian Magazine. This week we close with the top three reasons.

#3 – I believe and go to church, but I’m not one of those “holy people.” I’m no saint! Well, if you go to worship, you already have a relationship with God and probably aspire to spend eternity with Him in heaven. If that is the case, take heart! Sainthood is in your future! Don’t let stereotypes scare you from sainthood. I spoke about the misconceptions surrounding saints and sainthood during my homily on All Saints Day weekend (November 1^{st -} A link to the homily can be found on my website here at FrZlock.com). We need saints who are silent and who shout, saints who are serious and silly, saints who were sinners, saints who are shy and saints who are sure themselves. Just be who you are and pray that you continue to become the person God has made you to be.

#2 – I try and make everything I do a prayer. This is the opposite of #3. We’ve gone from “not so holy” to amazingly holy” in just one step. Seriously, do we really go through the day in a true “state of blissful contemplation regardless of the activity in which we find ourselves?” Frankly, just a few thoughts about the Eagles-Phillies-76ers-Flyers, and the “bliss” is totally busted (…and I pray for dem bums all da time. But I digress…). We probably have selfish thoughts throughout the week. We engage in unloving actions. If everything is really a prayer, then nothing is prayer. Prayer is different. It is a special, intentional, turning towards God.

And finally, the NUMBER ONE excuse for not praying is…..

#1 – I simply do not have the time! – We find time to do what is important. General Eisenhower used to divide activities into a grid with Urgent – Not Urgent on one axis and Important – Not Important on the other axis. He mostly focused on “Important – Not Urgent” since there were the “strategic” activities that would have the biggest impact over the long run and would subsequently save time by “solving (actually avoiding) problems” before they became issues. Prayer is like that. Might not seem urgent, but it is very, VERY important (especially in the “long run” – like eternal life). Do you find time to breathe? Your next prayer is as important to the life of your heart and soul as your next breath is to you body. We humans worry so much about time. Let God, who is the author of time, worry about how much of it you have.