Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Benedict XVI spoke of the power of prayer, and its ability to help us to see things in a different way in our daily lives, during the general audience at the Vatican today.

In his catechesis on Christian prayer this morning, the Holy Father spoke of the importance of prayer and how it can help people live a better a life.

“Prayer, nourished by faith and enlightened by God’s word, enables us to see things in a new way and to respond to new situations with the wisdom and insight bestowed by the Holy Spirit,” Pope Benedict said in front of an audience of over 20,000 people gathered at St Peter’s Square.

The Holy Father continued by stressing the importance of daily prayer in ones life to forge a stronger connection with God.

“In our own daily lives and decisions, may we always draw fresh spiritual breath from the two lungs of prayer and the word of God; in this way, we will respond to every challenge and situation with wisdom, understanding and fidelity to God’s will,” he said.

The Pope concluded by emphasising the importance of prayer in a Catholic household.

“If the lungs of prayer and of the Word of God do not nourish the breath of spiritual life, we risk suffocating in the midst of a thousand daily cares,” Pope Benedict declared. “Prayer is the breath of the soul and of life.”

He added that prayer is the key to Christian unity.

“In the silence of a church or in our room, we are united in the Lord to our brothers and sisters in the faith, like so many instruments which, each in its own individuality, raise a single great symphony of intercession, thanksgiving and praise.”