Hello,

I look forward to the emails from your web site.  I find them extremely insightful and they help my spiritual life tremendously.
 
I have a comment and a question for Sr. Emmanuel on the following excerpt that appeared in the latest report from Medjugorje:
 
<<This can be extended to parishes too!  If we want to talk, there are many places to do so.  But when we go to Mass, it is for a personal encounter with God in the privacy of our hearts!   Churches are places of prayer that should be respected as such. Our Lady ardently educated the visionaries in this matter, at the beginning of the apparitions!   In some parishes, in fact, we may find it difficult to recollect and speak to Jesus in our hearts and not know why!   There is too much talking around!!"
"In the silence of your heart, stay with Jesus, so that he may transform you by his love." The Gospa tells us (98.25.98).   She also told Jelena Vasilj for her prayer group, "You need vigor (strength) in your prayer. May you pray in recollection for a long time and fervently."( 25.01.84)>>

I agree with what you are saying about the noise levels in our parishes.  There is only one parish where I live that truely offers a quiet place - a place where you really feel like you're in the presence of God.  That is St. Vincent de Paul parish about 7 miles from where I live.  When you are there, you can tell that the parishioners really want to be there.  They are not just there to punch the time clock and get their weekly hour in.  But I have personal encounters (conversations) with God every day outside of being at church.  God is with me all the time and I talk with him as much as I can during each day.  When I read books on the lives of the saints and see how much they put into prayer, or read your reference ( 25.01.84), and even when I would see Pope John Paul II praying so fervently, I can't help wondering about that.  I have many books containing formal prayers, and again there is the Rosary, but I don't spend much time with these.  I have a Prayer for Children that I say every day, and I like the Prayer of St. Gertrude.  The rest is spent in conversation with Him.  He helps me with everything.  Am I not doing enough prayer-wise?

Terry