TK421:
“Prayer never needs to end in a person’s daily life.”
I agree, and this is what the Church teaches - when prayer is understood in the fullness of meaning that we are all called to realize.
St. John Vianney: "Prayer is nothing other than
union with God.
Catechism: #2564 - “Christian prayer is a
covenant relationship between God and man in Christ.”
Catechism #2565 - “… the life of prayer is
the habit of being in the presence of the thrice-holy God and in communion with him. This communion of life is always possible because, through Baptism, we have already been united with Christ.”
The life of prayer is a real and human matter, intimately involving both man and God, following the ways of human growth and development, but in the
supernatural matter of union with God, such union being God’s intention for us from the beginning.
The life of prayer grows and develops (or rather
is meant to grow and develop!) as obedience to the Greatest Commandment is embraced more and more completely in a human soul:
Luke 10:27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
Luke 10:28 And he said to him, “You have answered right; do this, and you will live.”
Do this and you will live - and do this and you will be praying, that is being - “in union with God” - always.
