How important is prayer in the life of a priest?
Because we have chosen a way of life, which says by its very nature that God is most important, prayer has a central role in our lives. Prayer is communication with the Lord whom we love –and is as necessary for us as communication is for any two persons who expect their relationship to continue. Can you imagine having a best friend (or wife) to whom you never spoke? Since prayer is so important, most priests spend approximately two hours a day in prayer; part of that time with others, at Mass and in common prayer; part alone, in reading and quiet contemplation. Probably the main benefit of prayer is that it makes us more sensitive to God’s activity in the people, events, and circumstances of daily life. Is prayer always easy for a priest? Definitely not! There are lots of times when we don’t feel like praying just as there are times we don’t feel like doing other things that are basically important to us — for example, the athlete doesn’t always feel like practicing; a student doesn
