Today’s Gospel reminds me of my mother. I recall being outdoors, playing with friends, and from a distance our mother’s call: “Ya metanse, es tiempo a rezar”; “Come in, it’s time to pray.” Our smiling faces dropped as we were the only ones in the neighborhood going inside to pray the longest rosary! I prayed with no devotion and rushed through our part so that we can go outside with our friends. But our mom took her time praying. I can see her face, her eyes, listen to her every word that she prayed with great faith. At the end of the rosary, she smiled and reminded us, “a family that prays together, stays together.”
As a child, I didn’t understand what she meant, but now I see all the blessings we have received through prayer and our mother’s faith. Just like Jesus, my mother showed us how to pray. I hope to be like my mother and show my children how to take time to pray and to pray from the heart.
—Cecilia Hernandez works in the Vocations Office for the Midwest Jesuits.