St. Thérèse of Lisieux first began to pray for the conversion of others by praying for a hardened criminal who was to be hanged. And at the last possible moment, this man grasped the crucifix in a priest’s hand and kissed Jesus.
The first truth behind intercessory prayer is that we join in God’s work to overcome all obstacles to his love for us and for others. We might use psalms, Mass readings, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, silence, tears, descriptions of another’s needs, or worship music. The possibilities are endless but the decision is the same. We submit ourselves and others to God in prayer.
Second, we pray so that the seeds of God’s love within us will grow, helping us build life-giving relationships that both imitate Christ’s life and connect others to Jesus. Then our continued, ongoing surrender to the Holy Spirit, actually creates an atmosphere of love in which virtues become tested paths for relationships. Through grace, both we and those we love through prayer are grafted, as small twigs or large branches, onto an ever-expanding vine that courses with the love of the Trinity in daily life.
Third, we can ask for and receive virtues like respect, forgiveness, gratitude, affirming others, patience, honesty, and a healing presence through the power of the Holy Spirit. And finally, we can become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, who is the primary agent of evangelization. We can open ourselves to the Spirit’s power and compassionate wisdom, guiding us in the details of what to say and do as we bring others to Jesus. So take heart about those who seem hopeless.
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life… nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)
Excerpted from Mending Broken Relationships