The power of prayer
I was attracted to the column of Fr. Roy Gimagala in this paper in its issue of July 31, 2014 from which I copied the title of this write-up. With the good father's permission, I am making this rejoinder.
Yes, there is power in prayer. I know this because I personally experienced in the past years of my life signs of God's answers to prayers. Let me narrate two happenings.
The first happened in the 1990's while I was serving as education director in Region II, Cagayan Valley, with office in Tuguegarao City. That assignment was of course far from Cebu, but I accepted it because it carried with it a promotion.
My quarter in Tuguegarao was a room in the training center just a stone's throw from my office. In the evening I would spend my time reading books. Then before I would go to bed, I would pray the Holy Rosary. My makeshift altar consisted only of a small table on which I placed a picture of the Virgin of Piat (Piat is a municipality in Cagayan famous for its miraculous shrine of the Virgin Mary).
There was a white wall right behind my altar table, and as I prayed the rosary I would imagine the image of the Virgin Mary there. Perhaps it must have been only my imagination, but after doing this every evening, I could see the Virgin's profile (although very faint) on the wall while doing my prayer. This of course made me say the rosary with greater fervor.
One evening in April of 1990, while I was praying the rosary, I sensed or felt that I would get a new assignment in May. But I did not take this seriously. I thought it was only my desire to be transferred which made me "sense" the information, so I just kept it to myself. Yet I started counting the days and weeks towards the end of May. May is the month of "Flores de Mayo." It is the feast month of the Virgin Mary. Perhaps, I told myself, that message really came from Mother Mary.
The first week of May came, but no news of my transfer. The second and third week came, but still nothing happened. In the fourth week, I was no longer expecting any development on my reassignment. But on the last day of the month, I received a telegram from Secretary Cariño which said something like this: "Prepare for your transfer to Region 8."
Region 8! This meant I would go to Tacloban City for my new assignment! At last, I would be based nearer Cebu! At last I could come home on weekends!
The transfer was actually effected in July of that year. I was of course very happy about the development, thanks to God and Mother Mary.
Another happening which showed the power of prayer occurred about six year ago at the university where I work. At noon on a certain day while taking my lunch at the canteen a fish bone get stuck in my throat. At first I drank some water hoping to drain the bone down, but this did not work. Then remembering the advice of old folks, I swallowed lumps of banana, but this too offered no relief. I went back to my office where I usually would take a nap after lunch. Still worrying about the bone. I approached and touched the picture of Our Lady of Fatima and that of St. Josemaria Escariva which hung beside it. Mama Mary, Father Escariva, please help me, I prayed repeatedly. I then lay on my back to rest although still feeling uncomfortable with the obstruction in my throat.
I fell asleep for perhaps thirty or more minutes. I don't remember now. But what I remember is that when I woke up I felt the presence of an object near the tip of my tongue. It was the fishbone!
Prayer. Truly there's power in prayer. Thanks to Father Roy for reminding us.
- Latest
