Chapter 97

On Prayer Without Words

You complain of the cares that distract you and do not let you remember the Lord. Try to understand all your household tasks and other duties as if they were directly appointed to you by the Lord Himself; not in general, but specifically each task in this way. Then, when you approach a task and perform it, you can maintain in your thoughts that you should do it as would be pleasing to the Lord. Through this, in doing, your thought will be with the Lord. If at the end, having recognized God’s help, you give thanks to the Lord, behold—at the end is the Lord. If then in the same order you perform the second, third and so on until the end of the day, behold, all day long you will be with the thought of the Lord. And this is what is required, namely, to walk in God’s presence. From this will come feeling toward the Lord—the feeling of fear, reverence, dedication, gratitude. And feelings are prayers without words.

(Letter 279. Vol. 2, pp. 131–132)