Priority of prayer

Pope Benedict XVI said in his Sunday Angelus address today, "The Lord is calling me 'out to the mountain' to devote more time to prayer and meditation, but this does not mean I'm abandoning the Church." On the contrary, prayer and especially mystical prayer always takes priority over action and administration (it is the old story of Martha and Mary). Amazingly, at this precise moment in history, the Pope is showing us that this even applies to the ministry of the Bishop of Rome. God is calling the Pope to this, and in his drawing closer to God through apparent withdrawal he will not be failing the Church but supporting her more strongly than ever, as Robert Moynihan has pointed out in his "Report". No doubt this defeat for the Enemy will provoke him to stir up what forces he can in opposition, so let us join our prayers to those of the Pope and allow him to lead us deeper into our faith.