Praying alone

As much as I try to encourage people to pray together, in a community atmosphere, there is nothing wrong in praying alone, something which I do very frequently. When I go to say Mass in the morning, I usually find a woman praying the Rosary, with only a few others along with her. Often she is by herself, but this does not stop her from praying the Rosary by herself. Even when praying by yourself, prayer counts and is just as effective. Even if you keep silent and pray with the Lord in a small chapel, your prayer is just as meaningful as a huge congregation praying out loud. Yes, even silence can be very effective. In fact, one can easily say that silence is one of the most eloquent forms of prayer. Often I pray the Rosary by myself, when I used to drive in my car, praying along with a recorded version I did years ago, both in English and in Maltese. And it’s consoling to know that there are some friends of mine who pray along with me, 9000 miles away, following the Rosary CD I shared with them. The catalyst for prayer is perseverance – never give up, because even if you are praying alone, the Lord is always listening. And it's only when we are quiet and silent, that we can really hear the Lord talk to us.