Why We Work

Helping You Pray

The work of the Society of Saint John is a work of prayer.

Much of what we do is for you who desire to find, within the treasures of the Church, a sure path to spiritual maturity. At ssjohn.org, you will find a growing number of tools to help you along your spiritual path. Take a look at the following links to get an idea:

Homilies
Lectio Divina
Finding the Sources

But the question still remains, why do we do this work of prayer? What motivates us to work to help you get better at praying?

The short answer is that we are convinced that the Church, in her great treasure and tradition of prayer, has the antidote for our rebellious society.

When man experiences well the prayer of the Church in all its richness, he finds it compelling. In this prayer, man experiences the true authority, the true fatherhood of God and thereby experiences the profound love of our heavenly Father. A love that becomes for man far more compelling than the isolation and loneliness of the rebel.

The Pope: On the Importance of Prayer

Pope Benedict XVI says: “It is time to reaffirm the importance of prayer in the face of the activism and the growing secularism of many Christians engaged in charitable work. Clearly, the Christian who prays does not claim to be able to change God's plans or correct what he has foreseen. Rather, he seeks an encounter with the Father of Jesus Christ, asking God to be present with the consolation of the Spirit to him and his work. A personal relationship with God and an abandonment to his will can prevent man from being demeaned and save him from falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism.” (cf. Deus Caritas Est, Pope Benedict XVI)

Urged On by Christ

But who are we think we are, you might ask, that we to offer to lead you to holiness?

We think Pope Benedict answers this question in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est. In speaking on behalf of charitable institutions he says: “We [who offer to take a leadership role] recognize that we are not acting on the basis of any superiority or greater personal efficiency, but because the Lord has graciously enabled us to do so. There are times when the burden of need and our own limitations might tempt us to become discouraged. But precisely then we are helped by the knowledge that, in the end, we are only instruments in the Lord's hands; and this knowledge frees us from the presumption of thinking that we alone are personally responsible for building a better world. In all humility we will do what we can, and in all humility we will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who governs the world, not we. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as he grants us the strength. To do all we can with what strength we have, however, is the task which keeps the good servant of Jesus Christ always at work: ‘The love of Christ urges us on’” (2 Corinthians 5:14).

So, why do we work and why do so many people promote the work of the Society of Saint John? Because, “The love of Christ urges us on!”