Faith and hope are indispensable for everyone who faces many challenges in life. Without either faith or hope, a person cannot endure disappointments, failure, pain, suffering, sadness, and even death. Those who lack either one of them fall into despair and hopelessness. When one loses faith and hope in God is not able to face life at it is and tragically it leads some to turn to drugs, alcohol, and even suicide. Suicide among many young people has increased dramatically over the years because they lack both faith and hope in God.

According to the same Holy Father, Saint John, who authored the famous spiritual book, The Ladder (Climacus), true prayer is both mother and daughter of tears. Contrition and compunction are their regular companions. Compunctious prayer is based on an attentive life attentive to the ever-presence of God in our life, to the purity of our heart, to the genuine humility of our spirit, and to the mystery of death which we must ever remember and contemplate.

"Then He said to him, 'A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at suppertime to say to those who were invited, Come, for all things are now ready. But they all with one accord began to make excuses...Then the Master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper" (St. Luke 14:-16-24).

One of the myrrh-bearing women, and equal to the Apostles, she was born in the city of Magdala by the Lake of Gennesaret, of the tribe of Issachar. She was tormented by seven evil spirits, of which she was freed and healed by the Lord Jesus. She was a faithful follower and servant of the Lord during His earthly life, and also stood beneath the Cross on Golgotha and lamented bitterly with the Most Holy Mother of God. After the Lord's death, she visited His tomb three times; and when He rose again, she saw Him twice, once alone and the other time with the other myrrh-bearing women. She traveled to Rome, went before Tiberias Caesar and presented him with a red egg, greeting him with the words: "Christ is risen!"

The delay in seeing our prayer requests fulfilled, in having our questions answered, is yet another point on which our life of prayer is tested. It is neither a matter of God not hearing our prayers nor of His being indifferent to our suffering. God does not want us to be troubled and tormented, but to be in constant communion with Him with our fervent prayers, which should increase if not immediately answered. We should thank God whether He gives us what we ask for or not since in either case He is acting for our own good. We should not be discouraged and disillusioned when we do not receive what we ask for in prayer. God may be testing our persistence. Let us not tire easily.

An elder (geronda) of Mt. Athos used to tell young monks: "Do not strike up a conversation with your thoughts and imaginings!" Another elder (geronda) said: "Above my cell, many birds will fly. I cannot forbid them, But that which I can do is to disallow them to make their nest on my roof!"  Saint John of the Ladder (Climacus) says: "Even if your mind is constantly distracted from your prayer, you must struggle unceasingly to recall it.  We shall not be condemned because our attention was distracted in prayer, but rather because we did not attempt to bring it back."