Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. (James 5:16 NRSV)

In Colorado there is a Benedictine abbey which is home to forty-five
monks. One day a reporter stopped to have lunch with the monks and to
ask them some questions. He asked them why they lived as they did.
Brother William, seventy-years-old explained, "You have to understand,
everything we do is a form of prayer." Noticing the puzzled expression on
the reporter's face he added, "It's hard for some people to comprehend
that. Prayer is not just reciting prayers, it is always talking with God
whenever you are alone."
"Then why confine your life to the abbey?" the
reporter asked. "Wouldn't you accomplish more
by reaching out to people?"
Several of the monks cleared their throats when
they heard that question, "Accomplish more? No,"
Brother William responded. "We do reach out. You
can't love God unless you reach out. If I existed
the way I should exist--don't get me wrong, I
don't--but if I existed the way I should, then
people would be moved to ask more, to see my
life as an example." And Brother William added,
"In that sense, I am reaching out."
With a genuine sadness Brother William informed
the reporter that the beautiful abbey is
experiencing financial difficulties. They have had
to rent out some of their buildings, and put the
rest up for sale. "That is sad," the old monk said,
"the intense interest in learning to be a monk
isn't there anymore." Many people, he explained
were taking shortcuts in their lives. "We are here
as examples," he said, "to show that there aren't
any shortcuts. There are only the long paths, the
commitments. That's what we do here," he
added. "We are an example for people like you."