How Am I to Pray?

   “In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.” (Romans   8:26)

   Lord, I come before You in prayer.  But how am I to pray?  There are so many prayers, so many who will tell me how I should pray, but still I’m confused.  Are my prayers to be for the good of others, the good of myself or even the good of the world?  Are they to be prayers of thanksgiving and praise?  Am I to pray in sorrow for my sins, begging forgiveness and recognizing my weakness, asking for Your strength?  Am I to pray for all these and even more?

   I know You hear my prayers and will answer them.  Even if I don’t see or understand how You have chosen to answer, I know that You will never refuse prayer given in faith and humility.  Help me to never doubt Your love for me or question Your answer to my prayers.  “I do believe, help me in my unbelief!” (Mark 9: 24)

   Jesus taught His disciples to pray.  His prayer is simple but complete, expressing all we should say.  In His prayer is all we really need to say.  Yet I believe You are pleased when I come before You with specific worries and concerns.  My pleadings for Your love and mercy are sincere and You will not refuse sincerity in prayer.

   When all else fails, when I can’t pray as I should, send the Spirit to pray for me.  My first and last prayer is Your that will be done in all things.

Amen

Visiting With God

    “Patience achieves everything.  Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.”  (St. Teresa of Avila)

   Being patient is not something we do very well.  We even judge time differently because of our lack of patience.  Times of fun and joy seem to pass so quickly while time waiting results in clock watching and complaining about how long we’ve waited.

   COVID-19 has pushed us into a period of what we see as too much time with nothing to do.  We can’t do the things we would normally do; our schedule is in shambles and we don’t know how to deal with the emptiness.  We can deal with being in a rush to get things done but aren’t capable of being at ease because there seems to be nothing to do.

   We are looking at it in human terms rather than spiritual.  We have an incredible opportunity to visit with God.  Many people say they would like to pray more or read scripture more if only they had the time; they now have that time.

   We can spend our time with the television or the internet or we can spend our time with God.  We can grab that spiritual book we’ve been wanting to read or even use the internet and television to find movies to support us spiritually.  The bible is probably laying somewhere around the house, pick it up and read it.  Visiting with God is so much better than complaining about being stuck with nothing to do.

Lord, teach us patience.

Fill our lives with Your spirit.

Help us cherish our time with You.

Amen

Chasing The Wind

   “I have seen all things that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a chase after the wind.” (Eccl. 1: 14)

   In times of difficulty and hardship we sometimes become aware of a higher purpose, a realization that our priorities are perhaps misplaced.  I hope that the problems caused by COVID-19 may bring with it some good by helping us refocus on what is truly important.

   After 9/11, the churches were full to over-flowing.  People waited in line to give blood, donated to help those affected and cared for others in ways they never had before.  Families and friends reconnected.  Sadly the attitude was short-lived.  Over time the significance of the tragedy began to lessen and with it any good that had come because of it.

   When things are going well, we tend to focus on earthly matters forgetting that they are of little importance; destined to pass away.  Tragedy, whether it be national, local, or personal, can sometimes cause us to focus on the things that are of true value, God and family.  If the isolation we are now experiencing can help build those relationships, perhaps some good has come from this difficult time.

   Our life is many times overwhelmed by the vanities of this world.  We chase the wind and reap the whirlwind.  May we take this time to focus on what really matters, turning to God in all things.

Lord, give us peace in misfortune.

Show us Your love and mercy.

Open our hearts to Your and Your way.

Help us always seek Your peace.

Amen

Give It Up

   “Forsake all, and you will find all; relinquish all desire, and you will find rest.”  (Thomas á Kempis “The Imitation of Christ”)

   Giving all to God goes against virtually everything we are taught in our selfish society.  We have effectively reversed the famed slogan of the Three Musketeers, “all for one and one for all”.  Rather our slogan is “all for me, the rest can fend for themselves”.  This attitude creates greed, envy and hatred.  We are no longer thankful for the many blessings of God, but angry that another might appear to have greater blessings.

   If we can indeed forsake all for Christ as He forsake all for us, we will find greater blessings, both earthly and spiritually than we can imagine.  If our only desire is to live in the will of God, following His path for us He will give us peace.  It’s not a great secret, it’s certainly not impossible though it is difficult.  We must learn to live St. Paul’s way of life, “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;” (Gal 2: 19 – 20).

   God cares for us far more than we could ever care for ourselves.  So much so that He sent His only Son to die in our place to pay the debt for our sins.  He wants to bless us, to give us peace and rest.  It’s our offer of self that allows Him to do so.

We want so much.

So much that is of no importance.

Help us to desire only You.

To give all to You and live in Your will.

Amen

Joy in Solitude

   Some people choose the solitary life.  Some have it forced upon them.  Due to the precautions necessary to keep COVID-19 from becoming far worse than it is we are all put in the position of being isolated from others.  Our family and friends are distant, shopping is difficult, even our churches are not open to us.

   Many who know me are aware that I’ve begun the process of becoming a Benedictine Oblate.  I won’t be a monk in a monastery, but I will strive to live the Benedictine spirituality as closely as possible in my day-to-day life.  It is a life of prayer and contemplation drawing on the grace of God to better know Him and serve Him.  It is a simple life, seeking God in all things.

   Despite the difficulties imposed by the COVID-19 restrictions this time has been of great benefit to me.  It has enabled me to better structure my life and grow deeper in the Benedictine way.  It has shown me that I can live this life and enjoy the solitude, the silence and the time alone with my Lord.  I have found a calmness of heart and soul.

   I am very much looking forward to being able to visit with my children and grandchildren.  I am anxious to resume my times with my friends, enjoying their company and fellowship.  I am looking forward to the blessings of physically attending Mass and receiving the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of my Lord Jesus Christ.  All these things are good and right.  But I will still remember this time as a time when I grew in my faith and devotion to God.

Lord even in difficult times You are there.

You give me strength and teach me.

You show me that there can be good in all things.

Thank You.

Amen

According to His Will

   Today we celebrate the Annunciation, the coming of Gabriel to the Blessed Mother to announce that she had been chosen to be the mother of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

   St. Luke’s description of this event tells us that Mary was troubled by Gabriel’s message (see Luke 1: 26 - 38).  She didn’t understand how this was possible since she was a virgin.  Once it was explained that it would occur through the Holy Spirit and the power of God, she responded, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1: 38).

   God calls many, but how many answer as Mary did, with a "Yes".  Jesus said, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Matt 9: 37 – 38).

   We are those laborers.  He calls us to reap His harvest, to gather His sheep.  I wonder if I would have the courage to accept a message such as the one Gabriel brought to Mary.  Would I have the faith and trust to agree to His call?  Would I find some reason why I couldn’t do what He asked?

   Mary was a young Jewish girl who knew very well that her yes to God could mean estrangement from family and friends, including Joseph, her betrothed.  She knew that if she was found to be pregnant without a husband she could be stoned as an adulterer.  She had the courage and the faith to say yes.  I pray that I would have enough faith and be brave enough to place my trust in God and say “Yes”.

Lord, behold Your servant.

Give me the strength to say yes.

May it be done to me

According to Your word.

Amen

Knowing the Unknowable

   “If you understand, it is not God.” (St. Augustine)

   No matter how I try it’s not possible for me to truly know and understand God in this life.  Whether or not it is possible in the next can’t be known until it comes.  In the meantime I look for God in His creation.  Men and women, animals, nature, the universe and all things are the creation of God.  It is in His creation that He can be found.

   Moses met God in the burning bush (see Exodus 3: 2).  Elijah found Him not in the wind, earthquake or fire but in the light silent sound (see 2 Kings 19).  God is in all things; His presence is in all things.  He dwells within us to offer us the opportunity to become better, to become holy through His presence.

   Throughout history mankind has painted, drawn, sculpted and imagined an image of God.  But we want to see something we can’t comprehend.  We try to picture God as we picture Jesus, as a man.  But Jesus, though man for our sake, remained undefinable as God.  His humanity did nothing to change or explain the unknowable mystery of His divinity as part of the Trinity.

   In this life I can’t truly understand God, but I trust in His word and His promise of eternal light and happiness in the next.

Father, I try but I can’t truly know You.

You are the great I AM.

Fill me with Your love and spirit.

Bring me to Your eternal presence.

Amen

The Alpha and The Omega

   “I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘the one who is and who was and who is to come.” (Rev 1: 8)

   When I was formed in my mother’s womb God was there.  He knew me then and He knows me now.  As I have lived He has been there, watching over me, loving me, caring for me and desiring my love for Him.  When I die He will be there to receive my soul I pray.

   God is the beginning, the end and all there is in between.  “How precious to me are your designs, O God; how vast the sum of them!  If I were to count them, they would outnumber the sands; when I complete them, still you are with me. (Ps 139: 17 – 28).  If I were to spend my life studying God and all He has done I couldn’t begin to know Him as He truly is.  It is beyond my ability to comprehend such majesty.

   And yet God, He who is all things and has created all things, cares for me, a sinful man.  His love and mercy is so great that He accepts me with all my faults and forgives my sins.  He calls me His own.

   My life began with God though I was unaware.  My life will end with Him.  My greatest hope and desire is to spend eternity in His presence.

You are the beginning and the end.

You guide me on the path to You.

You are my strength and my hope.

In life and in death I am Yours.

Amen

Recognizing God’s Many Blessings

   On Saturdays I usually meet three other men at morning Mass.  Afterwards we go to a local restaurant for breakfast and fellowship.  Sometimes we spend three or more hours talking and enjoying each other’s company.  Conversations may be varied but they always have a certain spirituality about them.  Of course, these gatherings have been put on hold.

   I enjoy going to daily Mass and feel a loss when I’m unable to attend.  Weekly adoration before the Blessed Sacrament is a perfect time for prayers and to deepen my communion with the Lord.  Coronavirus has put a temporary stop to these activities as well as Sunday Mass.  I miss them.

   Too often I take these normal parts of my life for granted.  I expect them rather than thanking God for the blessings that they truly are.  Then they are gone, and I understand how blessed I was to have them.

   This time will pass, we will get back to our normal routines.  My prayer is that I will remember and acknowledge the blessings given to me, the simple as well as the great.  I shouldn't expect God's blessings but recognize them as His presence in my life.  We are in the Lenten season; I will offer these things I love and miss to my Lord in thanksgiving for His sacrifices for me.

Father, I sometimes take You for granted.

I don’t recognize Your many blessings.

Open my eyes and my heart.

Help me better appreciate all You give me.

Amen

Understanding Humility

   Our society tends to see humility as a negative, a show of weakness and lack of self-esteem.  I disagree.  Humility is understanding who I truly am and asking God to make me better.  It is an essential virtue if I am to grow in spirituality.

   Humility is recognizing that I am dust and will return to dust as we are reminded in this Lenten season.  It means that I have the potential to be far less than any other, but also that God has given me gifts that I need to share with others.  Humility is recognizing that God is God and I am not.

   If I only see myself as Paul, the great apostle, without recognizing that I could also be Saul, the greatest persecutor of the early church, then I need to take another look at myself.  I must not only try to relate to the Blessed Virgin Mary but also to Mary Magdalene who was freed of seven demons.  I must recognize the potential for sin and evil within me if I am to have the courage to deny myself and turn solely to God.

   I am merely a man stained by original sin and sorely tempted by Satan.  If I am to find the peace and light of heaven I so greatly desire I must recognize that I can’t get there on my own.  In humility I must turn to God and beg, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18: 13)

Lord help me in my weakness.

Teach me to rely on You.

Teach me humility,

That I may seek Your mercy in all things.

Amen

A Test of Faith

   Public celebration of Mass has been suspended until further notice.  I fully expected this to happen in my hometown since it has already been happening all over the country.  I am disappointed that I will be unable to attend daily and Sunday Mass as normal, but I understand the need to do our part in stopping the spread of Coronavirus.

   In this time of testing we have two choices.  We can let it upset us and maybe harm our faith life or we can be strengthened in our faith by seeking out ways to continue living our faith even though we can’t attend Mass in church.

   If we truly desire to worship God there are ways to continue in faith.  Simply doing an internet search for “Catholic Mass online” will provide any number of resources for Mass via the internet.  Mass at home is far better than no Mass at all.  The prayer for Spiritual Communion is no replacement for receiving the Blessed Sacrament but I believe Jesus still comes to me through that prayer.

   Satan will try to convince us that we should choose anger and despair.  He will tempt us to throw up our hands in defeat and just ignore our faith during this period.  On the other hand, the Holy Spirit will urge us to find ways to be constant in faith.  He will guide us in our efforts to remain devoted, worshiping our Lord as we should.

   As always, the choices are ours.  I believe that we have a tremendous opportunity to please God by our efforts to maintain our worship and faith in this trying time.

Father our faith is sometimes tested.

Help us to look to You for guidance.

Strengthen our faith.

Help us to find You in all things.

Amen

The Eternal Word of God

   “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…..And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1: 1 & 14)

   In a recent homily I was reminded of a deeper understanding of the Word of God, my Lord Jesus Christ.  His presence as the Word and His role in salvation history didn’t begin with His birth, He is eternal.  Before the world came into being He was there.  Jesus, the Word, has always been present in the world and in my life.  In fact, without Him the world and everything in it would not exist.

   When God said, “Let there be light” (Gen 1: 1) it was Christ, the Word of God.  Throughout the books of the prophets we see phrases like, “the Word of God came” to them.  That Word was not just some voice in their mind, it was Jesus, the Word of God.  John tells us that “All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.” (John 1: 3).  Without the Word nothing came into existence and without Him nothing remains.

   His voice resonates in everything.  He speaks to us in so many ways.  He is there in Holy Scripture, in nature, in the depths of our being.  If we are silent and listen with our heart we will always hear the Word of God.

Lord Your Word guides us.

He calls us to follow.

His voice is eternal.

Give me the grace to always hear the Word.

Amen

Trust in Difficult Times

   “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.  Sufficient for a day is its’ own evil.” (Matt 6: 34)

   It seems that most of the world has been knocked to its’ knees by the Coronavirus pandemic.  People are scared; they aren’t certain what to do.  Trust in the government is not that strong in many cases.  Panic sets in which only makes the situation worse.

   What can I, as a Christian, do in such circumstances?  First and foremost, I can trust that God is in charge.  I can’t explain why such things happen, but I have absolute confidence that my Lord has it under control.  By placing my faith in God, I lessen my worry and concern.  By trusting in Him I am at peace.

   I can listen to and heed the warnings about the disease and cooperate with the efforts to lessen its’ impact.  I can refuse to begin hoarding things, whether it be food, water, or toilet paper (I can’t understand why toilet paper is one of the first things people start hoarding; makes no sense).

   This evil will pass.  There will be some suffering as there always is in such things.  It is in suffering that our faith and trust in God is tested.

   “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matt 6: 25)

Father strengthen us in difficult times.

Give us greater trust in You.

Increase our faith.

Let us always look to You for our help.

Amen

All In

   “For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God,” (Exodus 20:5)

   “So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev 3: 16)

   In poker they use the term “all in” as they push all their chips into the pot.  It indicates that they are confident that they have the best hand and are willing to risk everything.  It has become a popular phrase to indicate confidence and commitment.

   God wants me to be all in, totally committed to Him.  Anything less is not enough.  Holding anything back indicates that my confidence in God is not as it should be.  I am not to be concerned with earthly matters but to offer all to the Lord in the certainty that He will provide.  He knows what is in my heart and if I am not confident in His will and His way He will know.  If I am lukewarm in my faith He will spit me out of His mouth as He did the church at Laodicea.

   All belongs to Him, whatever I have is because of His love and mercy.  By offering everything back to Him, to be used according to His will, I recognize that He is in control and I need not worry.

Lord, You bless me in so many ways.

You have given me so much.

I offer all to You Father.

Use me according to Your will.

Amen

Song of Songs

   The Song of Songs, sometimes called The Song of Solomon, is one of my favorite books of the Bible.  It is a beautifully poetic collection of lyrics about mutual desire, courtship and true love.  Using the image of human lovers it speaks to the love of a truly sacramental marriage; the total giving of one to another.

   To me it also tells of the love God has for each of us and the love we should have for Him.  Jesus said, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” (Matt 10: 37 – 38).  Interestingly, the love one has for a spouse is not mentioned in this scripture, perhaps because the love of a spouse is as close as we can ever come to understanding the love relationship we are to have with our Lord.

   By comparing God’s love for us to that of a woman and a man very deeply if love we can better realize how our relationship with Him is to be.  He is all.  He is everything we desire.  His love is limitless and ours is to be the same.  He willingly and lovingly gives His all to us and asks the same from us in return.

Father Your love is eternal.

It is unlimited.

I offer You my love in return.

I will love You above all things.

Amen

Visions of Heaven and Hell

   I simply do not know with any certainty what heaven or hell will be like.  There is the assurance that heaven will be incredibly wonderful, and hell will be indescribably horrible but there is no real definition of what that means.  So I am left to prayerfully consider in my own mind what may await me.

   I do not believe that heaven is an actual place but a presence, the eternal presence of God in the perfection of His love.  I think of hell as the opposite, the absence of God and all that is good.  Those are merely my thoughts and I’m sure there is a lot more to know, but not in this life.

   I recently read an interesting way of expressing the difference between heaven and hell.  In the far east there is a traditional image that says that in hell the chopsticks are one yard long so they can’t possibly reach their mouth.  In heaven the chopsticks are also one yard long, but in heaven the people feed one another.  This says to me that, if I want to reach heaven, I must help others in this life as well.

   I will continue to contemplate heaven and hell because reaching heaven, God’s presence and reunion with my wife, is my greatest desire.  But I can’t help but think that heaven will be a bit different for each of us.  It is a place of perfect light and happiness and happiness may be in some ways unique for each of us.  I will have to wait to find out, but in the meantime I’ll do all in my power to get there, relying on God’s help for the journey.

Lord, I don’t know what heaven brings.

The joy that awaits is greater than I can know.

I place myself in Your will.

Lead me to my heavenly home.

Amen

Prodigal Children

   “Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.” (Luke 15: 23 – 24)

   The parable of the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15 is a beautiful example of the unwavering, eternal love of God.  It very clearly tells us that God will not only forgive us, He is watching for us.  There will be rejoicing upon our return to Him.

   In some ways we are all prodigal children.  I know I certainly am.  In the past I have spurned the love of God, misused the gifts and blessings he has given me.  For far too long I went my own way, did my own thing, never stopping to recognize that everything I have is from God.

   Like the son in the parable I finally realized the destruction I was bringing upon myself.  Though I didn’t deserve His forgiveness and mercy I sought them.  He was watching and waiting for me to turn to Him.  He met me when I came and rejoiced.  He accepted me with all my faults, forgave my sins and brought me to Him.

   I am humbled by the fact that God could love me so.  Nothing I can do deserves His mercy.  If judged on what I deserve I would have no hope of heaven.  Yet, God takes my hand and leads me home.  I give all thanks and praise to my Lord!

Father, You have saved me.

In Your mercy You forgive me.

May I live in Your love forever.

Amen

The Light of the Moon

   Humanity been enamored of the moon since the beginning of time.  The earliest calendars were based on the lunar cycles.  The gravitational pull of the moon affects things on earth from the tides to the increase of births during a full moon.  The moon has been credited with increasing love, affecting emotions and even to the changing of a man into a werewolf.  I even suspect the lunar landings were motivated as much by romanticism as by science.

   I see the moon as two things.  The first is another example of God’s majesty as part of the universe.  All things are subject to the laws governing the rotation of planets and the expansion of the universe.  To consider such perfection and not recognize the hand of God is, to me, nonsensical.

   I also see the moon as it relates to my life.  The moon produces no light of its’ own.  It simply reflects the light of the sun.  In my life I depend on the light of the Son of God.  I can’t produce the light, but I can let it shine through me, reflecting His love for all.

   Christ is the light, given to each of us.  Some choose to ignore it, some to live in it and share it with others.  It can never be dimmed by sharing it; it can only grow stronger.

Lord let me reflect Your light.

May it shine through me.

Amen

Worshiping the Golden Calf

   “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for that man Moses who brought us out of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.” (Exodus 32: 1)

   The Israelites had barely left slavery in Egypt.  Moses was on the mountain speaking with God, receiving the commandments.  In this short period of time they could no longer bear to wait on the Lord.  They demanded that Aaron make them a god of gold.  A golden calf that they could worship as their god.

   How many times have I grown tired of waiting; looked away from God to false gods?  It so easy to assume that He know longer cares or that things are going so well that He is not needed.  This is the attitude the Israelites exhibited throughout their journey.  When things were good, they ignored Him, when things were bad they blamed Him for deserting them.  In both cases they turned to false gods.

   Their experience guides me.  The fickleness they displayed I try to avoid.  I know I’ve failed over the years, worshiping at the altar of earthly gods.  I try to keep in mind the Israelites and the punishments they endured for their actions against the Lord.  I turn to Him and ask forgiveness.  I beg His strength to keep me on the right path.

Lord the gods of this world are false.

You are the only true God.

Lead me from the false to truth.

Lead me to You.

Amen

Two Gates to Eternity

   I envision two gates on the other side of deaths door.  One of light and one of darkness.  The choices made during my life will determine which gate I am permitted to enter.  I must enter one and I can’t go back and change my life, it is done.

   Have I fed the hungry, sheltered the homeless, clothed the naked?  Did I visit the sick, help others when needed?  Did I look upon everyone as a child of God, loving them as myself as Jesus commanded?  If I’ve done these things; if my live was directed to fulfilling God’s will rather than mine the gate of light will open and I will pass through.  I don’t know exactly what awaits but there is no question that it will be perfect joy, perfect happiness and perfect love.

   If I lived for self and ignored others, judging them by my rules, disregarding those in need and flouting God’s will, the other gate will open.  Through that gate there is a darkness that never ends.  An eternal existence without joy, without peace, without God.  Regardless of what else Hell may entail, eternity without my Lord is unthinkable.

   These are simply my thoughts and concepts of what Heaven and Hell might be.  But it is a reality that the choices I make in this life are what will determine the condition of my eternal existence.  Whether my soul resides in peace and joy or darkness and suffering is entirely up to me.

   God condemns no one to Hell, we condemn ourselves.

Father I want to live in Your light.

I want to spend eternity with You.

Guide me in this life.

Help me live for You.

Amen

Leaning on God

   “Lord, you have probed me, you know me:  you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar” (Psalm 139: 1 - 2)

   God knows everything about me.  He knows my desires; He knows my thoughts.  He is aware of my actions even before I do them.  If there is an evil thought or desire He knows that as well.  I only wish I knew myself as well as God does.  Maybe then I would be better at avoiding sin and offending Him by my actions.

   The ideas that come to mind sometimes bother me because I sense that they are the working of Satan.  My car is virtually new, yet I find myself considering buying a new one.  I find myself looking at bigger, newer televisions when I have one that works perfectly and does all I need it to do.  I have a nice home in a good neighborhood close to my church and friends and still find myself thinking of moving.  The desire for bigger, newer, better or just different “things” is a trick of the evil one to draw my focus from God to earth.

   St. Ignatius of Loyola, as well as others, proposed a daily examination of conscience, a time to review the day and what I did or didn’t do; what I said or didn’t say.  A quiet period to thank God for His many blessings and to ask His forgiveness for the times I’ve failed; to ask Him for the wisdom to better understand myself so that I might serve Him more faithfully.  A time to turn to God and seek His help in rejected Satan and all his temptations.

   I know the devil isn’t going to quit tempting me in this lifetime.  But I’m also confident that God will help me recognize Satan’s trickery and lies.  In my weakness I know I will fail, but with God all things are possible.

Father, the evil one never gives up.

His temptations are constant and many.

I turn to You for strength.

Help me rebuke him.

Amen

To Pray or Not To Pray

   Most every morning I wake up with a prayer thanking God for the rest given during the night and the new day in which to serve Him.  I genuinely look forward to getting up and starting the day.  I enjoy going to daily Mass and worshiping in communion with others.  I am strengthened by receiving the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus in the Eucharist.  My day always goes better when it’s full of prayer.

   There are days, however, when even the simplest of prayers become a chore.  I almost look for a reason to skip Mass that day.  My normal routine of prayer and spiritual reading becomes difficult.  I sometimes struggle to continue my normal practices.  Those are the days when life seems most harsh and difficult.

   Many of the great saints and mystics often wrote of a dryness in their prayer life; a time when it seemed that God was no longer listening.  St. Teresa of Calcutta suffered this feeling of abandonment for many years.  Others have had the same experience.

   Despite the pain of those times, none of them gave up on God.  They continued to pray and do those things that they knew pleased God.  In their hearts they knew that God was still there even though He seemed distant.  Many have said that these are the times when it is most important to continue the spiritual life.  Perhaps that’s why they are saints.

   Those days when it’s hard are the ones when it’s even more important for me to pray and attend Mass.  Those are times when I can almost hear Satan feeding my mind with all the reasons that I really shouldn’t worry about it, it’s no big deal.  That is exactly what I should worry about.

Father some days prayer is hard.

Those are the days I need You most.

I need to be with You.

I need You to be with me.

Amen

The Weeds of Life

   Anyone who knows me can tell you that I do not, never have and never will like yard work.  I do, however, enjoy having my rose bushes.  I like the plants that draw the hummingbirds to my house.  The pineapples I get from the few plants I have are the sweetest, tastiest I have ever had.  So, if I want to have those things, there is a least some yard work required.

      This morning I was again on my knees pulling weeds from my rose garden.  It has about become over-run due to my negligence.  I keep telling myself that keeping up with it is easier that tackling it once the weeds have pretty much taken over, but I still don’t do it as often as I should.  Like I said, I do not like yard work.

   I sometimes think God gives me tasks that I don’t like to teach me that I will have troubles to face in this world.  Many of these difficulties are from Satan, who scatters weeds in my heart in the hopes that they can push out the word of God.  The weeds in my roses would eventually suffocate the roses if left alone.  The temptations, desires and lies of Satan are intended to do the same thing to my faith; to smother it and pull me away from the Lord.

   Battling the weeds of Satan is never an easy task; it takes determination and prayer.  I confess my sins, pulling the weeds from my soul.  I try to keep the weeds from coming back but fail and sin again.  I again repent and in His mercy God again forgives and makes me whole.

   If I want my roses to flourish I must pull the weeds.  If my faith is to grow and deepen I must also keep pulling the weeds from my soul.

Lord my soul is like Your garden.

You sow only good seed.

The evil one sows the weeds.

Give me the strength to tend Your garden

Amen