The Lord’s Prayer and Our Own
Wednesday of the Twenty-Seventh Week of Ordinary Time (October 5, 2011)
Wednesday of the Twenty-Seventh Week of Ordinary Time (October 5, 2011)
Luke 11: 1-4
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test."
Introductory Prayer: Christ Jesus, help me to put aside all the distractions that are telling me that I have no time to pray today. I want to be close to You and I know that unless I put everything aside for this meditation, I risk living my day as without any spiritual perspective. Enlighten my mind and strengthen my will to follow you always.
Petition: Give me, Lord, a greater awareness of Your presence in my soul.
1. The desire to pray
One of the essential dimensions of the vocation of the apostle is the desire to pray, something that we see exemplified in today’s gospel. An apostle is much more than a “volunteer”—all his efforts at building up the Kingdom must have a supernatural motivation. The only way he will be able to maintain that outlook is through consistent prayer. The apostle who prays will be able to face the difficulties that inevitably arise. He will be able to juggle the multiple responsibilities that can tug him in different directions. He will be able to resolve the issues that arise by seeking to do what is pleasing to God and not what feeds his comfort. If we desire to pray, we will make the time.
2. What to pray for : When answering his disciples’ question, the Lord is speaking to beginners, so it is really important that they begin well and not get started on the wrong track. So he establishes some priorities. The first thing do to in prayer is to “hallow” the name of God, that is, to honor him with all our mind, heart and strength. God is center of the apostle’s existence. Everything we do is for him and this should be reflected in our prayer. Yet, we are weak. We have many spiritual and temporal needs. We should lift them up to God frequently, relying on—but not presuming on—his divine providence.
3. Confidence in our prayer: Give us each day our daily bread. Sometimes we can be very anxious about the future—economic uncertainty, difficulty in relationships—and many factors can have us wondering if everything is going to turn out all right. Of course, we have to be prudent and practice foresight, but at the same time, we should be supremely confident in the Lord. Each day that he gives to us is a gift. Let’s live the one that we have to the fullest. Are we sometimes blind or insensitive to the blessings we have here and now because we are wrapped up in worries about the future?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, inflame my heart with the desire to pray. I want to know You better and better each day. Help me never to lose sight of your blessings. You are so good to me. Thank you for always hearing my prayer.
Resolution: If I encounter someone oppressed by worry, I will try to be helpful and encouraging.
Introductory Prayer: Christ Jesus, help me to put aside all the distractions that are telling me that I have no time to pray today. I want to be close to You and I know that unless I put everything aside for this meditation, I risk living my day as without any spiritual perspective. Enlighten my mind and strengthen my will to follow you always.
Petition: Give me, Lord, a greater awareness of Your presence in my soul.
1. The desire to pray
One of the essential dimensions of the vocation of the apostle is the desire to pray, something that we see exemplified in today’s gospel. An apostle is much more than a “volunteer”—all his efforts at building up the Kingdom must have a supernatural motivation. The only way he will be able to maintain that outlook is through consistent prayer. The apostle who prays will be able to face the difficulties that inevitably arise. He will be able to juggle the multiple responsibilities that can tug him in different directions. He will be able to resolve the issues that arise by seeking to do what is pleasing to God and not what feeds his comfort. If we desire to pray, we will make the time.
2. What to pray for : When answering his disciples’ question, the Lord is speaking to beginners, so it is really important that they begin well and not get started on the wrong track. So he establishes some priorities. The first thing do to in prayer is to “hallow” the name of God, that is, to honor him with all our mind, heart and strength. God is center of the apostle’s existence. Everything we do is for him and this should be reflected in our prayer. Yet, we are weak. We have many spiritual and temporal needs. We should lift them up to God frequently, relying on—but not presuming on—his divine providence.
3. Confidence in our prayer: Give us each day our daily bread. Sometimes we can be very anxious about the future—economic uncertainty, difficulty in relationships—and many factors can have us wondering if everything is going to turn out all right. Of course, we have to be prudent and practice foresight, but at the same time, we should be supremely confident in the Lord. Each day that he gives to us is a gift. Let’s live the one that we have to the fullest. Are we sometimes blind or insensitive to the blessings we have here and now because we are wrapped up in worries about the future?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, inflame my heart with the desire to pray. I want to know You better and better each day. Help me never to lose sight of your blessings. You are so good to me. Thank you for always hearing my prayer.
Resolution: If I encounter someone oppressed by worry, I will try to be helpful and encouraging.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
365 My spiritual director replaced it with an interior mortification; namely, throughout Holy Mass I was to meditate on why the Lord Jesus had submitted to being baptized. The meditation was no mortification for me, for thinking about God is a delight and not a mortification; but there was a mortification of the will in that I was not doing [simply] what I like, but what I was told to do, and it is in this that interior mortification consists. When I left the confessional and started to recite my penance, I heard these words: I have granted the grace you asked for on behalf of that soul, but not because of the mortification you chose for yourself. Rather, it was because of your act of complete obedience to My representative that I granted this grace to that soul for whom you interceded and begged mercy. Know that when you mortify your own self-will, then Mine reigns within you.
366 O my Jesus, be patient with me. I will be more careful in the future. I will rely, not upon myself, but upon Your grace and Your very great goodness to miserable me.
367 +On one occasion, Jesus gave me to know that when I pray for intentions which people are wont to entrust to me, He is always ready to grant His graces, but souls do not always want to accept them: My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console My Heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! My Heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces.
So I turn to you, you-chosen souls, will you also fail to understand the love of My Heart? Here, too, My Heart finds disappointment; I do not find complete surrender to My love. So many reservations, so much distrust, so much caution. To comfort you, let Me tell you that there are souls living in the world who love Me dearly. I dwell In their hearts with delight. But they are few. In convents too, there are souls that fill My Heart with joy. They bear My features; therefore the Heavenly Father looks upon them with special pleasure. They will be a marvel to Angels and men. Their number is very small. They are a defense for the world before the justice of the Heavenly Father and a means of obtaining mercy for the world. The love and sacrifice of these souls sustain the world in existence. The infidelity of a soul specially chosen by Me wounds My Heart most painfully. Such infidelities are swords which pierce My Heart.
366 O my Jesus, be patient with me. I will be more careful in the future. I will rely, not upon myself, but upon Your grace and Your very great goodness to miserable me.
367 +On one occasion, Jesus gave me to know that when I pray for intentions which people are wont to entrust to me, He is always ready to grant His graces, but souls do not always want to accept them: My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console My Heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! My Heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces.
So I turn to you, you-chosen souls, will you also fail to understand the love of My Heart? Here, too, My Heart finds disappointment; I do not find complete surrender to My love. So many reservations, so much distrust, so much caution. To comfort you, let Me tell you that there are souls living in the world who love Me dearly. I dwell In their hearts with delight. But they are few. In convents too, there are souls that fill My Heart with joy. They bear My features; therefore the Heavenly Father looks upon them with special pleasure. They will be a marvel to Angels and men. Their number is very small. They are a defense for the world before the justice of the Heavenly Father and a means of obtaining mercy for the world. The love and sacrifice of these souls sustain the world in existence. The infidelity of a soul specially chosen by Me wounds My Heart most painfully. Such infidelities are swords which pierce My Heart.
379 During one of the adorations, Jesus promised me that: With souls that have recourse to My mercy and with those that glorify and proclaim My great mercy to others, I will deal according to My infinite mercy at the hour of their death.
My Heart is sorrowful, Jesus said, because even chosen souls do not understand the greatness of My mercy. Their relationship [with Me] is, in certain ways, imbued with mistrust. Oh, how much that wounds My Heart 1 Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My words, at least believe My wounds.
380 I make no movement, no gesture after my own liking, because I am bound by grace; I always consider what is more pleasing to Jesus.
381 When meditating once on obedience, I heard these words: In this meditation, the priest [90] is speaking particularly for you. Know that I am borrowing his lips. I tried to listen most attentively to everything and to apply everything to my own heart, as in every meditation. When the priest said that an obedient soul was filled with the power of God... Yes, when you are obedient I take away your weakness and replace it with My strength. I am very surprised that souls do not want to make that exchange with Me. I said to the Lord, "Jesus, enlighten my heart, or else I, too, will not understand much from these words."
382 I know that I live, not for myself, but for a great number of souls. I know that graces granted me are not for me alone, but for souls. O Jesus, the abyss of Your mercy has been poured into my soul, which is an abyss of misery itself. Thank You, Jesus, for the graces and the pieces of the Cross which You give me at each moment of my life
My Heart is sorrowful, Jesus said, because even chosen souls do not understand the greatness of My mercy. Their relationship [with Me] is, in certain ways, imbued with mistrust. Oh, how much that wounds My Heart 1 Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My words, at least believe My wounds.
380 I make no movement, no gesture after my own liking, because I am bound by grace; I always consider what is more pleasing to Jesus.
381 When meditating once on obedience, I heard these words: In this meditation, the priest [90] is speaking particularly for you. Know that I am borrowing his lips. I tried to listen most attentively to everything and to apply everything to my own heart, as in every meditation. When the priest said that an obedient soul was filled with the power of God... Yes, when you are obedient I take away your weakness and replace it with My strength. I am very surprised that souls do not want to make that exchange with Me. I said to the Lord, "Jesus, enlighten my heart, or else I, too, will not understand much from these words."
382 I know that I live, not for myself, but for a great number of souls. I know that graces granted me are not for me alone, but for souls. O Jesus, the abyss of Your mercy has been poured into my soul, which is an abyss of misery itself. Thank You, Jesus, for the graces and the pieces of the Cross which You give me at each moment of my life
894 Today the doctor decided that I am not to go to Mass, but only to Holy Communion. I wanted very much to assist at Mass, but my confessor, [162] in agreement with the doctor, told me to obey. "It is God's will, Sister, that you should get well, and you must not undertake mortifications of any kind. Be obedient, Sister, and God will reward you for it." I felt that the confessor's words were Jesus' words, and although it made me sad to miss Holy Mass, during which God had been granting me the grace of seeing the Infant Jesus; nevertheless, I placed obedience above everything else.
I became absorbed in prayer and said my penance. Then I suddenly saw the Lord, who said to me, My daughter, know that you give Me greater glory by a single act of obedience than by long prayers and mortifications. Oh, how good it is to live under obedience, to live conscious of the fact that everything I do is pleasing to God!
895 January 23, [1937]. I did not feel like writing today. Then I heard a voice in my soul:My daughter, you do not live for yourself but for souls; write for their benefit. You know that My will as to your writing has been confirmed many times by your confessors. You know what is pleasing to Me, and if you have any doubts about what I am saying, you also know whom you are to ask. I grant him light to pronounce judgment on my case. My eye watches over him. My daughter, you are to be like a child towards him, full of simplicity and candor. Put his judgment above all My demands. He will guide you according to My will. If he doesn't allow you to carry out My demands, be at peace; I will not judge you, but the matter will remain between Me and him. You are to be obedient.
I became absorbed in prayer and said my penance. Then I suddenly saw the Lord, who said to me, My daughter, know that you give Me greater glory by a single act of obedience than by long prayers and mortifications. Oh, how good it is to live under obedience, to live conscious of the fact that everything I do is pleasing to God!
895 January 23, [1937]. I did not feel like writing today. Then I heard a voice in my soul:My daughter, you do not live for yourself but for souls; write for their benefit. You know that My will as to your writing has been confirmed many times by your confessors. You know what is pleasing to Me, and if you have any doubts about what I am saying, you also know whom you are to ask. I grant him light to pronounce judgment on my case. My eye watches over him. My daughter, you are to be like a child towards him, full of simplicity and candor. Put his judgment above all My demands. He will guide you according to My will. If he doesn't allow you to carry out My demands, be at peace; I will not judge you, but the matter will remain between Me and him. You are to be obedient.
1023 + Today, I received some oranges. When the sister had left, I thought to myself, "Should I eat the oranges instead of doing penance and mortifying myself during Holy Lent? After all, I am feeling a bit better." Then I heard a voice in my soul: My daughter, you please Me more by eating the oranges out of obedience and love of Me than by fasting and mortifying yourself of your own will. A soul that loves Me very much must, ought to live by My will. I know your heart, and I know that it will not be satisfied by anything but My love alone.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-365-367, 379-382)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-894-895)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1023)
http://www.regnumchristi.org/english/articulos/semanal.phtml?se=363&ca=975&te=866
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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