Prayers go out to you all for your various intentions. As I write this I think of the sister that is facilitating the Endow classes for 2 parishes, the sister that is worried about her daughter's health, the sister that is having pain in her hand, the sister that has a brother-in-law that had a stroke, the sister that is physically challenged, the sister that is looking for work, the sister that is traveling, the sister that has a stressful job. What a privilege to pray for all of you, knowing that in my darkest moments your prayers sustained me.
I'm in Day 4 of the Consecration to Jesus through Mary and I feel the Spirit moving in me; shaving off some of the dross to find the shiny metal inside...let it be gold God!! I found the first few days challenging, as if the devil somehow was trying to prevent this. That's how I knew that I needed to continue and not give up. My husband has decided to come along on this journey too. I didn't ask him to. The Spirit is moving powerfully in his life as well.
Scripture Luke 14:16-24
But he
said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the
time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited,
‘Come; for all is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The
first said to him, I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it; please,
have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go
to examine them; please, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a
wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported this to
his master. Then the householder in anger said to his servant; Go out quickly
to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and maimed and blind
and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and
there is still room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the
highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be
filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my
banquet.’
St. Louis de Montfort LEW: #76
In the
opinion of the world, a wise man is one with a keen eye to business; who knows
how to turn everything to his personal profit without appearing to do so. He
excels in the art of duplicity and well –concealed fraud without arousing
suspicion. He thinks one thing and says another. Nothing concerning the graces
and manners of the world is unknown to him. He accommodates himself to everyone
to suit his end, completely ignoring the honor and interests of God. He manages
to make a secret but fatal reconciliation of truth and falsehood, of the gospel
and the world, of Christ and Belial. He wishes to be considered an honest man
but not a devout man, and most readily scorns, distorts and condemns devotions
he does not personally approve of. In short, a man is worldly-wise who,
following solely the lead of his senses and human reasoning, poses as a good
Christian and a man of integrity, but makes little effort to please God or
atone by penance for the sins he has committed against him.
Question
The
temptation to make excuses for not responding to the will and the call of God
is very common and very subtle. What are the excuses that you make most
frequently?
Excuses, excuses... I'm full of them. "I'm tired" ranks right up there as my number one excuse for not saying a rosary or not picking up a spiritual book. And it's true that there are days that I am very tired. But somehow I make time to watch a TV show that interests me or to play a game on the computer. Close to "I'm tired" is the ever present "I deserve a little down time after working all day." It reminds me of the guest that bought the field or the oxen. They were tired after working all day and wanted to spend time as they wanted. But I see now that when I do these things, I don't cheat anyone but myself of the great banquet. For tired or not, spending time with God is the best refreshment of all.
St. Louis de Montforts meditation was like reading the bio of a politician. Powerful words these "He wishes to be considered an honest man but not a devout man, and most readily scorns, distorts and condemns devotions he does not personally approve of." Yikes!!
So more to the point of this exercise, how am I a politician? How do I appear honest and yet am only keeping up appearances? How do I scorn others in their religious piety?
Here's how I do this:
My thoughts about a person (especially people that I meet at work and don't actually know) don't reflect my courteous and kind attitude. Help me to rein in my ugly thoughts Holy Spirit, the thoughts that attribute motives to people that I don't know. Help me to rein in my ugly thoughts about people that dress in ways that offend me. Help me to rein in my ugly thoughts about people that speak crudely. Instead, when I meet these people, let me see them with Jesus' eyes... love first and always and then a prayer for their well being.
Holy Spirit,
Help me to see my selfishness for what it is and remember that all my time, brief as it is on this earth, belongs to God.
With love and belief that your grace can and will transform me,
your little broken pencil~
22
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