Another day, another month: a new opportunity to walk towards our goal - to draw nearer to God. So far, we have been invited to focus on the role and place that our neighbor has in our life. He or she is not "in the way," is not an impediment to our walk but, as matter of fact, is really like a trampoline that makes us jump higher. Oh, if we could only understand the role each one of us plays in our lives.
We continue, then. We enter into this new day knowing that God is love and that that will happen to us today is an opportunity to remain focused on Him. We want to grow, therefore, in this awareness: God is with me and I can rely on Him.
Both readings and the Psalm allow us to grow in this sense of confidence. As Christians we are immersed in a world that considers God to be irrelevant. We do so many things throughout the day, and we are so focused on these things that we may forget that God is involved in each one of them. It's easy to live our life as though God is irrelevant to us as well. Many can even think: "Yes, God exists. Yes, God loves me. Yes, God provides. But when it comes to me, I can do it all."
Then, what difference does God make in our life? Unless we live throughout the day with this awareness, then there is very little difference between us and those who don't believe in God.
Prayer is what helps us to remain grounded in this new reality that God gives us - "I am with you till the end." Prayer is the mean through which we communicate with God, we remain connected with Him. It doesn't have to take a lot of time to "tune in" throughout the day. By making an effort (and I know it's going to be more difficult at the beginning but then it gets easier), we can use every single action of the day as an opportunity to "check in" with God. Here are some examples:
How far do we go with our prayer? We must go as far as we can. This means that we can also start making a difference in the life of people whom we don't care about: our enemies. Yes, today we can really make a special effort and start praying for those who have hurt us, have spoken ill of us. We can pray for our enemies and, maybe, moved by the empowering presence of the Spirit in us, we can make a loving gesture for them. Jesus clearly told us that we have to Love our Enemies. Love must be concrete but it's not easy. That's why we prepare oureslves to love them by praying for them and then we can take a little step towards concrete Love.What really counts is that you become aware of God in your life. As you go to the day, remember that is more important that you think of Him rather than remembering the content of the handout
As the Alarm Clock goes off and you push the snooze button, say to the Lord: “This is the day you have made for me. Thank you for this gift.” Say one Our Father while you’re still in bed.
As the Morning begins:•If you prepare lunch for your children or spouse, make sure to say a prayer of blessing for each of them•As you go to work, as you pull out of the driveway (before putting the gear in Drive_ say to the Lord, “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.”•If you stay at home, as you go through the house, from room to room or even just in one, ask the Lord to bless the house and those who live in it. Say to Him, “As for me and my household, we shall serve the Lord.”
At Lunch Time: make sure you say grace before meal. If you can, be quite for at least 5 minutes. At the beginning of your quite time say “Speak, o Lord, your servant is listening.” At the end of the 5 minutes say one Our Father.
In the Evening: as the family gathers, make sure you pay attention to each person. Make eye contact and smile. At the end of each “one on one encounter” say to the Lord, “Bless him/her, o Lord.”As you get ready to fall asleep, think about the day and, if you can and want, write down on a journal or index card at the least three things you considered a blessing today. Tell the Lord something that is pressing onto your heart. End the day with another Our Father. Say to the Lord, “Thank you for this day. Keep me and my family safe throughout the night.”
How do we pray for our enemies? In the most loving way. We ask God to make that person as happy as we would like to be, with no string attached.
Prayer always leads us to life and is shaped by our life. We never escape life through prayer. We are ready to take this further step. Let's invade the world with supernatural love, love that comes from the heart of God into ours through "real" prayer.
As we touch the Father's heart through our prayer, let's bring to Him everything and be an extension of His arm that touches all people, especially those who are farthest from Him and from us: our enemies.
2 comments:
I like the daily routine you suggest. I follow something similar, but I may incorporate some of your suggestions. I also find that waiting in doctors' offices often provides time for a decade of the rosary. Something I started a few years ago: I like to bake, so when I make something for a friend or for someone I need to thank or something for someone who is sick or hurting in some way, I pray for that person as I make the cookies or cake or whatever. I feel like that makes it a "double gift," both temporal and spiritual.
The image of God the Father as our Father is such a wonderful one. It helps me think of God in a more personal way. And the gospel reading for today is one of my favorites, especially the line that compares how we love our children to how God loves us. In His infinite capacity for love, how much more he must love us than we are even capable of loving our own children. Even as fully as we love them, how our capacity for love pales next to His. And then, just think how blessed we are by His infinite love. I can't think of that without feeling wonderful. And it's so awesome that nothing in our world can take that away; it is beyond the reach of laws or circumstances, governments or individuals.
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