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SPIRITUAL LIVING
Prayer and Devotions
Blessings, Gratitude, and Holy Action
by Father Roderick Ermatinger , LC
Today, write down a brief mission statement describing the mission you believe God wants you to fulfill for His Kingdom.
November 22, 2007
St Cecilia martyr, memorial (Thanksgiving Day)
Luke 19: 41-44
As Jesus came near and saw Jerusalem, he wept over it, saying, "If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God."
Introductory Prayer: Holy Spirit, enlighten my mind and heart with the virtue of faith. I want to see my life in the true light of faith that comes from friendship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit, bless me with the virtue of hope. Never allow me to fall into despair or even into disappointment, since our Lord has defeated sin and death, opening the gates of heaven for me. Inflame my heart with a passionate love for my Lord and for my neighbor. Set it ablaze, and through me inflame the hearts of many for the Truth that sets man free to do the will of the Father.
Petition: Make my heart ready for your return, Lord Jesus.
1. A Grateful Country Today, citizens of the United States of America celebrate with grateful hearts the blessings they have received from God. God has abundantly blessed this nation: A country that has been given so much will also be expected to give back much. Let’s ask God to help us to appreciate more clearly how he wants this country, and its people, to live the faith and to spread his Kingdom.
2. Consequences There are consequences to what we do and what we do not do. Because of our incredible ability to communicate and trade throughout the globe in only seconds, the world gets smaller. As the world gets smaller, the possibility for influence grows. In a country like the United States, the choices its people make have the potential to exert influence far beyond its shores. For those who live there, this should move them to know, love, assimilate, and transmit our faith all the more. In this way the ability to influence can cause goodness to grow exponentially, even in a world that appears to be unraveling.
3. High Expectations Two thousand years ago, Jesus wept near Jerusalem because the people failed to recognize that he, the God-man, had visited them. We too have been visited by our Savior. Does he weep, or do we fill him with joy at the sight of our own personal conversion and our efforts to convert the world to Christ? Christ wants us to recognize what makes for peace – the Prince of Peace. As Christ expected a great deal from the people of Jerusalem, he expects much of us. He has placed the treasure of faith in our hands. We have received it freely; now we must give it freely.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, move me this day to abandon myself more fully to your divine Providence. Help me to see with greater clarity your work of salvation. Help me to see my role, as well as the role of my country, in that plan. I want to participate fully in the glorious mission you have entrusted to me.
Resolution: Today, I will write down a brief mission statement. In it I will describe the mission I believe God wants me to fulfill in order to help spread his Kingdom.
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