Tuesday, March 10, 2009

A prayer life

Psalm50: 23
Those who offer praise as a sacrifice honor me; to the obedient I will show the salvation of God."

Have you ever felt like “making time” for prayer was a hassle, or inconvenient? It happens to me all the time. But it was really brought home to me recently.

I look at my relationship with Jesus as a “marriage” of sorts. You know, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health and all of that. In fact, during my recent illness that put me flat on my back for 6 days with nothing to do but pity myself, I found little time for my prayer life. I was a miserable spouse. I wanted Him to make me well (and probably subconsciously even BLAMED Him for my illness), but I wasn’t talking to Him! It told me where I really stand when it comes to a prayer life.

After 3 days (coincidence?) I finally just said, “Please, God, let me get some sleep so I can start feeling better and pay more attention to YOU!” Within five minutes I was asleep, sure that He would take care of me. I just wonder why it took me so long to get around to asking.

At Mass today, the Psalm above was part of the response to the 1st reading. Of all the readings, the Gospel, and other prayers said today, this ONE LINE absolutely SPOKE to me! Prayer is supposed to be a sacrifice! The bigger the sacrifice, the greater the praise! But big does not necessarily mean grandiose. Sincerity and humility is what defines a true sacrifice.

You can be sure that I will be paying more attention to my prayers and making the time to speak with and listen to my Eternal Spouse, just as I make time to speak to Marilyn. After all, is not my Lord more important than anything in this world?

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"I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.

I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor:
the first — by deed, the second — by word, the third — by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy.

Many souls ... are often worried because they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul.

If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy".