When Will We Ever Get it Right?

                “Dear Lord, it has been about 2000 years since You showed Your great love and mercy for us and were crucified, since You conquered death and returned to establish Your Church on earth, since You majestically ascended into heaven with the promise of eternal life for all those who love You and do Your will. The world has changed so much since then, yet man’s strengths and weaknesses remain the same. I see the same characteristics of pride, self love and vanity dancing into the hearts of all men and women behind a changing backdrop. We grow close to You, we try to recognize and do Your will, we eventually fail by taking over with our own ideas and amazingly, You always lovingly take us back. Natural disasters or societal devastation occur in the world, the humble of the Church slowly step in and with Your help, they try to build up Your kingdom again and again. The tools change, the countryside changes, the weapons change; but it is the same pattern. Man begins to think his power is closer to Yours or that he doesn’t need religion or worse, he doesn’t need You. Then everything comes crashing down and man desperately, sadly and humbly reaches out to You again. You always remain, arms outstretched, Your blessed Sacred Heart open to receive man’s love again and again.

                “I see this pattern in our current world, as our society spouts off idealisms of independence, freedom and choice. How sad that the notion of independence pushes You away. Society, especially Americanism, praises the notion of ‘making it on your own,’ personal success is measured through wealth and power. You are not in this picture. Religion and faith are thought to be a crutch for the weak minded. Religion and faith are thought to make slaves of people, not allowing freedom. People are told they can marry anything.  People are told that life does not begin at conception, instead, it is labeled an embryo, not a child, and the mother is free to allow life or death for the child You gave her. Doctors even become butchers, brutally taking the lives of these precious unborn children and justifying it under the false package of free choice for the mother and her body. Your divine miracle of giving life is ignored and explained away through man’s feeble scientific explanations. How far from the truth have we wandered? Scientists now are even trying to fool themselves that they can create life through cloning. Men are once again puffed up with their own abilities and thinking they can become like You.

“Where is the humility? Where is the sense of awe? Natural disasters occur – hurricanes, earthquakes, etc., that we can not control. The devastation causes awe. The annihilation causes humility – people have to ask for help. Some look to You, some see You in others, but the humility slowly abounds again. Does man really need such drastic measures to turn his heart? Natural disasters turn some hearts and yet, others are turned by man’s disasters. The power of evil grows in the pride of men who warp their purpose for life into acts of terrorism. Things like the destruction of the two towers on 9/11 reveals the devastating power of pride in men turned away from Your love and mercy for all mankind. After this horrible event, however, people drew their strength and courage from You and some hearts were turned and some were awakened. Some became heroes with You on their side, and many of these heroes proudly acknowledged Your help. Suddenly, television shows that once would never include the mention of Your name or Your principles were infused with You and Your age old promises of love and hope. These are glimmers of hope for change in our world.

“This cycle of Your promises and blessings being followed by a turning away, a swelling of human pride, a failure and a return to Your promises and blessings began with Adam and Eve in the Garden.  Will we ever get it right? When will we ever just remain faithful to You and then be with You in heaven for eternity? Oh dear Lord, open our hearts, minds and souls to hear Your Word and to receive Your love. May we cling to Your blessed Sacred Heart. May we live in the hope and faith of Your promises. Oh dear Lord, help us learn through our mistakes throughout history. Call us, form us, join us to You and never let go. Keep us humble; make us free by being Your servants. Blessed Mary, call your children home and prepare our hearts to truly receive Your son’s great love and to live in humble awe of our great Lord.”

Sharing Your Love

                “Dear Lord, my God, my King, my Savior, I hear Your call today. My heart aches as I am separated from You. I feel choked as I breathe in at the thought of being so far away from You. Remind me that You are in me, that You love me and that You are right here with me all the time. I just need to” pick up the phone” so to speak, knowing that I will hear Your voice on the other end.

“May my prayers always be a clear line of communication to You. Sometimes, I want to scream, ‘Where are You?’ and yet I wonder how often You scream ‘Where are you?’ Forgive me dear Lord for the times I let myself get so busy that I didn’t take the time to talk to You. Remind me how much You love and adore me, how much You long to be close to me as I desire to be with You. My heart aches, my eyes fill with tears, I swallow the huge lump in my throat as I think of You.

“Lord, what do You want from me here on earth? What is it You want me to do here? At times, I feel like a caged animal just waiting for the gate to be opened so that I can run to You, no matter how far and difficult it may be to find You, and to melt into Your loving embrace. I feel incomplete without You. Open my inner senses so that I can find You in me and around me; open the gate and let me run to You here and now, not just at the gates to eternity.

“Oh dear Holy Spirit, permeate my heart and soul. Let me soak You up into every part of my body, mind and soul like a sponge. Quench my thirst, moisten my dry parched being with Your precious living water. Oh Lord, may Your pure living water nourish me and help me produce the precious fruit of love, the very fruit You created and placed in me when You first breathed life into my soul. Dear Lord, may we all be watered and nourished; may we all blossom in love, slowly opening like a rose, as we produce more and more of Your love and share it with all people everywhere throughout the world You created. Help us spread Your love, sharing it like You did when You first instituted the Eucharist with Your disciples, breaking the bread, Your body, and sharing the wine, Your precious blood, with all those around You. May we share the fruit of love, spreading it freely to those and us who are starving for it, the way food is distributed to starving people and water to those in the desert.

“Oh dear Lord, open my gates here on earth and set me free to spread Your love throughout the world. Let me run free; loose the bonds I have placed on myself and set me free. Let me run through, in, over and under every obstacle here on earth to harvest Your love and distribute this precious gift. May I ride on a magnificent horse proclaiming Your love and glory like Paul Revere when he announced ‘The British are coming’ at full speed all night on a fast horse to save his fellow countrymen. Turn me loose, set me free, let me run! I feel the wind in my hair, the power under me, and I feel the angels wings brush against me. My hands are up in the air, my head is tipped back and Your stunning blinding light of love streams down on my face as the majestic horse You send me gallops at full speed throughout this earth and I share Your love everywhere with everyone.

“Oh Lord I feel Your call today and I am so very grateful.”

Help Me to Stop Asking Why

                “Dear Lord, thank You for calling me; literally drawing me in to Your loving embrace. Thank You for joining our hearts together, bathed in the warm thick blood of Your mercy and love. Thank You for repairing my heart and reshaping it back into Your image.

                “Help me Lord to stop asking why. Help me to stop trying to fully understand something that is so far beyond me, like the multitude of stars in the universe. The stars continue to exist and exhibit their beauty with or without my understanding of them. My need to understand taps into my inclination to be in control. Not knowing requires trust and faith. I have an eternal lifetime to ponder Your wonders. For my short time here on earth, let me accept the help You send to better prepare me for a future with You. Don’t let my weaknesses and lack of understanding block the fountain of mercy and love You choose to immerse me in. Let me stand there, with an open mind, heart, body and soul as You pour Your living water throughout me, within me, and over me. Wash me clean of all the extra unnecessary garbage I have clothed myself in. Let me be reformed into the image of You, the one You created me with and help me to let go of my desire to ask why and how.

                “Dear Lord, let me look in a mirror and see Your eyes looking back at me. Let me be free to be a fountain of love like You. May my heart be filled with Your compassion. May my lips speak Your praise. May my actions reflect Your glory. My Lord, my God, may my time on earth be spent praising, reverencing and serving You.”