This is from my 2006 Prayer Journal. I think you will enjoy it.
Blessings and love, Fr. Jack. "Preparing the Heart." "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12) Confession does for the soul what preparing the land does for the field. Before the farmer sows the seed he works the acreage, removing rocks and pulling stumps. He knows seed grows better if the land is prepared. Confession is the act of inviting God to walk the acreage of our hearts. "There is a rock of greed over here Father, I can't budge it. And that tree of guilt near the fence? It's roots are long and deep. And may I show you some dry soil, too crusty for seed?" God's seeds grow better if the soil of the heart is cleared. And so the Father and the Son walk the field together, digging and pulling, preparing the heart for fruit. Confession invites the Father to work the soil of the soul. (Max Lucado's book of inspirational thoughts titled, "Grace.") "Pray always, every day."
This week's contribution is from my 2002 Prayer Journal. Prayer has changed my life in so many ways. I thank God for the authors who share their reflections in "Forward Day by Day," a daily devotional. I recommend them to you. St. John's provides a number of copies every three months, or you can subscribe to FDBD and they will mail them to your home. That's what I do. Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. "Then Jesus told them in a parable about their need to pray always, and not lose heart" Luke 18: 1-8. This can be a hard life, following Jesus. The more we live into the life to which he called us, the more we can find ourselves alienated from the world in which we live. This world does not favor the radical message He offered: love those who hate you. See everyone as a brother or sister. Think first of feeding the poor, clothing the naked, healing the sick, visiting prisoners, taking care of widows and orphans. Seek first this enigmatic Kingdom of God, where all the rules are so different. It can be a hard road to follow. I find that although I am always inspired and moved by my reading and worship, in the day in and day out of my life this is not enough to sustain me. There are days when it seems just too much; when I have seen one too many tragic stories, one too many victims of indifference or greed. The only way I can return, day after day is to pray. My discipline of prayer has changed, as time has passed. Yet whatever form it takes, I know that if I do not pray daily, I will begin to feel lost, overwhelmed. I need this direct connection with the Holy One in order to be grounded. Without it, I can lose heart. Pray always, every day. Save even a few moments for prayer, and lives, yours and others, will change in ways that astound you and glorify God." ( Forward Day by Day, Nov. 22, 2002 ) "For a Christian the all is Jesus..."
This is from my 2013 Prayer Journal. I really like it. Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. "For a Christian the all is Jesus. The Christian is the one who enlarges their heart by this kindness. They have the all which is Christ; the other things are nothing. Following Jesus is not easy, but it's not difficult either, because along the road of love the Lord enables us to walk on, the Lord also enlarges our hearts. The nothing (disputes, family disputes, disputes in society, disputes that lead to war) leads us to selfishness. And the all is Jesus, the great one. May he enlarge our hearts and make us gentle and kind because we will have every thing in him. That will keep us from creating daily problems about nothing." I want always to put strong wings on weary hearts, including my own, in every thing I share with you each week. Here are several entries from my 2017 Journal.
"The message of Christmas is that the material world is bound to the invisible spiritual world." (2017-Anglican Digest) "God is coming to you and so much to give. All you have to do is trust-and wait. God never runs out of time, or love, or space. May you be blessed to know that today." (Sophfronia Scott- Forward Day by Day-2017) "Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord." (Psalm 32:10) Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. "Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives,
is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see." (Corrie Ten Boom) I placed this quotation in my 2009 Prayer Journal. I think Corrie's life story is so appropriate for the Advent season, because she lived her life trusting in the Lord. Lornelia Arnolda "Corrie" Ten Boom was a Dutch Watchmaker and later a writer. She and her family were devout, strict Calvinists in the Dutch Reformed Church. During World War II they hid some 800 Jews in their home from the Nazis and saved them. They were eventually betrayed by Dutch people who cooperated with the Nazis. Corrie, her father and sister, were sent to Concentration camps. Only Corrie survived. After the war, Corrie returned to Holland to start a rehab ministry for Concentration camp survivors. She included Nazi cooperators in it, too. She also started a worldwide ministry, and wrote a book titled, "The Hiding Place." Corrie, 1893 to 1983, died in Orange County, California. "Whenever I am afraid, I will put my trust in God." (Psalm 56) Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. Living in today, in the now of life. I found these quotations to be very helpful to me. I put them in my 2015 Prayer Journal. I thought you might like them, too. Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." (Soren Kierkegaard, 1813 to 1885, Danish Philosopher) "We look backward we see themes, incidents, and phases. We don't see our lives in the context of where we are headed. Hindsight may be 20/20, but only if we forget that memories and truth are not the same." (The Rev. Steve Lawler, Anglican Digest, 2015) "I lift my eyes to the hills - from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth." (Psalm 121: 1-2) I cut a part of an article written by Rabbi Harold Kushner in 1986. He was a Rabbi and author of many excellent books. You can get them easily on Amazon. Notable work: "When Bad Things Happen to Good People,' and ' When all you've every wanted isn't enough." Rabbi Kushner was born in 1935 in Brooklyn, NYC. Here's a quotation I really like a lot:
"There are persons who shape their lives by the fear of death, and persons who shape their lives by the joy of life. The former live dying; the latter die living. Whenever I die, intend to die living. When we stop searching for Immortal Deeds that will give our life meaning and concentrate instead on filling our days with small moments that gratify us, we will find the only possible answer to the question, ‘What is life about?’ It is not about writing great books, or amassing great wealth or power. It is about loving and being loved. It is about enjoying food and sitting in the sun rather than rushing through lunch and hurrying back to the office. It is about savoring the transitory beauty of sunsets, the leaves turning color, the rare moments of true human communication." (From his book, " When Bad Things Happen to Good People ") Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. This is a Thanksgiving prayer I thought you would like. It was written by the mother of advice columnist, "Dear Abby," many years ago. I saved it in my 2012 Journal because it was the type of traditional prayer my parents often used.
I'm sure you have favorites too. Please send them to me. Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. Oh, Heavenly Father, We thank Thee for food and remember the hungry. We thank Thee for health, and remember the sick. We thank Thee for freedom and remember the enslaved. May these remembrances stir us to service, That Thy gifts to us maybe used for others. Amen. My good friend, Fr. Stott, will enjoy my contribution this week from my 1988 Prayer Journal. Al is from Germantown, PA. W. Hamilton Aulenbach (born 1898) was a well know Episcopal Church Rector and a Navy veteran in Pennsylvania. One of the churches he served at, St. Michael's in Germantown, was once described as "Germantown's liveliest church."
Being an old guy myself, I really related to a quotation of his below. Blessings, love, and hugs, Fr. Jack. It's great to be alive at 89! "Lord do deliver me from blinking out my earthly days like a contented toad. Let me find YOUR works forever new, wonderful, challenging. Let me pass on please while I am hepped to the heels over some new project. While I am here let me learn to ignore my creaking body, I'll be so grateful if You'll help me keep my mental motor running." "Those who take refuge in the Lord will be glad; they will sing out their joy forever." (Psalm 5) This is from my Prayer Journal in 1985. I think you will like it.
Some good advice and comfort from the Psalmist. Blessings, love, and hugs. Fr. Jack. Oh, God… Oh, God, when I have food help me to remember the hungry, When I have work help me to remember the jobless, When I have a warm home help me to remember the homeless, When I am without pain help me to remember those who suffer And remembering, help me to destroy my complacency and bestir my compassion. Make me concerned enough to help by word and deed, those who cry out For what we take for granted. Amen.* Yahweh (God ) is near to the broken hearted, He helps those whose spirits are crushed. (Psalm 34) * The word Amen means "so be it; may it become true." |