Mental Prayer for August 29-Hope and Happiness

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God.

Grace I Ask: God, give me a clear idea of the virtue of hope.

The Idea: A man waits nervously in an outer office. Will his employer give him the raise he wants or not? A young lady waits anxiously beside the telephone. Will she get an invitation to the dance or not? A student eagerly scans the list of names. Did he get that scholarship or not? Life is full of questions, important questions. And very often we are terribly uncertain before­hand of the answer. But the most important question in my life is, "Will I save my soul?" And the answer? The answer is certain. I know it right now. Yes, I will save my soul ­- provided I do my best to follow God's instructions on how to save it. The virtue of hope tells me that I will save my soul if I keep the command­ments. Hope gives me the answer to the most important question in my life.

My Personal Application: Do I ever get upset about saving my soul? Really upset? I should, only if I have a guilty conscience, only if I realize I have not been following God's instructions in a serious matter. Otherwise I should not worry about going to hell. For God Himself assures me that I am on the right track and success is certain.

I Speak to God: God, help me see how a strong virtue of hope can make my life permanently happy.

Thought for Today: "... provided I keep doing my best to follow God's instructions."
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Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)