Mental Prayer Meditation Helps
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: To see that prayer without penance is ineffective.
The Idea: Suppose a friend borrows my Cadillac and returns it - a complete wreck. He apologizes profusely, but refuses to pay any damages. He tells me over and over how much he has always liked me....
Prayer is really cultivating God's friendship. Sin offends God, smashes up something that belongs to Him: my life and my soul. I have to repair the damage. Being really sorry is one way of repairing. But I ought to do something more to prove I really mean my sorrow.
My Personal Application: How can I expect intimacy with God until the damages of sin are at least somewhat repaired? Penance is something I owe God. I can begin with difficult acts of obedience, even in little things: doing my work carefully and on time, other things I ought to do but find hard.
Again: acts of self-denial in food, kneeling reverently during my prayer. The more they cost, the more they show my sincerity to God. They prove that I really want to pray.
I Speak to Christ (on the cross): You have loved me more than others, You called me to be a follower of Yours, You died on the cross for me. In the future I want to cultivate Your friendship; so please teach me to pray. To show I really mean it, I'll do this penance.....at this time today.
Thought for Today: "Unless you do penance, you will all perish" (Luke 13:5).
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Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
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