Sunday, September 03, 2006

Mental Prayer for September 4-Charity and Feelings

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God

Grace I Ask: O Lord, teach me to know what charity is and give me the strength to practice it.

The Idea: Love consists in wishing someone well because we share something. This is easy to do for mother and child, husband and wife, friend and friend, for they feel like wishing each other well. What about those people we don't feel like loving? The answer is simple: I can love them with a supernatural love even though I do not like them. Charity is not based on feeling but on willing. When I am tempted to commit a sin but resist the temptation, I would like to sin but I do not want to sin: my will conquers my feelings. In just the same way, I might not like someone, but I want to love him. Peelings are not bad in themselves, of course, but if we just let go, they drag us into many sins. Our heads must control our hearts. I might dislike many things about my fellowmen, but I make myself love them because God wants them to be His friends and share His life. No matter how I feel, I follow what my head says I should do.

My Personal Application: It is so easy for a fol­lower of Christ to let his attitudes be ruled by what he feels. Do I allow my attitude to my fellowmen to be ruled by how I feel toward them? Or is it ruled by what I know I should do toward them? Do I unconsciously divide the people I meet every day into those I like and those I dislike and treat them accordingly? Is this attitude Christian?

I Speak to God: God, a supernatural love for all men at all times is very difficult but necessary if I am to be a real follower of Christ. Please help me.

Thought for Today: "If a man says he loves God while he hates his fellowmen, he is a liar." (1 John 4:20).
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Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)

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