Mental Prayer for October 15-God or Creatures?

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God

Grace I Ask: Lord, help me to understand "detachment."

The Idea; A solo pilot named Joe was up in his plane and the motor failed. Joe liked the plane very much, so much that he refused to parachute from it. He refused to free himself from the plane and he almost died in the crash. The doctors said that Joe would have to take undergo much surgery and rehabilitation. Joe, however, didn't want surgery and disliked the medicine; so he refused them. Consequently, Joe died....

All of us naturally like or dislike things (crea­tures). There is nothing wrong with our likes and dislikes as long as we do not allow them to lead us into mortal or venial sin. There was nothing wrong with Joe's liking his airplane and disliking medicine-up to a point. But he let these likes and dislikes lead him into sinful actions: neglect­ing ordinary care for his life. He was too much attached to his likes and dislikes. If he had been detached from them, he might not have died. Being detached does not mean we stop liking or disliking creatures. It means we control our likes and dislikes so that they don't lead us into sin and death.

My Personal Application: What are my usual sins? What are the creature or creatures leading me to commit them? Am I really detached from these creatures or am I attached to them? Do they mean more to me than God? Ask God if they have at times turned me from Him?

I Speak to God: God, what does detachment mean for me? Help me to see what it means and how it can help me. I'll go over this meditation again; help me to understand it more clearly. (If I need help, I will seek guidance from my spiritual director or a good priest).

Thought for Today: Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to give you whatever you ask of me.
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Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)