Mental Prayer for October 23-God and My Gratitude

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God

Grace I Ask: I want to realize deeply my ingrati­tude and see how I may overcome it.

The Idea: How terrible it would seem to me if my brother or sister sided with strangers against me. How much worse if I saw them joining with strangers to curse my parents, throw rocks at them, kill them. What would be my disgust, my anger with them for attacking those who had done so much for them?

My Personal Application: But we are doing this against God. When we follow our lower passions of laziness, envy, anger... when we steal, lie, or are impure or unkind - what is this but joining God's enemies in their attack on Him? With our venial sins we help to insult God; with our mortal sins we try to kill Him in our lives. Yet this is the God who gave us life in preference to millions of other possible men and who keeps us living each second... who has given us every good thing we've ever had: parents, friends, health, talents... who has given us every happy moment we've ever had. Tell Him how stupid we cab be at times, how sorry we are for our ingratitude to Him. Ask His pardon, too!

I Speak to God: O Jesus, suffering before me on the crucifix, I see what my sins have done. Help me to realize vividly your love, your devotion. Help me never to be ungrateful to you again.

Thought for Today: Jesus, help me to look at sin from the cross with you, to see it today for what it really is.
__________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)