Mental Prayer for November 14, The Rich Fool

Mental Prayer Meditation Helps

Presence of God

Grace I Ask: Lord, let the thought of death teach me that you, not creatures, are the purpose of my life.

The Idea: Our Lord tells us a parable of a rich man who became taken up with the thought of building larger barns in order to store up more grain so that he could say to himself, "Rest now; eat, drink, and make merry, for you have goods in plenty laid up for many years". Christ has but one remark, "Thou fool, this night thou must render up thy soul." (Cf. Luke 12:16-21.) Simple but forceful! What security can creatures give us? And yet we often endanger our souls in the struggle to get some material thing that can't even make us happy in this life. Why?

My Personal Application: Can I say to myself that I have a greater regard for my soul than I have for my body and its needs? Or do I spend most of my energies trying to make my life as easy and comfortable as it can be, at the expense of the well-being of my soul? Do I think often that death will take from me everything I love on this earth ?

I Speak to God: Lord, help me to realize that all the things that draw me away from you are harm­ful, even though they seem so desirable at times. Teach me that there is no use in centering my life on these things.

Thought for Today: What value has this in the light of eternity? (Ask yourself this question when in doubt if a thing is good or not.)
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Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)