Mental Prayer Meditation Helps
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: Help me, O Lord, to practice the daily examination of conscience faithfully.
The Idea: A wealthy businessman felt he had been neglecting his employees but saw no way of improving conditions. A priest advised him to ride the trains to work instead of driving his car. In the morning he could plan the affairs of the day; riding home in the evening, he could examine the failures and successes of that day. The results did wonders for his workers and for his own soul.
I should make for myself a similar rule and make every effort to follow this sound advice for my soul. This daily rule tells me to examine my conscience each evening so that I can see where I failed that day. Going over the various duties of the day, I check on my performances and resolve to avoid some particular fault or practice some virtue the next day. This practice, with the act of contrition afterwards, helps me go forward in the service of God and makes confession easy.
My Personal Application: Have I taken this rule seriously enough? Do I realize that the daily examination of conscience is one of the most important 'rules' of my day? Do I follow it? Do I recall the duties of the day to see where I could do better? Am I truly sorry for my failures?' Am I really honest with myself?
I Speak to God: What a help, O Lord, I have in this rule of daily examination of conscience. I thank you for this blessing. Help me to practice it more faithfully than I have been doing, that I may know myself better, and so love and serve you better.
Thought for Today: The better I know myself, the better I'll know God.
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Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
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