Mental Prayer Meditation Helps
Presence of God
Grace I Ask: O my God, enlighten my mind and guide me in my search for self-knowledge.
The Idea: Before a military leader tangles with the enemy, he spends long hours with maps and charts of the battleground. He also does some consulting with officers experienced in that particular method of attack. Our Particular Examination is a powerful weapon, but it must be used correctly. It must be aimed at the nerve center of the enemy. Our first objective: pinpoint that spot. How? Our confessions will give us a good lead. What sins keep coming up week after week? Also, keep an ear open for chance remarks dropped by friends. Unintentionally they often help us toward se1f-knowledge. Don't be in a rush to select a target for the Particular Examination. Consulting with someone who knows us can be a big help - a regular confessor, a counselor, or a teacher.
My Personal Application: Maybe in my case there is a sinful habit that stands out clearly, and I know it for such. I might be skilled in tearing down other people's reputations. I may often lie and cheat. Perhaps I have a wrong attitude toward authority, and this might show up in frequently disobeying them. Could laziness be the cause of my troubles at school, at home, at work? Am I just plain selfish, thinking always of what I'm going to get out of something, never thinking of the other people? Perhaps none of these fits me. But I do have bad habits. An intense search will find them.
I Speak to God: My God, you know me perfectly... so much better than I know myself. Show me where to begin this "Operation Cleansweep." Looking at myself, I feel lost... I feel as though I am looking at a stranger. Let me get to know myself... to see myself through your eyes.
Thought for Today: "Give me the grace to know myself."
__________________
Adapted from Mental Prayer, Challenge to the Lay Apostle
by The Queen's Work,(© 1958)
No comments:
Post a Comment