Lord, Hear Our Prayer

Gospel

 John 1:29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

 

Think

 

I would say that St. John never spoke in a more admirable manner than when he was asked who he was, for he always relied on the humble negative; and when he was obliged to answer positively, he said that he was only a voice, as much as to say that he was nothing; word in truth, well worthy of a prophet and of the great among them..." ~St. Jane de Chantal

 

Pray

 

Dear Sweet Jesus,

Help me to remember that my vocation is see and testify to you. Turn my eyes away from the idols of "success"--prestige, recognition, notoriety. Remind me as often as necessary that true success is the honest testimony that Your are God and You alone have my heart. You are the author of my accomplishments. I have to hold the pen and take dictation from You--nothing more.  There is only one opinion that really matters, only one "job" for me to do, only one voice for me to hear-- Yours. Your opinion. Your unique job for me. The voice of Your approval alone. Help me know this in every fiber of my being, God. My life depends on it.

 

Act

 

Turn of the computer. Leave it off. As we settle into ordinary time, consider this:: 

 

With all vigilance guard your heart,

for in it are the sources of life.

Proverbs 4:23

So often, in our restless moments, amidst the beautiful that we mistake for the mundane, we mindlessly click to find someplace to rest our hearts. We are assualted by the many, many images and words and miss the opportunity to hear His Word. Confusion in a blur of voices, caught in the comparisions with strangers on the Internet, we cannot distinguish the nuances of His whisper to our unique souls. For this week, try something different. Instead of seeking sustenance on Pinterest, open a cookbook, chop an onion, sift  and stir with a child. Feed your family; feed your soul. Instead of scrolling endless images on Instagram, sit in silence and candlelight before an icon. Learn the lesson written there. Instead of reading status updates on Facebook, gather children onto your lap or make a dedicated, heartfelt phone call and ask, truly ask, "What is on your mind?" Listen to the answer. 

 

How can I pray for you this week?