Praise be Jesus Christ, Now and Forever! Praise be His Holy Name. Praise Him. Shout for joy in His Presence. Sing a new song to Him. All praise be due to Him who is, who was, and who always will be.
Thank You Lord for all thy benefits. Thank You Lord for the yield of the land, for the rain and the sun, for the storm and the calm. Thank You Lord for running appliances, working vehicles, utilities, and water. Thank You Lord for all sources of income, for thriving and failing health. Thank You Lord for my cross, but mostly for THE CROSS. Thank You Lord for hope and trust and faith. Thank You Lord for the Resurrection and the life of the world to come.
Forgive us Lord for our ingratitude. Forgive us for our indifference. Forgive us Lord for our distractions, for our pride, and our forgetfulness. Forgive us Lord for our despair and lack of hope, trust, and faith. Lord, we are the fallen in a fallen world. We cry out to You and beg of Your inexhaustible Mercy pardon and peace beyond all understanding.
Yesterday, as I knelt at the altar rail before the Tabernacle watching the porch light of our Lord flicker, tears began to flow as I voiced intentions of prayer alongside a spiritual sister. I had no idea the tears were coming. The intentions flowing from my lips were not planned or written down, but poured out of my mouth with a sorrow and heaviness that was not necessarily my own. I cannot begin to understand fully what I experienced, but I know it was a type of intercessory prayer that I bet is common for many mothers, but especially our Blessed Mother. My prayer partner was so gracious to begin praying, as formulating words, even the ones of the Divine Mercy Chaplet that we pray every week together, were not making their way out. Then came my response, and I jumbled them so badly that I laughed. It was pretty comical and I literally thanked God for this relief. We finished our Chaplet and proceeded with our visit outside the church. I just kept thinking< “What was that?”
After returning home, I just had to text my sister in Christ and let her know that I had no idea where the tears came from, assuring her that I was not bearing any new crosses since we last visited, but that it seemed like the weight of the world was just suddenly so real. It is no coincidence that is exactly what our intentions are for the Chaplet – the whole world.
After texting, I had time for my daily readings and reflections. I open up my reflections and read, “Father, teach me to laugh when You laugh and cry when You cry.” Jas 4:9
God is ALWAYS with us! He ALWAYS shows up! ALWAYS!
How has God consoled you lately? How has He explained the unexplainable? I am sure someone would love to hear.
Photo by Josh Eckstein on Unsplash
