Thursday, March 26, 2009

At the end of a long day.

I've been on the go more or less continuously since early this morning (at least I have a job). I had a rough class for two periods with fifth year students. It seems to me we've managed to inoculate an entire generation against the faith or at least let the enemies of the faith get to them before we did. It can be soul-destroying. Still our Lord did not say the way was easy but rather that it was hard and narrow. He leads we follow.
Two prayers for you that I find helpful:
Pierce, O most Sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Your love, with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with entire love and longing for You, may yearn for You and for your courts, may long to be dissolved and to be with You. Grant that my soul may hunger after You, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savour and evey delightful taste. May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon You, Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost doul be filled with the sweetness of Your savour. May it ever thirst for You, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the fulness of the house of God. May it ever compass You, seek you, find You, run to You, come up to You, meditate on You, speak of You, and do all for the praise and glory of Your Name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverence to the end; and be You alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen

from St. Bonaventure (I use it in preparation for Mass) and from St. Pio a prayer after communion:
Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You. Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often. Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life, and without You, I am without fervour. Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light, and without You, I am in darkness. Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will. Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You. Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much, and always be in Your company. Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You. Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of love. Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes; death, judgment, eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches, I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile! Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers. I need You. Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart. Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by communion, at least by grace and love. Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it, but the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You! Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more. With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Keep the head up Brother. You're doing the best of work.

I do wonder about who we allow "teach the faith" in "Catholic Schools". My young sister informed me today that her 5th year class watched Goodfellas in their religion class today........I have no idea why.

I might be oversimplifying it but it seems to my simple mind that the dismantling of the liturgy by hotheads who misunderstood is at the very root of the problem.

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