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TODAY’S WORD…

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Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings,

or of God?

Or am I trying to please people?

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If I were still trying to please people,

I would not be a servant of Christ.

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– Galatians 1:10 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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The world appears to be intent on

getting us to adopt lifestyles and attitudes

which exalt the self,

idolise the body,

and encourage self-gratification at any cost.

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But it does not stop at the self,

because vanity is also about showing off

and about winning the approval of others.

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The world seems to be continuously feeding

our lower passions, desires, pride

and all our amoral inclinations,

as it justifies self-indulgence and unrestraint.

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But we can battle…and beat…this ideology,

and set about pleasing God rather than the world.

We can do this

by putting on Christ;

by living how He teaches us to live;

by being humble;

and by loving unselfishly like He loves.

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PRAYER…

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Lord Jesus,

I so want to be like You.

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Help me stop focusing on myself

and remove from me all desires that are not from You.

Lord, it is Your approval that I seek;

it is You I want to please

and not the world.

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Lord, protect me from the vanity that lurks within me,

and from my self-centeredness.

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Lead me, Lord,

in ways that are pleasing to You

and help me always desire to be like You

and to do Your will.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, it is only You I want to please!

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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The Lord leads all persons by paths and in ways pleasing to Him,

and each believer responds according to his heart’s resolve

and the personal expressions of his prayer.

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However, Christian Tradition has retained three major expressions of prayer:

vocal, meditative, and contemplative.

They have one basic trait in common: composure of heart.

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This vigilance in keeping the Word and dwelling in the presence of God

makes these three expressions intense times in the life of prayer.

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[CCC 2699]

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