Daily Retreat 11/18/06
2006 Nov 18 Sat:/ Dedication of the Churches of Peter and Paul
3 Jn 5-8/ Ps 111(112): 1-2. 3-4. 5-6/ Lk 18: 1-8.
Or Acts 28: 11-16. 30-31/ Ps 97(98): 1. 2-3ab. 3cd-4. 5-6/ Mt 14: 22-33
From today’s readings: “we ought to support such persons, so that we may be co-workers in the truth.... Blessed the man who fears the Lord.... Jesus told His disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.....”
The Excuse Mill
It’s obvious that one of the most productive factories in Hell is the Excuse Mill! The devils slaving away there crank out excuses at an amazing rate, and they’ve got an incredibly efficient delivery system that's out of this world, so whenever you or I need an excuse (particularly the "prayer procrastination" brand), POOF! - there’s our excuse, all ready to go, and it doesn’t seem to cost us anything!
But it does! Not only potentially in the long run (that "little" matter of our eternal salvation), but also every single time we blow off prayer, we’re effectively turning down and depriving ourselves immediately of whatever grace God is offering us at that moment. And that adds up to an amazing amount of grace the soul has lost!
Yes, one of the most constant temptations in life is the demotion and dismissal of prayer. It seems there’s always something more pressing to do, or that it would be better to pray later when things are calmer, or there’s some other reason why NOW so seldom turns out to be the right time to pray. And we figure since God is patient, He won’t mind too much waiting for us, and waiting for us, and waiting for us....
Actually, though, it’s really only for the devils that prayer is truthfully inconvenient! In fact, for us, prayer could be defined as the greatest convenience of our life: a direct line to God, and an eternal lifeline, at that! Nothing could be more convenient! So it is prayer that makes us like Jesus, and prayer that fills us with the love of Jesus.
But, if that’s still not enough to get you praying as you know you ought to be, consider this: those who are the most frequent customers at the Excuse Mill generally can count on getting a job there - so pray, pray, PRAY that that won’t happen to you!
3 Jn 5-8/ Ps 111(112): 1-2. 3-4. 5-6/ Lk 18: 1-8.
Or Acts 28: 11-16. 30-31/ Ps 97(98): 1. 2-3ab. 3cd-4. 5-6/ Mt 14: 22-33
From today’s readings: “we ought to support such persons, so that we may be co-workers in the truth.... Blessed the man who fears the Lord.... Jesus told His disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.....”
The Excuse Mill
It’s obvious that one of the most productive factories in Hell is the Excuse Mill! The devils slaving away there crank out excuses at an amazing rate, and they’ve got an incredibly efficient delivery system that's out of this world, so whenever you or I need an excuse (particularly the "prayer procrastination" brand), POOF! - there’s our excuse, all ready to go, and it doesn’t seem to cost us anything!
But it does! Not only potentially in the long run (that "little" matter of our eternal salvation), but also every single time we blow off prayer, we’re effectively turning down and depriving ourselves immediately of whatever grace God is offering us at that moment. And that adds up to an amazing amount of grace the soul has lost!
Yes, one of the most constant temptations in life is the demotion and dismissal of prayer. It seems there’s always something more pressing to do, or that it would be better to pray later when things are calmer, or there’s some other reason why NOW so seldom turns out to be the right time to pray. And we figure since God is patient, He won’t mind too much waiting for us, and waiting for us, and waiting for us....
Actually, though, it’s really only for the devils that prayer is truthfully inconvenient! In fact, for us, prayer could be defined as the greatest convenience of our life: a direct line to God, and an eternal lifeline, at that! Nothing could be more convenient! So it is prayer that makes us like Jesus, and prayer that fills us with the love of Jesus.
But, if that’s still not enough to get you praying as you know you ought to be, consider this: those who are the most frequent customers at the Excuse Mill generally can count on getting a job there - so pray, pray, PRAY that that won’t happen to you!
posted by FrPitstick | 11/16/2006
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