small, wednesday

Wednesday, January 14

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

         

Opening Prayer: Lord, give me the ability to persist through tedium, to survive without the oxygen of recognition, praise, and stroking, and to do some good things every day which are seen only by You. (Sacred Space: the Prayer Book 2010 by Jesuit Communication Centre)

Scripture Reading for the Day: Luke 22:24-32

Reading for Reflection:

 

     It is frightening the extent to which hidden pride burns in the soul and dries up everything.  And pride is all the greater in spiritual people, in us…

     It’s because we don’t want to be little!  On the excuse that the religious life is a great, very great thing, we no longer dream of becoming nothing, nothing, nothing. (Letters to Dolcidia: 1954-1983 by Carlo Carreto)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself    

                     

Closing Prayer:

Father, give me the humility

which realizes its ignorance,

admits its mistakes,

recognizes its needs,

welcomes advice

and accepts rebukes.

Help me always to praise

rather than criticize,

to encourage rather than to disparage,

to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best

rather than at their worst. We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.