Sunset in Exeter, NH. Picture by Peg Moriarty
The Holy Spirit inspired our blog.
Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
You have the words of everlasting life.
Emphasis mine Jn 6:63c, 68c
When thinking about today’s blog, I considered going straight to the Sidebar, which will become apparent soon.
Then, I read the Prayer before the Gospel, which fits perfectly.
About ten years ago, Gail and I were on a hiking trip, and on a long walk, I started talking to one of our group members, who had lost his mother about a year before. He shared with us, Holy Spirit and I (this meeting, by the way, was no accident but the Holy Spirit working in both of our lives) that he no longer believed in God.
We told him that was too bad and said, “See that rotting tree over there? You’re telling me that your mother is like that tree. She is in the ground rotting, and you will never see her again.
What an awful world you live in.
My dad died suddenly, and I know I will see him again in Heaven because he died in Peace, and the Man on the Middle Cross said he could come, this, for me, is a real positive. I loved my dad, and I know I will see him again because He died in Peace.”
After this short conversation, I could see that the wheels were turning in his head, and he, a non-practicing Catholic, was beginning to change his thinking.
Jesus has the words of everlasting life.
I goofed: I put the first week’s prayer in the week of Ash Wednesday, so I will keep the same prayer we had for week two this week.
Daily Prayers for Week Two of Lent: “Get behind me, satan, Come Holy Spirit.” AND Pray the “Nine.” Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control.
Join Team Jesus:
If you would like to protect your family, dumb question, pray Psalm 91 verbally.
My life changed after reading Peggy Joyce Ruth’s book, Psalm 91, God’s Shield of Protection, Military Version. Every day, I say this powerful prayer for everyone in our life, including the writers and readers of A Catholic Moment.
We pray that you will spend $8.89 on the pocket edition or $7.99 on the Kindle edition and spend a short time each day saying Psalm 91 to protect your family.
Sidebar:
I can’t believe how this is all coming together.
Last week, I had a call from a man who I believe is a Baptized Catholic, telling me that he is starting to change his thinking about God and would I send him a short prayer he could begin to say.
We were more than happy to honor his request.
We sent all the prayers we discussed in our blog, and then it hit me: Holy Spirit working in my life, because of his request, I discovered why the order of the prayers we send out is so important. I was an UNCONSCIOUS COMPETENT before his question, and because of my newfound knowledge, I was anxious to write this blog to share what I learned.
Question: Why are the prayers we ask you to learn in the order they’re in? Over twenty-seven years, I learned these prayers in the order we have presented, but I never knew why The Holy Spirit revealed these prayers in the order the Holy Spirit did, and for me, WHY is a very important question.
Three examples of the timing of my learning the six prayers: the Weeeeeeeee Prayer, thanking God continually, and fully realizing I am Fantastic because of our relationship, all occurred since we first met.
We asked you to learn the “Nine” first so that after a week or two, you will see a change in your life, for example, more Patience or maybe more self-control, and perhaps you have experienced Peace. YOU WILL experience a change; twenty-seven years in the Jail tells me this. Every man in the jail who learned the “Nine,” in the order stated, noticed a change by the end of the week, so why wouldn’t you?
Now you know that God is working in your life, and this is very important,
Because,
Since you know God is working in your life, when satan tries to interfere, you now have a reason to throw satan out by praying our second-week prayer. If your experience is like mine, you will say this prayer many times during the day, but now you know why. You want to keep growing in Joy and or Peace.
Now you’re in a battle, wonderful, isn’t it?
God is working in your life, and you are fighting to keep satan out; why not thank God for the DIFFICULTIES God has allowed in your life? Prayer week 3.
I pray you notice you are starting a relationship, so why not give credit to God for this relationship by praying the Weeeeeeee prayer in the fourth week every time you do something? Saying this prayer reminds you that YOU can do nothing by yourself. You absolutely need God, so include God even further in your life.
Week five is when you close the deal. Thanking God all the time recognizes that you are totally dependent on God.
I received this from Greg Ginn, and I can’t believe how it fits into week five.
In the Christian community, thankfulness is just what it is anywhere else in the Christian life. Only he who gives thanks for little things receives the big things. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts. . . . How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from him the little things? If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship, in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty; if, on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so paltry and petty, so far from what we expected, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow, according to the measure and riches which are there for us all in Jesus Christ. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, Harper & Row (1954) pp. 28-29) Emphasis mine
Week six is the completion of Lent, and this is when you will realize that you are truly FANTASTIC! You are Fantastic because you and I have become a CONSCIOUS COMPETENT, we know the prayers, and we understand why we’re saying them and how they help us grow in a true relationship with the Triune God.
I can’t thank the gentleman who asked for a short prayer enough; look what he started. God working in my, and I pray in his and yours.
I have a confession; I used the Gospel Acclamation for March 5, so we are a week ahead. Just in case you read the readings for February 28 and didn’t find our reading.
Sorry – getting old.
Picture:
Sunset in Exeter, NH. Picture by Peg Moriarty
Please keep Snapping!
If you want a copy of the prayers we discussed, email me.
fprince101@gmail.com
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