Daily Prayer Reflection

There is nothing like the Sermon on the Mount to help us hear the message of Jesus, and to let ourselves be addressed by those words. All of us can ask for these graces with real specificity, that is, with real people and real daily circumstances in mind. We know with whom we need to "turn the other cheek" and to love more. We know the circumstances in which we are tempted to "be religious" in the right circumstances only. Upon reflection, each of us can take the time to "locate" our hearts, by discovering what we tend to "treasure." We can check ourselves out by making a list of the five most important things in my life. Then we can make a list of the five things I spend most of my time on. Comparing the lists will help us get concrete about asking the Lord for the grace we need to put our lives back in balance, if we aren't. All of us can name what we worry about. And so we can all ask for the graces to "seek first" the Kingdom of God All of this reflection can happen throughout the week in the background of our daily life, if we get into the habit of focusing for a few moments each morning. If we take just 30 seconds, at the edge of our bed each morning, it will begin to establish a habit of living more reflectively. Thank you for this day, Lord. Help me to be focused today on not getting so hooked by Ann's ways or Bob's harsh words. I need your grace to place my trust in you. Help me especially before I have to talk with Ann on the phone and let me stay focused before Bill comes home from work. Our version of a brief moment with the Lord - friend to friend - can be repeated and made more specific, while we are going about our day. Some days, we might have 20 such moments of prayerful conversation with our Lord - guided by the Word, the desires that are surfacing, and the events of our daily lives. And, each night, we can give thanks for this deeper relationship with the Lord that is developing in my heart. Taken from the "Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer" on the Creighton University's Online Ministries website: http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html Used with permission