Readings 2/5/10

[Bailey2]

Today's readings jumped out at me; this line from Sirach 47:8: "With his every deed he offered thanks to God Most High...... with his whole being he loved his Maker."   This followed by the gospel about the death of John.

Nowhere in the gospel reading does John "pray."  His deed is the prayer.  His whole being is given to his Maker.   

Not that we all must be martyred but in little ways, little sacrifices in life, we are..... and we can pray that way.

[Shin]

Yes.. I read of this more than once.. prayer is communication.. but we, our whole selves can communicate.. not only the words... all of our beings..

When our entire self communicates with God purely.. that truly is Communion.

Whatever pieces of ourselves we can offer, however quickly or slowly, there are all sorts of pieces.. we offer them. What we want to offer are pure intentions, pure deeds.. a pure and perfect offering. Which only Christ in us can enable us to make.

I love Sirach especially by the way.

[Brigid]

I love Sirach, too.

Even tho' I know that some chemical imbalances are at work in my depression/anxiety, I know that my inability/refusal to fully surrender myself to His Will and let Him use me as He Wills has a lot to do with it. I like to take this turning away from Him to confession. It relieves me of my part in this (for the past anyway).

Pure intentions - I know that my intentions are mostly (all ?) impure and that's one of the places when I can really appreciate Mary, as she acts as my Mother and pretties up each of my offerings to Him.