Photo by Calvin Craig on Unsplash
Day Two. Tuesday, February 18, 2020
God makes us very good.
Silence. Find a quiet place in your house, at work or school, or best, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Breathe slowly. Relax. Imagine that your cares and concerns are being placed in a box where they will not be forgotten, where you and God can together seek to solve them at the right time. God’s time. At the beginning, it may be helpful to set a timer. Three minutes of silence is probably a minimum. It could seem long at first, but hopefully becomes more peaceful as you get used to the silence. This time of silence and focus on breathing is like stretching before exercise.
Ask God to come into your heart. Ask Jesus to come into your heart. Seeking Jesus is at the heart of all prayer, even if we do not always realize it.
Today’s Scripture. Genesis 1:26. Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth. God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Today’s Reflection. Do you spend any time thinking about the fact that you are made in God’s image and likeness? Think about that. God has made each one of us in a way that we reflect God, at least when we are at our best.
How can we see that we are made in God’s image and likeness? Consider the desire to love another person. Where does that come from? Is not our desire to be social, to love, to build community, is that not like God who created each one of us in love? Why do we strive to form community? Is it not like the Trinity, Father, Son, Spirit, a perfectly unified community of love?
Think about our desire to do the good. While we do not always do what is right or good, is it not the case that we wish to be good people? Where does that come from? Where do we get this desire? Is it not from God who always wills the good?
So when we are at our best, we are like God. What do you need to do to be more like God? What can you sacrifice or give up for Lent so that you become more loving, like God? What extra thing can you do for Lent to will the good to be more like God?
Our Father. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by the name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hail Mary. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Glory Be. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Today’s Challenge. Lent is about prayer, fasting, almsgiving. In other words, strengthening our relationship with God, making sacrifices, and being generous. Think about what you will do for Lent this year.
Intentions. Ask God to help you to love more perfectly, and to seek out the good more intentionally in your life.
Closing Prayer. Jesus, we know that in all you do and have done for us, your love is the reason why. As God, you perfectly will love to every one of us. And you desired to save us, to will an ultimate good that we do not deserve, but that you freely give us. Help us in our lives to imitate your love and your generous desire to do good, so that we can become more and more in our actions and in our beings, the good persons who have made each of us to be. Lord Jesus, in your name I pray. Amen.
Brothers Unite by Alexander Nakarada
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4864-brothers-unite/
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
