Presence

I bring myself into Your presence, O God.
May I always take time to notice and enjoy
the beauty You have created
for my pleasure.

Freedom

I will ask for God’s help
to be free from my own preoccupations,
to be open to God in this time of prayer, and
to come to know, love and serve Him more.

Consciousness

At this moment, Lord, I turn my thoughts to You.
I will leave aside my chores and preoccupations.
I will take rest and refreshment in Your presence.

The Word of God

²⁵Now large crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and said to them, ²⁶“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. ²⁷Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³²If he cannot, then while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. ³³So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

Inspiration

At first sight, this might seem a very harsh gospel passage, but these passages are not to be taken in isolation from the rest of the Gospel, and certainly not to be taken literally. Jesus has told us to love others, not to hate them. It was part of the Jewish pedagogy to exaggerate for emphasis. God and the kingdom of God must always come first in our lives, and attachment to material things can come between us and God. We pray for right judgement and a proper detachment from things.

Conversation

Lord, help me to connect with You. I don’t always know how, but I want to receive Your love and I open my hands and my heart to You. Please come to me today.

Conclusion

I thank God for His gift of love
as I go forth with joy and hope
to serve His people.

Amen