Today’s Scripture

Luke 11: 9-10 NRSVue

“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Reflection for the Second Day

St. Augustine said, ‘You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You’. I love a change a modern theologian has made to those lines – he writes, ‘Your heart is restless until we rest in you’. Our God is vulnerable to our free response. He has given us the mysterious gift of free will and, therefore, can’t force us but can only invite us to share in His life and His love. Real love can only be given in freedom and received in freedom. But God does promise us that if we seek, if we ask, we will find, we will receive, He will give us everything we need, albeit in His way and His time. He will open the door when we knock. Let us also remember that God knocks on the door of our hearts and restlessly searches for us and seeks us out. He will never give up on us and He won’t rest until he finds us.

Today’s Prayer

Lord, I come to You full of needs. But my deepest need is to become more convinced of Your love for me. Help me to believe that You are with me today, tomorrow and always. Amen.

Daily Invocation

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

Novena Prayer

Lord Jesus, the needs of your people open your heart in love for each of us. You care for us when we are lost, sympathise with us in loneliness, and comfort us in mourning; you are closest to us where we are weakest. You love us most when we love ourselves least; you forgive us most when we forgive ourselves least; and you call us to spread your love in whatever way we can.

Lord Jesus, your heart is moved with compassion when we are suffering, when we need your help, and when we pray for each other. I ask you to listen to my prayer during this Novena and grant what I ask. (Mention your intention silently.)

If what I ask is not for my own good and the good of others, grant me what is best, that I may build up your kingdom of love in our world.  Amen.