Saturday, March 19, 2011

Prayer for Myself for Lent

Dear Lord,
Help me to get over myself and stop thinking of everything in my life in terms of how it affects me.  Rather, let my first concern be whether or not something conforms to Your Holy Will.  Let me disappear into the scenery so that others may be noticed and I may go unnoticed.  Let my work speak for itself and may I not feel the need for accolades from my fellow man. Let confirmation to Your Holy Will suffice as the only satisfaction I need or want.  Give me patience to deal with those who annoy me, especially in church.  Let me concern myself solely with my own behavior and not those around me.  Let me not jump to conclusions and think the worst of people who rub me the wrong way.  Grant me the grace to rejoice that even those who cause me to be distracted have been moved to visit Your Son in the Tabernacle, where He waits for them with the same love and desire that He waits for me.  Let me bear wrongs silently, both interiorly and exteriorly.   Grant me the grace to accept an unkind word or barb with the same silent humility with which Your Son  received the jeers of the mob on the day of His Passion.   Give me the same patience You have for me so that I, too, may quietly accept those who do not act quickly enough for my demands.  Lend me Your sight, that I may see You in everyone I meet, no matter how repulsive or obnoxious they may be.  Remove from my heart any hint of jealousy or resentment of those who appear holier than I do.  Rather, let me rejoice with the angels that someone other than myself might be so pleasing  to You.  May You be pleased to instill the same purity of mind, body and spirit with which you endowed the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints so that I may not be contaminated by the filth that surrounds me in the world.  May others see You in me in every encounter, especially with the poor and down-trodden.  Grant me the courage to speak up when I see a wrong being done to another human being.  Prompt me when I linger in the company of those who like to destroy others with their words to remove myself and offer a prayer for their conversion, rather than join them.   When those for whom I perform kind deeds persist in words of unkindness, remind me of all You do for me and how little gratitude I show You in return.  I ask these things through Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for my sins. In His Name, Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.  Amen.

3 comments:

  1. 'Help me get over myself.' Oh,Joyce, I'm right with you on praying for this for my life! I think my boys and husband have a litany they've written for me! God Bless them.
    +PAX

    ReplyDelete

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