Hello
Friends… For about three years I volunteered in the pastoral care department of
a Federal Prison in Florida. I saw and
listened to how time can begin to wear on inmates.
Seeing this, I wanted to help ease their sorrows and boredom by giving
them a little something to do. So I
created a two-page “Midweek Meditation,” handed out each Wednesday. On one side was usually a scripture passage which I would then incorporate into a reflection for the week, and on the other
side I’d create a word search puzzle or something to occupy their minds for a
few minutes.
I
think I was the one who gained more from this exercise, as it gave me a chance to write about my
favorite subject – God! And too, because
of my audience, I was always reminded of my many blessings. So I thought I would do something similar for
Wednesdays in this Blog. I’ll offer a
scripture reading or a prayer or a quote from a book for you to ponder throughout
your day.
The first thing I thought of to start with is my
favorite prayer by Thomas Merton. (http://www.merton.org/).
And because I was too comfortable at my desk to get up and find one of my books
that contain this prayer, I Googled it instead.
To my delight, a YouTube video version of the prayer came up – it is
Merton’s prayer read by a young Franciscan friar that I had the pleasure of
meeting last year, Fr. Dan Horan, OFM.
So I include his reading of the prayer, accompanied by photographs of
the beloved Thomas Merton (Trappist Monk and priest) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqtvB0_MqEM
☩
May
our day ahead be filled with the certainty that God is with us each moment, and
there is nothing God desires more than our companionship. Today let’s step out in faith – even if we
don’t yet believe this truth fully – and trust that we please God just by our
choosing to search for Him. Amen. 💙
