Reflect: When was the last time you asked for help? Asking another for help – and especially turning to God for help – exposes our dependence. This can be a frightening realization in a world that fosters a spirit of independence. Yet it is precisely our dependence on God that disposes us to recognize everything as a gift of his grace. Asking for help can also make us face our hidden motives: for example, am I unwilling to ask for help because I want to look competent or be commended for my own accomplishments? In all that we are asked to do, may we follow Saint Paul’s advice to the Colossians, “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others” (3:23).
Share: Next time you have a task or responsibility that you find overwhelming, ask someone for help. Then, as you begin your work suggest that you say a prayer together, placing it in God’s hands, trusting that God will give both of you all the strength you need to do what He is asking.
Pray: Pray the Litany of Trust in the morning and at night. Download it here.
God bless,
Sr. Bernadette Marie, OP
Reflect: God loves us so much that He chooses to be our savior. There is no depth of darkness that His light cannot reach. There is no wound that is too deep for Him to bear, or to heal. God knows us beyond anything we can possibly imagine, and we can’t go anywhere that God can’t. We just have to welcome Him into our lives and accept His love and His healing.
Reflect: Children allow themselves to be held, to be led by the hand. They are aware they cannot provide for themselves and are willing to ask for what they need and want. So often, as we grow older, dependence is seen as a limitation, a limp, a sign of incapacity or even laziness. We are taught to muscle through things, to get it done- and if you want it done right, by yourself. Jesus tells us we need to become like children to enter the Kingdom- not childish- but utterly and happily dependent on the Father who gives good gifts to His children.
Reflect: Discouragement knocks us down. It takes away our motivation, it makes us feel unworthy or incapable. Discouragement prevents us from seeing the truth about ourselves, and our situation. Discouragement is not from God. The voice of the enemy discourages, while the voice of God encourages. When you feel discouraged, reject the devil’s lies, and give your frustrations to God, asking Him to show you the truth.