Praying for God's mercy
Few prayerful people can intercede for multitudes in God's mercy. As a mighty river is formed by the unity of many streams, streams of individual prayers have power to bring greater good for the humanity in times in which they live. Prayers of mercy in union with the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ becomes an offering at the altar of God.
In our Secular Franciscan order, Joan of Arc Fraternity, I am blessed to know and associate with many prayerful people who pray selflessly. Among them, Ms.Nancy Adair has a formula for intercession prayer and she shared with me her prayer habit many years ago. She has a habit of praying Our Lords prayer, whenever she is free during the day and she offers them to Our Lord and ask Him to use the benefit and blessings of that prayer to whomever and where ever His mercy is needed. What a beautiful soul of prayer and selfless offering! We need more people to pray like this sister with a selfless heart. Another sister named Melanie Miles is well known for intercessory prayers among us. She has a instant habit of spontaneous praying. If anyone informs any need for prayer, she lifts up the prayers to the Lord then and there spontaneously. She spent much time in prayers especially praying for others.
The above examples indicate that there are multitudes of people out there in the world, who pray for the mercy of God daily as they journey in their life. Mother Church and all the denominations within it uplifts the prayers unceasingly to God from all the corners of the world. Pope, Bishops, Priests, nuns, religious, deacons, laity, families, and all the baptized are called to pray for the mercy of God. Our church has mandated us to reflect on the mercy of God currently is an opportunity to exercise active prayers for begging for the mercy of God for the current world. Mother church offering daily mass following the command of Our Lord Jesus Christ is a thanksgiving prayer of mercy. Mother church is the praying pilgrim and witness to the world as it co-journey with the world in time and season of the world. Within it, people have potential gifts and fruits of Holy Spirit, which are to shine as light and serve as salt to the world. Let us pray for God's will and wisdom to prevail in the world. Let us pray for the mercy of God.
Many times or time and time again when we here evil things in the world of every nature via news, media or world happenings, we get weary and burdened. Current happenings from the actions of human, ideologies, technology, and nature either individually or combined collectively reveal many catastrophic events daily, which are corrupting human souls with fear, anxiety, and burden. Average human feeling helpless, despondent, and apathy is a natural phenomenon in the current world. Very many times we are bought into the lies of the evil that we are helpless and we can do nothing about it. The truth is every one of us can do something about it. That something is prayer, the prayer for the mercy of God. A humble prayer lifted to God from a single soul has power to change the world. Let us pray for God's mercy daily and for every news we hear throughout the day.
In Genesis, Abraham just did that prayer to God, as we can read in the following passage:
Genesis 18
22Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD. 23Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24“Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25“Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” 26So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.”27And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes. 28“Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29He spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” 30Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” 32Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” 33As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.
In our Secular Franciscan order, Joan of Arc Fraternity, I am blessed to know and associate with many prayerful people who pray selflessly. Among them, Ms.Nancy Adair has a formula for intercession prayer and she shared with me her prayer habit many years ago. She has a habit of praying Our Lords prayer, whenever she is free during the day and she offers them to Our Lord and ask Him to use the benefit and blessings of that prayer to whomever and where ever His mercy is needed. What a beautiful soul of prayer and selfless offering! We need more people to pray like this sister with a selfless heart. Another sister named Melanie Miles is well known for intercessory prayers among us. She has a instant habit of spontaneous praying. If anyone informs any need for prayer, she lifts up the prayers to the Lord then and there spontaneously. She spent much time in prayers especially praying for others.
The above examples indicate that there are multitudes of people out there in the world, who pray for the mercy of God daily as they journey in their life. Mother Church and all the denominations within it uplifts the prayers unceasingly to God from all the corners of the world. Pope, Bishops, Priests, nuns, religious, deacons, laity, families, and all the baptized are called to pray for the mercy of God. Our church has mandated us to reflect on the mercy of God currently is an opportunity to exercise active prayers for begging for the mercy of God for the current world. Mother church offering daily mass following the command of Our Lord Jesus Christ is a thanksgiving prayer of mercy. Mother church is the praying pilgrim and witness to the world as it co-journey with the world in time and season of the world. Within it, people have potential gifts and fruits of Holy Spirit, which are to shine as light and serve as salt to the world. Let us pray for God's will and wisdom to prevail in the world. Let us pray for the mercy of God.
Many times or time and time again when we here evil things in the world of every nature via news, media or world happenings, we get weary and burdened. Current happenings from the actions of human, ideologies, technology, and nature either individually or combined collectively reveal many catastrophic events daily, which are corrupting human souls with fear, anxiety, and burden. Average human feeling helpless, despondent, and apathy is a natural phenomenon in the current world. Very many times we are bought into the lies of the evil that we are helpless and we can do nothing about it. The truth is every one of us can do something about it. That something is prayer, the prayer for the mercy of God. A humble prayer lifted to God from a single soul has power to change the world. Let us pray for God's mercy daily and for every news we hear throughout the day.
In Genesis, Abraham just did that prayer to God, as we can read in the following passage:
Genesis 18
22Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD. 23Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24“Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25“Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” 26So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.”27And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes. 28“Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29He spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” 30Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” 32Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” 33As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.
Comments
Post a Comment