The Promised Spirit

Have you ever considered how extraordinary was the behavior of the first disciples?
In the face of all hostility, they devoted themselves not to self-defense or vengeance but to prayer and works of charity.

Strengthened by the promised Spirit of God, let me surrender myself into his hands, living in trust and in hope as I follow the way of discipleship toward the fullness of his kingdom.

My Creator,
You do not disappoint those who hope in your mercy:
‑ remember that I am slow to believe, and strengthen my faith.
You guide me when I walk in darkness
‑ teach your paths to all those who seek the road of life.

O my Creator,
You are my guide and guard along life’s paths.
Lead me in the ways of justice and love,
righteousness and peace,
by the guidance of the Spirit.
Amen

A human life may sometimes look too short to be worth much, but my Creator, who sees the works of his hands from the perspective of enduring love, clothes even passing wildflower with splendor.
I may be but a breath, a puff of wind, a handful of dust ‑ but that breath of life that animates me is the Spirit of God.

I am in my Creator’s hands because I am the work of His hands.
All that I have and am belong to him.
Through the gift of the Spirit, let me put my trust in Him and walk always in His ways.

My Creator is true: he has a long memory for his own promises and a short memory of my failures to keep mine.
In the gift of his promised Spirit, I find my daily joy.

The Spirit of truth is an uneasy gift.
Truth can lead me into dangerous places, but truth is my greatest protection against the power of sin and darkness.

O my Creator,
Keep me in your truth!
In the midst of confusion,
In the midst of temptation,
In the midst of conflict,

Save your people!
From all that divides us,
From all that sows seeds of
dislike and disdain among us,
From all that is not love,
Amen.

Besides the river that watered the garden of Eden, the Creator offered the first couple the choice between obedient love and self-seeking darkness.
The choice remains mine to make each day.

Violence often seems to succeed where goodness fails to accomplish much.
The world is full of “unsung saints” who achieve no pubic success but who persevere in living upright lives that accomplish the greatest of goals: to see and dwell with the Creator always

The immensity of my Creator’s compassion for me is the measure of the compassion He asks me to show another in my exile, my brokenness of heart, my wounds, and my lowliness.
How can I possibly show compassion as great as His?
Not alone.

The way of my Creator leads to wisdom, joy, light, and life;
the way of evil leads to foolishness, suffering, darkness, and death.
Let me live by my Creator’s law.

My Creator, light my way.
O Lord, your word give wisdom to the simple:
‑ make me simple of heart.
O Lord, your word is sweet to the taste:
‑ grant me the discernment to prefer its taste to any empty words we may hear.
O Lord, your work is steadfast, abiding for ever:
‑ keep my feet firmly on the path of everlasting life.
Amen.

My Creator is exalted in mystery and majesty, triune and one in glory, yet nearer to me than I am to myself through the divine indwelling.
What can I offer but praise that dares to go beyond the small boundaries of my finite understanding into the realm of light inaccessible?

Let me put into my Creator’s hands my heart, my soul, the deep recesses of my being wherein dwell those beliefs and thoughts that govern my actions, so that He may guide me in the ways of the sunlight of the new day.

As evening falls, let me give thanks and praise for the faithful love and guidance He has given me and let me ask for forgiveness where I have failed to follow in his ways.

How often do I rediscover the psalmist’s insight: hidden guilt festers; honest admission of guilt heals!

O my Creator, be merciful to me, a sinner.
For words and deeds of impatience and anger:‑ pardon me, O Lord.
For words and deeds of selfish grasping:‑ pardon me, O Lord.
For words and deeds of unkindness:‑ pardon me, O Lord.
For those sins of which I am most ashamed:‑ pardon me, O Lord.

O Creator of mercy and compassion,
all my guilt lies open to you,
all my secret sins are know to you,
all my ugly ways are clear before you,
yet you never cease to offer me your redeeming love.

Have mercy on me in my pitiful attempts to cloak my sinfulness with false bravado, and grant me the joy that come with full repentance.
Amen.

On the Journey Towards Living With Reverence

written by VICTORIA S. SCHMIDT

A few months ago while traveling in Thailand I visited the Fatima Self-Help Center, run by the Good Shepherd Sisters.
The Center invites women from the slums to learn a variety of trades, like hairstyling, sewing, embroidery, and weaving, which give them with an opportunity to support their families.
The Sisters also provide a day-care program for children from the slums.

In the afternoon the children were lining up after school.
Just before leaving the grounds, these Buddhist children stopped in front of a prominent statue of Mary and sang a lovely hymn to her.
I was puzzled that Buddhist children were singing a hymn to Mary, a traditionally Catholic practice.
When I inquired, I was told, "Buddhists honor the spirit in every house."
I was amazed at this profound and crystal-clear truth, spoken in such a matter-of-fact tone.

What if the world were to honor the spirit in every heart, in every house, in every religious denomination?
What if each of us honored the faith of every tradition and welcomed all their followers as brothers and sisters?
That spells peace on earth to me.
The irony is that children modeled it effortlessly, yet learned adults find it impossible to fathom.

On my journey toward living with reverence, I will remember this truth and honor the spirit in every heart.
This is the peace and oneness that I believe God aches for us to understand.

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- VICTORIA S. SCHMIDT lives in Springfield, Illinois. She has a missionary heart that has been formed by thirty years of missionary work around the world. She currently serves as Director of Theresian World Ministry, an international Catholic women's organization.