Solemnity of the Heart of Jesus
above all else
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. – John 19:31
Our prayer meetings then were on Saturday nights. We were mostly teenagers and young twentysomethings serving as music ministers in our parish-based community. After the prayer meeting, it was normal for us to go out, have a late dinner and continue with the fellowship. It was good, clean fun for us who were slowly moving away from a worldly lifestyle into a closer walk with the Lord. Of course that meant a late night out but that was OK, even if we would also be serving as the choir for Mass the next day.
But it wasn’t OK for Mikey. After the prayer meeting one Saturday night, he begged off from our gimmick. “I’ll just gohome,” he said, “so I can wake up early for my prayer time tomorrow.”
I was stunned by his decision. I knew he wanted to go out with us and enjoyed our company, but he knew his priorities. He valued his relationship with God first — above friends and fun. He valued it so much that he made early choices to ensure that he could give his best to the Lord the next day. Mikey didn’t just love the Lord today; he used today so he could love the Lord more tomorrow.
Wow. Rissa Singson Kawpeng (justbreatherissa@gmail.com)
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REFLECTION:
“A heart resolved after due reflection will not flinch at the critical moment.” (Sirach 22:16)
“Rise, O Lord, into Thy proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health and even my life itself.” (A. W. Tozer)
Servant of God Orlando Catanii, pray for us.
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