Our Daily Prayer

TITLE: “A Zealous Heart”
November 15

One of the easiest things you can do in life is be lazy. Imagine if you had no responsibilities, had all the wealth you could ever want and could spend your days in luxury and relaxation. This would foster a very lazy heart and it would also foster a very sad heart. Rest is good, but excessive rest can turn into laziness and laziness ultimately becomes very boring. This fact reveals the opposite truth also. Namely, a zealous heart is one that finds great excitement in the activities of the day. Though some may become obsessed with work, becoming a “workaholic,” an appropriate balance of rest and work produces the virtue of a zealous heart. Are you zealous? There are many things one can be zealous about in life, and not all of them good or within the Will of God. But zeal for the salvation of souls, and the bringing forth of the Kingdom of God is a zeal we must all strive to foster. In fact, our Lord wants you to have this as the highest priority in life. As you grow in holiness and closeness to our Lord, He will send you forth cultivating the Earth with His Mercy. Doing this with great zeal wins many souls for the Kingdom and produces abundant joy in your heart (See Diary #1548).

Do you struggle with a lazy heart or a zealous one? If lazy, look at the effects of this in your life. The boredom and dissatisfaction you experience is a direct result. If, however, you are zealous and diligent in life, what is it you are zealous for? Reflect upon this honestly today and seek to grow in a burning zeal for the building up of the Kingdom of God.

Lord, I offer to You all my work and my talents. Use them for Your glory. Help me to have true zeal for Your Kingdom and to work tirelessly for Your glory. Jesus, I desire to be an instrument of Your perfect Mercy in the world. Use me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.

TITLE: “Indifference and Forgetfulness”
November 13

If you were married and you were regularly indifferent to your spouse, this would be a problem. Indifference means there is a lack of sincere care for the good of the other. Forgetfulness is a symptom of indifference in that when one cares little, it’s easy to forget. For example, if you forgot an important anniversary in your marriage this could be a sign of either a very poor memory or an uncaring and indifferent heart. If it is the latter, this brings much hurt to that relationship. One reason this brings much hurt is that the cause of the hurt is subtle. If one were to actively do something hurtful, it’s easier to point it out. Indifference is a passive action in that something is missing. But this passive action can be just as hurtful, if not more hurtful, than a more obvious action. So it is with God. When we are passively indifferent to Him and His Mercy, and when we “forget” to turn to Him day and night, we are bringing much pain to His Sacred Heart.

Examine your conscience today and try to honestly identify any struggle you have with indifference. It may not be manifestly clear to you. You may not even realize this is a sin and the cause of much hurt to others. But this form of neglect causes deep wounds over time. Try to make an honest examen and if you realize that this is your sin, do not hesitate to do something about it. Renew your care for those whom God has put in your life, and especially renew your caring heart toward God and the Mercy He wishes to bestow. If you are indifferent to the Mercy of God, this wounds His Heart and does even more damage to you over time.

Lord, I desire to care to the greatest degree. Help me to be continually aware of others in my life and to anticipate their needs, lavishing love upon them. Help me to also be continually aware of Your Mercy and to never be indifferent to this most sacred gift. Jesus, I trust in You.