Into the Desert

Lead me into the desert, oh Lord.
Make straight, my path.
Empty me of all that is self so that I may be filled with all that is You.
Purge me, gently break me, and rid me of pride, selfishness, arrogance, self-righteousness, laziness, vanity,
and doubt.

Lead me into the desert, oh Lord.
And, just as You did for Your Son, allow my angels to minister to me there.
As I come to You, on bended knee, to fast and pray.
Comfort me in my journey to the Cross.

Lead me into the desert, oh Lord.
Grant me strength to resist the wiles and snares that satan will lay before me.
Remind me that "men can not live by bread, alone".
Feed me on Your Sacred Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity; that my soul, my mind, and my body may be
nourished for all eternity.

I come to this Lenten Season with a heavy and troubled heart, my God.
Your beautiful and perfect Church is under attack in America.
Your beautiful and innocent babies in the womb are being left to killers' hands and their government will
not protect them, nor save them.
Your beautiful and precious Sacrament of Matrimony is being degraded and defiled and twisted in evil ways.
Those who profess their faith in you are being scorned, persecuted, mocked, and treated with disregard.

Oh, but You understand this, don't You?

For, before us, they did these things to YOU.

Breathe in me, Your words of comfort, (John 15:18) that before the world hated me, it first hated You.

And so, I ask You, oh Lord, my God...to lead me into the desert...for just as YOU were willing to suffer
at the hands of mere mortals for my sake; So, too, am I willing to suffer for YOU.

But, I beg of Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...let not my suffering be in vain.

Unite me to my Savior, Redeemer, and King, Jesus Christ, upon His holy Cross...that by HIS merit, by

HIS grace, and by HIS Passion, Death, and Resurrection, my humble offerings may be turned into blessings
to heal the sick, comfort the afflicted, love the unlovable, and save lost souls.

* The above is a meditation that came to my heart as I prepare and look forward to my own Lenten Journey, ahead. I share it with you, my brothers and sisters in Christ...here, in our wonderful Catholic Blogging Community, to let you know that I carry each and all of you with me "into the desert". I pray that Jesus will tend to you in the ways you need Him most and that these 40 days of prayer and fasting will draw you nearer to His Most Sacred Heart and bring you swiftly, and joyfully, to the glorious celebration of His miraculous RESURRECTION! I am blessed to be among you and I thank you all for your fellowship.

Refraining from Doing Good?

Today's lesson from the rule of St. Benedict speaks of doing something good with a pure intention; that is, with zeal for God's glory.

Father Gerard Ellspermann, O. S. B. of St. Meinrad's Abbey writes in his reflection for today:

Is it possible that many good people refrain from doing good simply because they experience temptations of pride in their good works?

He concludes that the answer is yes. Especially when one is talented and the work undertaken will come to notice either publicly or within the Catholic community. When the necessary work goes against the grain of the established mind set, such as the establishment of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite where it currently doesn't exist, both pride and fear of criticism can come into play. "What will people say?" has killed more than one good work.

Father Gerard goes on to say:

I am reminded of the example of St. Bernard of Clairvaux who one day ascended the pulpit to preach. He was assailed with temptations of pride, since he was an eloquent preacher. But he said to himself, "I did not begin this for the devil -- and I'm not going to stop for him." And he did preach an eloquent sermon.

I love St. Bernard's statement. If we examine our consciences concerning our undertakings, both within the context of our vocations and within the context of our duty to participate in the action of Christ for the salvation of souls, and if we can truthfully say what St. Bernard said, then we cannot refrain from doing good. We cannot refrain from doing our best in our daily duties at work or at home with a pure heart, regardless of being misunderstood or suffering from the jealousies and mean-spiritedness of others.

"That in all things God may be glorified" is the litmus test against pride and pusillanimous rejection of the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We only need to look good to God and follow in the footsteps of our Master.