August 26, 2011
Friday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
By Melanie Rigney
Light dawns for the just; and gladness, for the upright of heart. (Psalms 97:11)
“(The foolish virgins finally arrived at the wedding) and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’” (Matthew 25:11-12)
Piety
Lord, help me to remember which is the greater of the two greatest commandments—and to focus my life accordingly.
Study
What’s on your calendar—PDA, Web, pocket or otherwise—between today and Labor Day? Vacation with your family? Dinner with friends? Home improvement projects? Long hours at work in preparation for the end of the fiscal year? Volunteering to help the homeless, the unemployed, the working poor, the sick, and other people who live on society’s margins?
What’s on your calendar—PDA, Web, pocket or otherwise—between today and Labor Day for time with God?
Making time for weekend Mass is a given. But did you ever think about writing down “dates” with God for prayer time in the morning or evening, or for Adoration? Do you block off time for individual Bible study, the rosary, or reading of a recommended resource?
Many of us live our days going from one appointment or event or obligation to the next, trying to sandwich in more than any human can do or accomplish. Something’s got to give—and often, it’s the time we need to keep our wicks trimmed and our lamps filled, that private time in contemplation and discussion with God.
We delude ourselves when we think that as long as we’re busy with God’s work, we needn’t give much thought to our own relationship with Him—or what He will say when we arrive late, frazzled and out of breath, at the wedding.
Action
Write down your plans for daily appointments with God for the next week or so. Then keep them.
