Some weeks ago I went to a special Mass prepared by a group of laypeople to ask for God’s mercy on them and on their families as part of their preparation for Lent which is now on the horizon . The readings, the psalms and the prayers had all been chosen to echo the overall theme of asking God to give his loving mercy to all those present and to the whole world that would be lost without it. The visiting preacher came straight to the point.
“Why waste your time praying for God’s loving mercy,” he said. “Whether you pray for it or not, his loving mercy has been sent out, is being sent out and will continue to be sent out whether you pray for it or not. Why not save your breath to cool your porridge, or rather save your breath to pray that we will be given the strength to take the steps to receive it, by finding time to do so in our daily lives.”
What Selfishness Does to the Soul