To fulfill your spiritual
mission, Jesus must be the center of your life. This can happen through prayer.
We are praying for the grace of
a holy and intimate prayer time.
On Worship and Fulfillment
The more we give ourselves up in the worship of God, the more our personality is deepened and enriched. The more we concentrate on ourselves and our own status, however, the more we grow poor, shallow, and dull. It is not by accident that today the instances of depression and nervous breakdown are on the rise among women whose sense of identity is confused. We should not forget that only by our living contact with the personal God can we grow beyond our own limitations.
Jutta Burgraff
Dear Lord,
In my journey through life, I have tried many ways to experience fulfillment, and none of them have satisfied. Because You have fashioned me in Your image and likeness, only in You can I find my true self, and only through you can I grow beyond my weaknesses and frailties. Teach me to pray. Teach me to worship you. Lead me along these paths that I might be in communion with you and experience the fullness of life that you intend for me. Amen.
Scripture Passage for Meditation:
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him…
(Philippians 3:7-9). NRSV
Daily Reflection:
· What are some of the ways I have sought to find fulfillment and satisfaction on my own? Some means may include social life, possessions, shopping, drugs, alcohol, career, money and security, even family and friends. Have these means “deepened and enriched my personality” or have they left me wanting? In what ways?
· Worship is defined as “extreme devotion or intense love shown toward God.” How do I worship God? Would I describe it as extreme devotion? Intense love? Is my worship confined to Sundays at Mass? How can I worship God in my everyday life?
· Burgraff says, “depression and nervous breakdown are on the rise among women whose sense of identity is confused.” How has the contemporary culture “confused” the identity of woman? Is my identity confused? Whose standard do I use to define myself?
· Romans 12:2 says not to conform to this “age” but to be transformed by renewing our minds. What standards can I apply to renew my mind? What are some practical means I can use to renew my mind?
