“Do
you think this will discredit you? We would have to keep ourselves shut up in a
box not to be exposed to some annoyance or other!”
~
St. Vincent de Paul
O
Father, sometimes I am overly sensitive about the opinions of others. Never let
these feelings prevent me from moving ahead and doing what is right.
“Though for a time we may have yielded to temptation, let us now takes courage and conquer the enemy by doing violence to self.”
“In
the name of God, lets have ever more and more confidence in him; let him guide
our little barque; if it is useful and pleasing to him, he will save it from
shipwreck and no matter how the importance and variety of the works of others
threatens to swamp it, it will sail with all the greater security, amidst so
many good ships, so long as it keeps straight on its own course, and does not
cross their track by deviating from its own path.”
~
St. Vincent de Paul
In
these uncertain and confusing times, I place my confidence in you, Lord, to
guide the work of my hands so it may be values driven and benefit those I
serve.
“Sometimes a work fails, not because a similar institution has been set up besides it and outdone it, but it has brought about its own ruin by making use of means contrary to the spirit of Christ in order to maintain itself in the first place.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul
As I go about my work, Lord, help me to remember how important it is to do it ethically and with the right motives. The end never does justify the means.
“You must look forward. At all event, this life is worth possessing, if it were only because while we have it, we are candidates for a better one.”
~ St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Lord, help me to put away all the burdens of the past and the fears I have for the future. Take from me anything that prevents me from moving toward a greater union with you.
“Are you weary after all the happenings and difficulties of the day? Well, in the evening you have this beneficial refreshment which will give energy to all your actions.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul
When cares wear me down, restore and renew me, Lord, through the reading of your Scripture.
“After a storm comes sunshine, and the Good God, who casts down and raises up again, makes joy succeed affliction, and lets the effects of his power be in the measure of our hope founded on his goodness.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul
Dear God, I put my trust in you because you are my unfailing hope in time of need.
“Though truth and sincerity should ever guard our words, yet we should be careful never to offend others.”
~ St. Louise de Marillac
Lord, I want to be honest and upright in my dealings with others. Keep from me all thoughts of vengeance or retaliation toward those who may have hurt me through a mistaken idea of speaking truth.
“We must not judge the designs of God according to human reason, although our puny minds incline us to do so.”
“Naturally everyone wants the best for himself, whereas Our Lord wishes us to prefer the worst.”
“God can show his power by means of weak instruments, and his wisdom by ignorance. Blessed be his Holy Name!”
~ St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Lord, I thank you for the gift of this moment, this hour and this day. I consecrate to you all the good coming from my actions, whether great or small.
“All our happiness consists in fulfilling the will of God, and it is real wisdom to desire nothing but that.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul
When I stray away, looking for happiness in wealth, power, and prestige, lead me back to you, O Lord, because you alone can bring me lasting joy.
“What
ordinarily deceives us is the appearance of good according to human reason
which never, or rarely, falls in with the Divine.”
~
St. Vincent de Paul
Help
me, O Lord, to look beyond appearances and hold fast to what is honest and
true.
“Let
us mistrust desires for change. Who are we who seek to choose our path? Let us
abandon ourselves to Divine guidance.”
~
St. Louise de Marillac
Lord,
when I find myself envying others who are following what appears to be some
other more attractive path in life, remind me that your love with sustain me in
my present situation which you have chosen for me. I place all my trust in you.
“Our
Lord has no use for our knowledge or our good works if he does not possess our
heart; and even this heart he does not wish if we do not give it to him when he
asks.”
~
St. Vincent de Paul
Lord,
I praise you with all my heart this day. Accept the work of my hands and make
it pleasing to you.
“Our Lord wants us to serve him with judgment; all the rest is indiscreet zeal.”
~
St. Vincent de Paul
It is hard, Lord, to make correct judgments. Be with me at those times when issues are serious and solutions hard to reach. Lord, you are my surety.
“O Lord, keep us in thy way, direct us in thy paths, recall our wanderings, make us to hear thy voice with gladness and to rejoice in thy salvation.”
~ St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Heavenly Father, when will I learn that only in you will I find true peace and contentment.
“The will of God cannot be made known to us more clearly than when events happen without our concurrence or contrary to what we had asked.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul
When things don’t go as I planned, Lord, help me to see with the eyes of faith, that what did occur, is indeed your plan.
“God is powerful, while we are weak. We make virtue consist in what it is not; it cannot be found in excesses. How little the Son of God achieved; it was the apostles who had the greater results.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul
When I am tempted to put too much stock in success and find myself not getting the recognition I think I deserve, Lord, let me find comfort in the example of your life.
“The holy will of God has assigned to us our present employment. We should perform our work with the fidelity of an ambassador executing the orders of his sovereign.”
~
St. Louise de Marillac
When
I find myself straying away from what I know in my heart is your will for me,
Lord, remind me that crosses and difficulties are a fact of life and not to
give in to such temptations. I rely on you to keep me faithful.
“As long as we are Christians, we are obliged to support the ill-humor of our neighbor and try to sweeten it.”
~
St. Vincent de Paul
When tempted to resent the moody behavior of my neighbor today, remind me, Lord, that tomorrow my neighbor will be putting up with me.
“Have
great trust in God … ask him to be always in your heart, in your words and in
your actions and may everyone recognize that you are his.”
~
St. Vincent de Paul
Lord,
be with me throughout this day that all I think, do or say may identify me as
belonging to you.
“Eternity!
That voices to be everywhere understood. Eternity! To love and serve him only
who is to be loved and eternally served and praised in heaven.”
~
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Heavenly
Father, when I experience the grief of losing those I love in death, it is my
greatest consolation to know we will be reunited again in your blessed
Eternity.
“I beg of you not to rush that affair, but let Divine Providence act.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul
Lord, I am so impatient to move ahead that I neglect to seek your counsel, sometimes even acting rashly. Inspire me with the wisdom to know when to wait and when to act.
“We must know how to dispose of our times with order and method, otherwise nothing is done; or if we do work, we get through very little, because the work is not regular. Irregularity and inconsistency never obtain a good result.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul
When I find myself going in a hundred directions without accomplishing what I should – help me, Lord, to concentrate on the essentials and not be distracted by what is not important.
“More is required of us than to go, to come, and to give; our intentions should be pure and thoroughly devoid of self-interest.”
~ St. Louise de Marillac
Lord, remove from me the desire to please others or have myself noticed because of what I do in your service. Let the good deeds be done for you alone.
“Nature demands that trees be deeply rooted before they can bear fruit and this is a gradual process.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul
Lord, help me to realize that my spiritual growth is the work of a lifetime; I must be deeply rooted in you for my work to become fruitful.
“All ships are exposed to storms but are not thereby doomed to perish. May Our Lord be your Strength, your Protector, your Sanctifier.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul
Dear Father, be my ever present hope in the storms of life.
“Do we serve God in hope, looking to his promises, confiding in his love, seeking in his kingdom, and leaving the rest to him? Rejoice in hope, hope shall never be confounded.”
~ St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
To live with hope, means to live in a state of complete trust in you, Lord. Free me from all that keeps me from relying on your promises.
“As I myself am a great sinner, I cannot reject those who have sinned if they have good will.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul
Lord, you have told me that I must forgive my brothers and sisters, as you have forgiven me. Forgive the stubbornness and pride which sometimes comes in the way of my overlooking the faults of those placed in my path. “Melt the frozen” and “arm the chill” of my heart today.
“God bestows a special blessing on the counsel we take in matters pertaining to his service.”
~ St. Vincent de Paul
When I need help, Lord, don’t let my pride stand in the way of freely seeking the counsel I need.
