Be attentive.
From today’s Scripture: “We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.”—2 Thes 1:11-12
Here at the Glenmary headquarters we gather for prayer every weekday morning. We read a short reflection and add our own petitions. In this setting I see the pastoral heart of Glenmary priests. They lift up the intentions of donors and everyone who has requested their prayers.
Each one of us is called to nurture this kind of a pastoral heart. Telling our family members that we are keeping them in our prayers is a good start. But we must also be attentive and take the initiative to unceasingly recognize and acknowledge their work of faith, their labor of love, their endurance in hope. I wonder if this simple spiritual recipe, faith, hope, and love, is a secret to solving some of the division we experience.
Let us pray: Lord, keep me attentive to the needs of all. Sharing their grief and pain, their joy and hope, let me bring to them the good news of salvation.
Today’s author is Wilmar Zabala, who works in the Glenmary Vocations Department, helping men discern their call to serve in the home missions.