Daily Collection is taken from the optional memorial of St. Wenceslaus, Martyr
Collect: O God, who taught the Martyr Saint Wenceslaus to place the heavenly Kingdom before an earthly one, grant through his prayers that, denying ourselves, we may hold fast to you with all our heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son…
“O God, who taught the Martyr Saint Wenceslaus to place the heavenly Kingdom before an earthly one”
— We pray daily “thy kingdom come,” but how often do we or anyone we know actually live in this manner? We praise God for the witness of a man who had every reason to be distracted from religious concerns, but instead gave all to God and was a better king for it. He is the subject of a folk song and often called “Good King Wenceslaus” because of his brief, but beloved reign.
“grant through his prayers that, denying ourselves, we may hold fast to you with all our heart”
— Having praised his accomplishment, we now invoke God’s aid to enable us to follow the practical steps necessary for such a holy life. Putting God’s kingdom first is not a simple act of the will, but a whole lifestyle. Because we are fallen, we must first work to detach ourselves from futile things through self-denial. Only then will we be free to truly love with all our heart. “Where your treasure lies, there lies your heart.”
Advice: Do you fall for the devil’s trap: his ploy to convince you that you’re too busy with important work to pray or serve the poor? Be honest, how many of us fritter away thousands of little seconds and minutes at work with idle chatter, facebook, pinterest, etc… Would these not better serve you, your work, and the world if they were given to little prayers and kind gestures?
Once again, I recommend a small fast. Skip a meal, dessert, drinks and offer it to God as a way of saying “these things aren’t as necessary as you are, Lord.” You could also volunteer to take on an extra chore at the house or an annoying, but necessary role in a committee you’re in. Anything to concretely put others first, especially God.
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| St. Wenceslaus, pray for us! |