Collect taken from Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time.
Collect: O God, who have prepared for those who love you good things which no eye can see, fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of your love, so that, loving you in all things and above all things, we may attain your promises, which surpass every human desire. Through our Lord Jesus Christ…
“O God, who have prepared for those who love you good things which no eye can see, fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of your love,”
– We make an act of faith in acknowledging that God makes what cannot be seen. We make an act of hope in saying that God prepares rewards for those who love him. And, we make an act of love is asking God to fill us with His love, which is itself something the eye cannot see.
“so that, loving you in all things and above all things, we may attain your promises, which surpass every human desire.”
– Led by these three virtues, we ask to love God above all things. That Love acts as a climber’s rope, allowing us to go above and beyond our ordinary desires and so be able to attain the rewards of God’s heavenly promises.
Questions & Advice: What is your greatest possession? Are you motivated primarily by what you can see, or do you walk by faith? Are you limiting yourself to what you desire now or do you strive to let God’s love lead you beyond that?
Read about God’s rewards in the Catechism (1023-29, esp 1027). Pray the acts of Faith, Hope, and Loveas part of your prayer today. Take a few minutes to reflect on just what it is you desire most. Ask God to elevate that desire to ever greater heights.
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| “O Woman, great is your faith!” |