Men of the Sacred Hearts

You roll out of bed, brew a cup of coffee, flop down in front of the TV, and turn on the news. You hear the most horrific accounts of a brutal murder 10 miles from your home, children being blown up in a war somewhere on another continent, taxes going up, services being cut and a new pandemic is on the way. Or, tomorrow you roll out of bed, brew a cup of coffee, flop down in your easy chair be begin to pray. Much better way to begin the day, since you can not do anything to change the news. You and I are pawns being manipulated by our government. Like sheep, we can be locked down, forbidden from going to church, locked out of our checking accounts, and denied access to the medical care we want. We all know that our Smartphone is listening to us, and who knows who is using that information for what purpose? But no one, no government, and no electronic device can prevent you from praying. You and Jesus can converse about the positive things you have in your life. And, you can ask Blessed Mother to lay your petitions and intentions for what you don’t have at Her Son’s feet for consideration. Jesus gives one of three responses, yes, no, or not now. One of the best prayers you can say alone or in a group is the Holy Rosary. You can go to firstJesus.org for instructions on how to say the Rosary. It takes 20 minutes and you will find that if you focus on what you saying, you will be at peace with you are done. One of the best ways to stay focused on the Rosary is to use a prayer intention for each decade or each Hail Mary you say. There are 10 Hail Mary’s in one Decade, so you could have 10 people or things to pray for in the first Decade (there is five Decades in one complete Rosery). Let us take a quick look at what you can pray for. Your home, your warm bed, your ability to make your home clean and safe, your food, and the ability to go buy anything good for you or not good for you that you want. Your bathroom with a shower and clean water. Many if not most people in the world have neither. Your health, or your access to health care. Knowing that eating the right thing is better for your long-term health than most of the food offered by the store, you have the freedom to choose your diet. Your marriage and your children. Knowing that you choose to be happy or unhappy in your sacramental union. I have found that saying a prayer of thanks at the beginning of the day improves my attitude. It also helps me start each day happy. Happy people tend to project a positive happy attitude towards other people. If is raining and you hold the door for someone, saying something like “I sure wish it would rain” with a smile on your face brightens their day. I avoid getting into discussions, debates, or arguments on politics, government actions, other people's problems, and the shortcomings of those in any position of authority over me. Go find someone who wants to talk about the Gospel Readings for that day, or better yet find someone to read the Gospel Readings with that day. Review Bishop Robert Barron’s Daily Gospel Reflection for a short thought-provoking reflection, or go to the Daily Reading at Laudate and review their Reflections for a more in-depth understanding of the Gospel. You can do this alone or with friends. You can even be bold and invite anyone to join you in quiet reflections on the Gospel for the day instead of taking your break beating up someone in government, business, or a customer.  Tomorrow, you can begin a more peaceful life. Be happy. Be at peace with Jesus.