Prayers

weary and instead persevere to go on, to walk the road of salvation, the way to a life of eternity with You. You are our God now and forever. Glory and praise to You, dear Father, and thank You for all these in the name of Jesus, our Saviour. Amen.

July 31, 2021 Saturday \"He preaches work, with which man can enlarge his soul, endeavor, longing and struggle. This work is prayer.\" (Flashes of Thoughts) Let me share. \"I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.\" [2 Timothy 4:7] Lord, Father, God Almighty, Your new day is a break from our earthly labors and we thank You for it. Let it be a day of true rest, but more than that, let it be a day of joy and confidence in You as our God, our loving and caring Father. The journey remains and we trust that as we go with small steps to reach the finish line, Your Spirit will give us the inspiration to bear fruit in our walk of faith. May You make us witnesses of Your goodness that others may see in our deeds. Motivate us to go deeper into our souls and recollect how our life has been this past week. We want to rise from our mistakes, correct our wrongness, repent for our sins, and recover in grace from our afflictions and brokenness. You are our fortress and stronghold, the true and only King who leads; You are our everything.

Praise You, Lord, in Jesus. Amen.

August 1, 2021 Sunday \"The lives that have been the greatest blessing to you are the lives of those people who themselves were unaware of having been a blessing.\" (Oswald Chambers) Let me share. \"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom do I fear? The LORD is my life's refuge; of whom am I afraid?\" [Psalm 27:1] Almighty God, we welcome with thanks this day of worship that ushers in a new month. May You hear the cry of Your people asking You to end this pandemic that has brought pain, suffering, sorrow and misery to us and the rest of the world. We can only trust You that all of these will end sooner than later in Your perfect time. Lord, keep our hearts and minds firm with the courage we draw from You as we struggle hard to live keeping our faith and putting our hope in You. We believe that what we are going through is not Your condemnation of the world even as You see a faithless generation that thrives in disobedience. Rather than allowing our ourselves to lose hope, may our faith not turn into a roller coaster ride to further confusion. You have given us the Light and the Way to be out of a life of darkness and despair. We pin our hope on Your promises with the rising from the dead of Jesus. We claim

today that these will be fulfilled for the honor and glory of Your name. You are a God of love, a forgiving God. Restore us all to Your mercy and grace, our All in all, our salvation. Praise You, in Jesus. Amen.

August 2, 2021 Monday \"Sufferings that are light and easy are not sufferings.\" (William A. Meninger, OCSO, The Imitation of Christ) Let me share. \"Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty.\"[John 4:14] Lord, Almighty God, Father in Heaven, we begin a work week with a grateful heart full of hope for better days under Your care and protection. We offer You praise for the gift of a new day, a blessed one. Help us by Your Spirit to yield to Your light, our hearts, minds and souls. May we find meaning again to life by every good word and deed You lead us to, in the service of others. Grant purpose to our labors, even our sufferings, that will glorify You. Enliven in us a true and deep yearning and longing for You. You alone can remove the emptiness and weariness that visit our spirits from time to time. You alone can quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger for joy, peace and unity. As we ask for complete healing in heart, body, mind and soul, we rely on Your providence that we will not be in lack. As You bring us beside the still waters, Your rod and staff are our comfort, and on Your perfect shield, we

are covered by Your protection, ever free from harm and affliction. Yes, Father, do restore us in Your mercy, grace and peace, today and beyond. In Jesus, we pray, Amen!

August 3, 2021 Tuesday \"The Bible is not enough to contain everything about God but it is more than enough to contain everything about man.\" (Connections, p.48, Rev. Fr. Tristan D. Laforteza) Let me share. \"If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.\" [Matthew 19:17] O God, Father Almighty, may Your blessing of a new day bring every ounce of strength to us as we offer You our grateful heart in praise. We trust that as always, You will provide us with all our needs, including our healing and the healing of those dear to us, family and friends alike. We are certain of the constancy of Your loving care and protection. Your greatness and goodness are beyond measure, Lord, and You will empower us to abhor and resist the alluring works of the evil one. You alone can ensure that the demands and distractions of this world would not mislead us to shy away from You. May we return to and remain in Your sheep-fold; may we not stray. Father, may we receive the overflow of Your goodness to let us all to be good and do good to others, both known and unknown to us. Enable us then to do works of faith and charity as we try a little harder to imitate Christ Jesus.

To You be the honor and glory, our Lord, our God. Amen.

August 4, 2021 Wednesday \"For it is our lot in this life to live always in fear; perfect assurance is possible to no one [save by God].\" (Father J.P. de Caussade, S.J.) Let me share. \"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.\" [Isaiah 4:1] Our good and gracious Lord, Almighty God, we received this fresh day from You with a thankful heart. You affirm once more how faithful You are to us for the gift of life. We risk being too repetitive in our prayers, petitions and pleas but You have exhorted us to pray without ceasing. May Your Spirit discipline us to lead a true life of prayer, and proclaim Your majesty and greatness without fail. We acclaim Your dominion, holiness, compassion and perfection. Enable us to take courage amid the distress and anxiety brought about by the killer virus. We know for sure that it is not Your will for us to be afflicted and infected. We still trust You with Your protection. And we ask You to cover us, those we love, and others we pray for, with the precious Blood of Jesus, our perfect shield. The virus cannot touch nor afflict us.

The fear that comes from the scourge of the enemy is and will never come from You. Free us from the forces of darkness, the corruption of a troubled world and our own frailties. Lord, give us the victory of life over pain, hopelessness, sickness and death. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

August 5, 2021 Thursday \"Faith is an encounter with the living God - an encounter opening up new horizons extending beyond the sphere of reason.\" (Pope Benedict XVI) Let me share. \"So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all.\" [Galatians 6:10] Our Father, Lord Almighty, You are a God of Love, Joy and Peace, a God of Harmony, Order and Unity. We praise You, we give You thanks. As we draw strength from You in this new day, enable us to live through it with a faith that never wanes, a faith so pure and rid of doubts. Help us to grow that faith, and by Your grace, increase in us. In bended knees, arms outstretched and eyes looking up to You in heaven, we continue to pray for the salvation of the world and all Your peoples, the redemption of the lost, the misguided and those who left the faith. In Your great mercy, restore them to Your saving and life - giving grace; bring them to a life with You, in You and through You. Lord, we plead and invoke the Name of Jesus for an end to disease, division, distress, disaster and death as we put

our hope and place our trust in You. Grant us the unity that has escaped us for generations, and the recovery of peace given by Jesus that has become elusive. Yes, Lord, restore that peace that passes all human wisdom, to each of us, our families and everyone else whom we pray for. In all humility, grant us Your ways of peace to live with one another and live still in this suffering world. O Holy Spirit, stay and linger in us to enjoy Your gifts and fruits. We ask all these in the name of Jesus. Amen.

August 6, 2021 Friday \"Wealth without Work; Pleasure without Conscience; Commerce without Morality; Science without Humanity; Worship without Sacrifice; Politics without Principle; and Knowledge without Character.\" (Seven Deadly Sins, Mahatma Gandhi) Let me share. \"Do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, so that it may go well with you.\" [Deutoronomy 6:18] Lord Almighty, Heavenly Father and Eternal God, we praise and thank You for the day of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We unite all the joy, works and sufferings of the day, together with our intentions, to that Most Pure of hearts. Grant us a heart purified from sinful desires. We pray that we may all do today what is right, fair and just, and be true to ourselves and to others, in thought, word and deed. By Your Spirit, enable us to resist what is wrong and persist to abide in Your righteousness. Guide us by Your Light. Whatever freedom You endowed us with, may we be mindful that it is not limitless. We surrender our so-called free will to Your most Holy Will. Yes, Father, let us know Your will and do it in the walk of our faith.

You are God with us, and You made our bodies the Temple of Your Spirit. We therefore ask You in Jesus, to lead us today by that same Spirit to rejoice in You and thank You for healing us, and for every blessing flowing from Your good and gracious heart that come our way. Praise You, dear God. Amen.

August 7, 2021 Saturday \"To look to the past and lament it is useless. To look to the past to take inordinate pride in accomplishments is dangerous. To look to the past to learn its lessons for the present is the beginning of wisdom.\" (The Road of Hope, A Gospel From Prison, p.194) Let me share. \"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.\" [Proverbs1:7] O Lord, our God Almighty, Eternal Father, it is out love and reverence that we are in awe and fear of You. This world and the universe can never contain You and Your power. We extol You for Your magnificence, greatness and majesty. You are truly God of all creation, Father to all nations. Through Your Spirit, You gifted us with wisdom, and we receive this not in fright, but out of our fear borne in love, that You Yourself bestowed on humankind. From this truth flows our faith enabling us to trust and abide in You. Teach us more and more Your wisdom from the Gospel, more in living it than preaching, more in deed beyond simply reading, and being eternally guided by it, more than the passing moment.

Grant us to hunger for Your wisdom that assures us of the choice of light over darkness, of truth over falsehood, of right over wrong, of love over hate, and of good over evil. Lord, grant us genuine remorse for our sins, to be wise to repent for them, and amend our lives accordingly. Take away from us conceit, self- importance, pretensions and hypocrisy. Make us a true believer directed to Your wisdom and holiness. In Jesus, Amen!

August 8, 2021 Sunday \"With you we rejoice and exult, we extol your love; it is beyond wine; how rightly you are loved.\" (Song of Songs 1:4) Let me share. \"[Be] kind to one another, compassionate, and mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven you in Christ.\" [Ephesians 4:32] Dear Lord, God Almighty, our Father in heaven, today is a glorious day of worship. May we offer the very life You blessed us with back to You in praise of Your Holy Name. Make us, with our loved ones, worthy of Your calling us by name to receive the joy of Your righteousness and holiness. May we also receive Your beloved Son Jesus through His body and blood in the Holy Eucharist. May we unite with Him today and every day of our lives. May we be not parted from Him and Your presence. Through the Gospel, may we partake of the food for the nourishment of our souls. May we be led to give homage to the Cross and remember the Passion of our Saviour. Father, Son and Spirit, in Your Trinity is the oneness of our faith.

Glory to You for Your saving and healing power, Creator of all creation. Amen.

August 9, 2021 Monday \"If you keep silent, keep silent with love. If you speak out, speak out with love. If you discipline, discipline with love. If you forgive, forgive with love.\" (Saint Augustine) Let me share. \"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great.\" [Matthew 6:35] O Lord, our God and Father, Holy, Immortal and Almighty, in Your great love for Your people, You remain ever so faithful in ushering a new week for us. May Your Lordship make us experience Your divinity, discipline and direction. Permit us not to stray from Your Kingdom here on earth. Lord, we grapple and struggle at times to accept Your Kingdom principle of loving others who do not love us, of loving even our enemies. Admittedly, this is more than difficult, but it is possible with Your grace that abounds through Your presence in each one of us. As it is said, \"Love conquers all\". Father, Christ Jesus is Word become flesh, assumed our humanity, but remained so divine, and is Your Son forever. By His passion, cross and resurrection, we await, and are all assured of a life of eternity, enabled sharers in Your glory. Make us steadfast in our faith, consistent in

living it, and enlightened constantly by it, and by Your light in the Gospel. Make us a disciple, make us a servant and make us a Christian through and true. May we make Jesus our role model of selflessness, service and sacrifice, incomparable to all heroes and martyrs combined. We praise you Jesus, Amen.

August 10, 2021 Tuesday \"Let love take its root within you for only goodness can arise from this origin. Love, and do as you wish.\" (Saint Augustine) Let me share. \"The aim of this instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.\" [1 Tim 1:5] O Lord, dear God Almighty, we can only thank You and give You praise for this new day, a new beginning and a fresh start in our journey. Truly, time flies, and being aware of how limited our time is, You give us the freedom to enjoy it, make good use of it, in the hope of Your promised eternity. With all our might, mind, heart and soul, we profess our love of You, unworthy as we are of Your own love for us, Your people. As You humble us, grant that our hearts the pure desire to be in loving obedience to You, the most loving of fathers. From day to day, from moment to moment, may we be reminded and inspired by the greatest love of all, the passion and cross of our Saviour Jesus, a love beyond what one can imagine possible. It is our love story with You that no artist can capture with his oil, brush and canvass. Lord, enable us today to live that love no matter how hard it is to stay with You all the time and to love You in others.

If we say a prayer for another, if we lend a hand to one in need, if we comfort a soul as his body is sick, and if we comfort a friend who lost a loved one, may we just do it out of genuine charity and for the right reason and motivation, and that is for Your sake and for Your glory. In Jesus, we praise You, Father. Amen.

August 11, 2021 Wednesday \"Deliver me from evil passions, and cure my heart of all disorderly affections, so that, healed and well purified interiorly, I may become able to love, strong to suffer and constant to persevere.\" (Thomas A. Kempis) Let me share. \"Your every act should be done with love.\" [1 Cor 16:14] O God, Lord of power and might, we offer You this day in praise, believing that You created us and we are what we are now because of Your love for us and Your people, a love so real and pure, never imagined, not fancied. Even as we cannot fully grasp at times what and how true love is, our faith grows to know You as the God of love in Christ Jesus, in all wisdom. We may appear foolish in embracing Your love but it is the very foundation of our life, for to love others as we love ourselves is a command we must obey. Lord, increase our love so our faith may increase. May we learn to taste, with the intimate mouth of the heart, how sweet it is to love. Dissolve the pride, conceit and arrogance of self in a never ending praise of how deep, how wide and how high Your love for us, Your chosen children. The world rots but Your love will never will - it will be fresh as ever.

Thank You, dear Father, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

August 12, 2021 Thursday \"What we are going through right now should not make us cold or frozen with fear. But they should lead us to hold on to God and cling to Him more firmly. We have to remain strong, turning to God for our strength.\" (Bishop Ruperto Cruz Santos) Let me share. \"God will rescue you from the fowler's snare, from the destroying plague, will shelter you with pinions, spread wings that you may take refuge.\" [Psalm 91:3,4] O God, Father Almighty, our Lord, You are to us our fortress, our stronghold and our refuge. We rely on You as our protective shield, our security in these dangerous times. We again knock and ask You to put an end to the deadly virus that lurks and hounds us. End our suffering and the afflictions that seem to have no end. We are in despair, and in fact, fear overwhelms us. We only have our faith to draw courage from You, and trust You in these turbulent and uncertain times. Help us with our hopelessness and bring light to all in this period of gloom and darkness. We claim Your saving power to pull us through and preserve us. Without You, we cannot do anything.

Lord, in Your great mercy, heal all who are afflicted by the viral disease. Fulfill Your promise to heal all who call upon Your name as we invoke the Name of Jesus, Your Son our Lord, in battling and defeating our evil enemy. Give us the power and clothe us with Jesus's precious blood. With You, ours is the victory. In love and faith, fear has no power over us, and disappears. Praise and glory to You, Amen.

August 13, 2021 Friday \"Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing stronger, nothing higher, nothing more sublime, nothing more expansive, nothing more pleasing in Heaven or on earth; because love is born of God.\"(Thomas A. Kempis) Let me share. \"[Love] does not rejoice over wrongdoings but rejoices with the truth.\" [1 Cor 13:7] Dear Father in Heaven, we are ever grateful for giving us life out of Your love, one truly immeasurable and unlimited. Thank You that out of it flows Your stream of mercy, so redemptive that You gave and sent us Your only begotten Son, Jesus. In this day of His Sacred Heart, may we praise You once more for that love shown on the Cross to assure us of our salvation after this journey of life. Truth hurts as this world tells but we do not see this in the light of Your Spirit. For, Jesus is Truth, and He sets us free from our worldly entanglements and sinful nature. He is the Way, and in Him is life. With Him, we find meaning, making us see clearly Your purpose in us. Grant us the constancy of heart to persevere to the very end and share in His glory that is soon to come. We run the race but help us to never rush, to be steadfast and strong, as victory is at hand. Draw us nearer and

closer to You with every step, breath and heartbeat, every moment of everyday. Lord God, pull as back to the right path if we stray. You are good and so must we; it is not a choice but a lasting gift - You in us, now and forever. Be praised, our All in all. Glory to You! Alleluia! Amen.

August 14, 2021 Saturday \"Our spiritual life, our capacity to love, our freedom, this, this is what makes man resemble God.\" (Saint Ambrose) Let me share. \"And if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.\" [1 Cor. 13:2] Lord Almighty, Holy, Eternal, Immortal God, a time to rest and recreate, to reflect and renew, awaits us in this day You blessed us with. May You accept the praise and thanksgiving of our hearts as our weary souls rest, and rest in Your peace. More than the heat of the sun, the breeze of the wind, it is the light and warmth of Your love that consoles and comforts us as we battle against our fears of the circumstances that surround us. Enable and inspire us as well as those we hold dear, and those we pray for, to cling to the cloak of Jesus and His wounds and blood that bring healing to all. Restore us as we rest, and dwell on the Psalms. As Your Word is living, let it be the lamp to our feet. We trust our small steps towards You would make us proclaim in our lives, the truth of the Gospel, and not a word is even needed.

Make us true to You, faithful to the end. In Jesus, we claim all these. Amen!

August 15, 2021 Sunday \"Love endures in adversity, it shows prudence in prosperity, it is strong in suffering, it rejoices in good deeds, it is safe from temptation, it is generous in hospitality, cheerful among true brothers, patient with the faithless.\" (Saint Augustine) Let me share. \"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.\" [Lamentations 3:25,26] Almighty God, our Father and Lord of all, may we worship You today in Spirit and in Truth, in love and in joy, in word and in deed. We give glory and honor to Your Name; be praised forever. We offer the day to You with gladness in our hearts, and rejoice that we have You as our God. Bring us to the discipline of our faith, accepting Your correction every step of the way, every day of our lives. Show us the clarity of an examined life in the light of Your Gospel, helped no less than by Your Spirit. Reconcile those who got lost to You, through the body and blood of Jesus. We are certain in asking for a true and life- giving repentance. May we shy away from our old self, our

former ways, and put in the new, trusting in You completely. Wash the sins that stain us and transform us. Father, ever loving and caring, grant us the power to heal our past deeds in Your goodness and grace. May we have the Peace of Jesus and share that Peace with our neighbors. We bow and kneel before Your throne; heal us, heal our land! In Jesus, we pray, Amen.

August 16, 2021 Monday \"The best way of spending one's time is to spend it furthering the salvation and sanctification of others.\"(St. Padre Pio) Let me share. \"No one should seek his own advantage [interest], but rather that of his neighbor.\" [1Cor. 10:24] Lord, our God, a new day is here to start a week of our earthly labors, continuing our journey as we await with hope Your victory over a sinful and faithless world. We implore You to grant us the strength and fortitude of heart and soul to carry on and accomplish Your mission for us to proclaim that Your kingdom is at hand. We give You praise and thanks in encouraging us to persevere in faith despite the immense challenges of the times. It is only in You, by You and with You, that our burdens lighten, our paths leveled and our desires fulfilled, all according to Your will. As we recognize Your timeless love, Your endless mercy and boundless grace, may every good that we do every day and every moment of our lives, be the very outflow of Your goodness that men cannot measure. May that goodness in us, falling short of Your very own, grow as we strive harder to let You increase in us.

Help us always beyond self to truly help others to come to Your fold, the lost to find You, the sick restored and the despairing and despondent, hope and to embrace You. In You, God, we trust. In praise of Jesus, Amen.

August 17, 2021 Tuesday \"Let God be our primary concern inasmuch as all our concerns are are primary to Him.\" (Rev. Fr. Tristan J.D. Laforteza) Let me share. \"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God.\" [Romans 12:2] Father, our Lord and our God, we thank You and praise You for the gift of a new day. Enable us to use it for Your honor and glory. May Your presence in us that we often ignore, ignite the fire of Your love to make us obedient, faithful and humble. By Your Spirit of wisdom, make us patient, even bearing one another's burdens and mistakes. Lord, if we justify ourselves, we tend to be self-righteous and judging of others. Deliver us from the folly of pride and conceit, and accept that others are better than we are. May we see the dirt in our own eyes before seeing the dirt in the eye of our neighbors. Purify the desires of our hearts, and make us single- minded in our devotion to fulfill what You want us to accomplish for the good of our fellowmen, and for the sake of peace with one another.

May we serve and do it above self. We pray for all these, in Jesus. Amen.

August 18, 2021 Wednesday \"Faith reveals a whole world that is more real than the complexities of our daily soap operas... and that gives us real hope in our 'search for tomorrow.' \" (Father Jacob Restrick, O.P.) Let me share. \"Treat others the way you would like to be treated.\" [Matthew 7:12] Father, our Lord, our God, we begin this day with You, and praise You for being our very life, our strength. We again confess that You alone are our everything above, and beside anything else. In You, we are made complete, we are made whole. Guide us, enlighten us and empower us by Your Holy Spirit who is in us, prompting and leading us to all the goodness that flows from Your heart. Grant that we may all be worthy of His Holy gifts, including patience, humility, fortitude and forbearance. May we remain firm in living a life of faith, trusting You with our every need since without You we are nothing. Look at our contrite hearts, our humbled spirit, and lead us to the perfection of our belief that with You, all things are possible.

Pardon our asking repeatedly from You as we acknowledge that You are an answering God who listens, yes, even to prayers in the silence of our hearts. Blessings, healing, and protection, dear Father, for us and our loved ones, we pray. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

August 19, 2021 Thursday \"Charity knows no boundaries: if there are boundaries, it is no longer charity.\" (The Road of Hope, p.177) Let me share. \"Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them, otherwise, you will have no recompense from Your heavenly Father.\" [Matthew 6:1] Father, God Almighty, renewing our profession of faith in You, may this day You have added unto us be a day spent well to serve our brothers and sisters. May we be sensitive to their needs over our very own, believing that You never fail in providing for us. As we receive from Your generosity, may we share and give what we ought to in the spirit of love. Make us true instruments of Your charity and goodness that we become part of building Your Church and Kingdom here on earth. May we never grow tired of giving and grumble about the fatigue of charity. Enable us to be the answers of those living in misery, always sharing ourselves and what we have, out of love, and even if it hurts. May we do all the giving, sharing and loving in purity of heart with extreme urgency.

Make us vessels of Your love and mercy in this journey. May we see the Holy Face of Jesus every time in everyone, especially the marginalized. Praise You, dear God, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

August 20, 2021 Friday \"Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God's deepening his life in me.\" (Saint Ignatius of Loyola) Let me share. \"O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.\" [Psalm 54:2] O God, Eternal Father, our Lord Almighty, thank You that through Jesus You taught how we ought to pray. By Your Holy Spirit, You lead us and we are prompted to adore You, worship You, praise You and glorify You. We dedicate this day of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to take time with Your help to look at and examine our prayer life. As You nourish our faith to make it grow and strong, we hope that You will increase in us and dominate our entire being. Your presence is with us with the Helper, the Spirit of truth, good and wisdom. May He remain the light of our faith, our very life in You and with You. We are exhorted that a multitude of words is not needed. Fill us nonetheless with words that will glorify You. Enable us then, dear Lord, to be connected to You in the

simplicity of our praise, contrition, thanksgiving and supplication. We desire to abide by You and to be in a state of prayer wherever and whenever, in joy and in sorrow. May we pray, pray, and pray without end. To You, God, be the glory, now and forever. Amen.

August 21, 2021 Saturday \"Love is a great thing, greatest of all goods, because it alone renders light every burden and bears equally all that is unequal. Because it carries a burden without feeling it, and renders sweet and pleasing every bitterness.\" (Thomas A. Kempis) Let me share. \"Help carry one another's burdens; in that way you fulfill the law of Christ.\" [Galatians 6:2] Lord, our God, Father and Merciful King, thank You that You carried us through a week of our earthly labors in the middle of a distressed and disturbed world. Thank You for Your courage and consolation with the seeming unending onslaught of the unseen enemy. In arming us with our little faith and the gift of prayer, we have overcome fear, certain of Your loving and constant protection. We take rest today but keep on knocking, asking that our long suffering may end. In Your tender mercies, Lord, in Your unquestionable might, grant us, Your people You have gathered to Yourself, the victory over the evil and wrongness of this world. Let us live in it still, but not of it. We implore Your perpetual help and inexhaustible strength.

Believing that You will never forsake us, may our faith grow more and more as we ask You to deliver us and all the people we care for, from the wickedness around, and yes, from our own weaknesses. You are our life, our hope and our glory. Thank You for Your love. We praise You now and forever, in Jesus. Amen.

August 22, 2021 Sunday \"For pity's sake I beseech you not to wrong him by entertaining the slightest suspicion that he has abandoned you even for a single moment. This is really one of the most diabolical temptations which you must drive far away as you are aware of it.\" (Saint Padre Pio) Let me share. \"The slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.\" [2 Cor. 4:17] Ever Living God, Almighty Father, we glorify You and extol Your Name, in this holy day You blessed us with. Prompt us to worship You even as we renew, recollect and refresh today. Bring us to see You better and clearer with angelic vision, without any doubt, free of any pretense or hesitation. Remove from our innermost the stain of unbelief of the joy of Your promised eternity. Free us, our soul and spirit, from the prison of hidden and unconfessed sins. May we go on with a life of purpose only towards You, and our salvation. Let our reflection be geared to being good from Your unparalleled goodness, and let it be done to a neighbor, friend or foe alike.

Bless us, Father, with the certitude of a steadfast faith for the rest of our journey. We thank and praise You, in Jesus' Name. Amen!

August 23, 2021 Monday \"Whenever our right becomes the guiding factor of our lives, it dulls our spiritual insight. The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best.\" (Oswald Chambers) Let me share. \"Lord, I will follow you, but . . .\" [Luke 9:61] Let me share. O God, Father Almighty, we begin a new week in our journey with our work in mind but ever mindful of You, first and foremost, our beginning and our end. May we remain cognizant of Your Lordship, and proclaim in our hearts that You are the King of kings. Your reign is here to remain until the end of time through all generations. We cannot thank You enough even with words of praise. Enable us then to simply enthrone You in our hearts and be grateful to Your presence as a loving and caring Father. May our souls and spirit yearn for You deeply, rely on You solely and thank You endlessly. Heeding Your call to be perfect and holy is a choice left to us. But it is the best choice we have. Our freedom more often deceives us, confuses us and misleads us in our life's choices. What is good to this world is more often evil in

Your sight. To us, we may be worthy, but to You we are not. We may feel righteous but we are a sham and truly unrighteous. Grant us, dear Lord, the clarity of discernment that we may be equipped with Your sterling wisdom to see the wrongness, if not sinfulness, of our choices and actions, though they be right in our eyes and before our fellowmen. Again, help us to know more ourselves in Your light. Thank You, in Jesus. Amen.

August 24, 2021 Tuesday \"When God works through us, we can work through anything.\" (Connections, p.29) Let me share. \"Fear is useless, what is needed is trust.\" [Luke 8:50] O Lord, our God, Father Almighty, we praise and thank You for a new day. By Your light and direction, give us the joy of the revelation of Your being with us in each moment, finding You in all and everything. Even as we are trapped by tribulations around, cowed by fear of sickness and death, and uncertain of what holds for tomorrow, may we simply trust You. May we remain thankful, the tests and trials of our faith besides, nourished by hope from Your Spirit of grace. Father, may we prompted to seek Your will as we pursue Your purpose for us in this world by making us worthy of the promises of Christ Jesus. We seek refuge and security under Your wings to repel the unseen enemy and the ongoing contagion. We believe and claim that You will end the scourge and siege in time, hoping that it will be sooner than later, in the Name of Jesus.