“But in our contrite souls, in a spirit of humility, accept us, Lord….  Bring to fruition the quest of those who follow you, for those who trust in you can never be confounded.  And now we follow you with all our heart and we revere you and seek your face.” (Morning Prayer Week IV - Canticle: Daniel)

 

This story may help us with our perspective on life, God and religion.

 

“What good are Soap and Religion?”

 

A rabbi and soap maker who went for a walk together. The soap maker had some negative things to say about religion: "What good is religion? Just look around you. What do you see? Trouble, misery, wars - even after all these years and years of preaching and teaching about goodness, truth, peace. What good is religion with all its prayers and sermons if all this evil still exists?"

The rabbi kept quiet as they continued their walk. Then they noticed a child playing in the gutter. The child was just filthy with dirt and mud. The rabbi said to the soap maker: "Look at this child! Now you say that soap makes people clean, but what good is it? With all the soap in the world this child is still dirty. What good is soap after all?"

The soap maker immediately answered him: "But rabbi, soap can't do its job if it isn't used!"  The rabbi said, "The same is true with religion."  [Jim Davis, The Call of Discipleship]  

 

Thomas Merton said, “The root of Christian love is not the will to love, but the faith that one is loved.  The faith that one is loved by God.”  St. Augustine taught us to, "Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you."

 

Today when you use soap think about God!

 

May God Be Praised!

 

Join me and cry out from the depths of your heart to the Lord who hears us. 

 

“Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” [Psalm 143]

God, You are our refuge and our hope, we turn to you during this COVID 19 pandemic and plead for Your intercession.  In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

Provide strength to the first responders and medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders.  End this coronavirus scourge.  Bring Your light to all who wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give us hope in Your eternal love today and every day.  Amen.  [Dcn. George Kelly]