Acts of Love

 

                            Little Acts of Love

St. Francis de Sales observed that the opportunity to do “great and heroic things” does not come along very often, but the chance to do ordinary things with love comes along all the time.  He reminds us, “It is not by the multiplicity of things we do that we acquire perfection, but by the perfection and purity of intention with which we do them.”  

 

 

 

Further he advises us, “Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear; rather look upon them with strong hope that, as they arise, God, whose child you are, will deliver you from them.”

Start each day TRUSTING in God, live each moment TRUSTING in God, and live as a child of God.  Easy to write and easy to say, but hard to live each day.  Maybe this story can help us with little actions done with love.

                                         

                                Story of the Starfish

A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

 

 

 

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied, “Well, I made a difference to that one!”  [Adapted from 'The Star Thrower' by Loren C. Eiseley]

 

Today make a difference.

 

May God Be Praised!

 

            A Prayer for Our Nation

Loving God help us to serve those who are shunned or eschewed; guide our civic leaders; bless our nation; and bestow Your grace upon our elected officials and anoint them with the desire to foster the common good.  Amen.     Dcn. George Kelly]

 

COVID 19 Pandemic Prayer

 

Hear my cry!  “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.”  You are my refuge and my hope, I 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 ….”

[Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]

 

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