PRAYER FOR GENEROSITY
Dearest Lord, teach us to he generous,
Teach us to serve You as we should,
To give and not to count the cost,
To fight and not to heed the wounds,
To toil and not to seek for rest,
To labour and ask not for reward,
Save that of knowing that we do
Your most Holy Will. Amen.
SCRIPTURE
As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” LUKE 10:38-42
REFLECTION
Thomas Merton once said, “The rush and pressures of modem life are a form of its innate violence. To allow myself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything.. is to succumb to violence. The frenzy of the activist,. .destroys the fruitfulness of one’s own work because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.”
The scripture today speaks to those in our society who has fallen into the trap of overworking or who consider the only value to be the maximum production of some product or service. As we address any of these needs, the scripture reminds us that people in need should be treated as people, as unique and precious human beings.
PRAYER
Dearest Lord, support us all the day long till the shadow lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over and our work is done — then in Your mercy, give us a safe lodging and holy rest and peace at the last. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN – As the Deer
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship Thee.
Chorus:
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone are my spirit yield
Your alone are my heart’s desire
And I long to worship Thee
You’re my friend and You are my brother
Even though You are a King
I love You more than any other
So much more than anything.
