Good Morning… Let us remember that we are in the Holy Presence of God…

God has saved us more times than we know. Have you ever thought about how many times God has diverted you from harm’s way? Perhaps that flat tire saved you from a bigger incident that was waiting for you further down the road. Or maybe that cold you got that required you to stay home saved you from failing a test you hadn’t been quite prepared for. Or that instinct that tells you that you don’t need that shirt that’s in your shopping cart, because you have the same one at home in three different colors. 

God not only steers us away from harm, he also gives us grace. What is grace? It’s that moment when you are so angry with someone, and you know you can say that thing, that ONE thing that can really hurt them, but that inner voice tells you “Don’t do it. Don’t say what you want to say right now. Walk away.” 

What a gift that is, to have someone looking out for us, and our wellbeing. We are run by our emotions day to day, but luckily God is not limited to how we see the world as humans. God sees all things, and knows all things. And all we have to do is ask for his help when we are stuck or in trouble.

The other great part of grace is that we can give it as well as receive it. Giving grace means wanting the best for your neighbor, your family, your teachers, your students, your colleagues, and your friends. Success, love, light… These are all expansive qualities of the human experience, meaning there is no limit to how much of them can exist. So today, let’s pray for each other, look out for each other, and thank God for having our back.

 Let us pray…Dear God,

I give this day to You.

May my mind stay centered on the things of spirit.

May I not be tempted to stray from love.

As I begin this day, I open to receive You.

Please enter where You already abide.

May my mind and heart be pure and true, and may I not deviate from the things of goodness.

May I see the love and innocence in all mankind, behind the masks we all wear and the illusions of this worldly plane.

I surrender to You my doings this day.

I ask only that they serve You and the healing of the world.

May I bring Your love and goodness with me, to give unto others wherever I go.

Make me the person You would have me be.

Direct my footsteps, and show me what You would have me do.

Make the world a safer, more beautiful place.

Amen.

Saint John Baptist De La Salle… Pray for us!

Live Jesus in our Hearts… Forever!

Morning Prayer:  Mr. Joseph DeLeo, Fine Arts Department Chairperson

January 27, 2022

Good morning La Salle and de La Salle…Let us remember we are in the holy presence of a loving God.

How often do you talk to God? I talk to God a lot. In fact, I tend to talk to God consistently throughout each day. Most of the time, I’m asking God for help, for relief, for guidance, for answers…sometimes, I even ask God to help me win the lottery so I can run away to some tropical paradise for the rest of my life. But with all this talking that I do to God, how often am I actually hearing what God is saying back to me? Or even more- how often am I seeing or not seeing  how God is responding to these needs and desires that I have right in front of me? 

I’d like to read an excerpt from writer Vinita Wright. What Wright describes, struck me as I was preparing for this prayer. She writes, 

“I saw Jesus on the train today. He had worked a long shift, his coveralls a patchwork of sweat and grime; yet he joked with a coworker in the adjacent seat. I saw Jesus awhile later, as the crowd filed onto the stairs to the street below—he was a young girl with two small children in tow, her nerves clearly frayed. And then, in the grocery store, there was Jesus again, a check-out clerk who smiled and wished me a good evening. The next time I saw him, he was stuck in traffic, his business suit rumpled and his eyes weary. And when I walked by my neighbor’s house, Jesus sat on the front step, passing the time with a friend.”

You see my friends, we ask a lot of God, and rightfully so. But we must also be open to the many ways we may encounter these answers we are looking for. So no, I don’t actually expect Jesus to choose the winning lottery ticket for me this week. But serving the needy at the Coat Drive up at the State House in November certainly felt like winning as I watched families get items they so very desperately needed in order to keep their families warm this winter. I saw Jesus when our students went to McAuley Village to bring some Christmas joy to the families there who needed it most. I saw Jesus again when I got coffee with two La Salle Alumni who were home from college and heard all the beautiful stories of their lives post-grad. And I saw Jesus responding to my need for relief when my husband made a homemade dinner and had a fire started when I got home from all of the errands that needed to be done. 

Today, may we be reminded to look a little closer, to listen a little harder, and to find the different ways God may be answering our prayers. . 

Let us pray, 

Lord, 

“When Jesus came to share our human existence, he changed what it means to be ordinary people going through the day. Each one of us has a purpose and a place in the world. Each of us experiences pain, fatigue, humor, and hope. If we look more intently at the people we encounter on a typical day, we will see who they truly are—persons loved by God. Regardless of appearance or situation, the woman, man, or child before you is brimming with holy possibility. Consider that you are gazing into the eyes of God. Understand that Jesus comes to you in many faces and places.” Amen. –Vinita Wright 

Morning Prayer – Mrs. Rebecca Mackisey, Director of Campus Ministry

January 25, 2022