Devotional Thought of the Day:

take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ³²  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. ³³  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:31-33 (KJV)

¹   As a deer longs for a stream of cool water, so I long for you, O God. ²  I thirst for you, the living God. When can I go and worship in your presence? Psalm 42:1-2 (TEV)

316    You tell me: “Yes, I want to!” Good. But do you “want to” as a miser wants his gold, as a mother wants her child, as a worldling wants honors, or as a poor sensualist wants his pleasure? No? Then you don’t “want to”!

I look at St Josemaria’s words this morning, and they hit me with a lot of conviction

As I look at a very busy week, as I anticipate the struggles and the hard work, I wonder how I am going to make it through it all, and do everything well.  The temptation is to expedite things, and the really big temptation is to cut short my time with God.

After all, I will be studying scripture, I will be praying with others, do I really need my own time with God.

Abso-freaking-lutely.   (pardon the Bostonese)

And I know I need it, and I want it.  But the question is how much I want it.  Do I want it like the deer wants water, like a mom protecting her child, like those that crave attention or pleasure want it?

I need to, I need to seek first God’s kingdom, I need to seek first those times in His presence, where I am so aware of Him that I naturally respond in worship and adoration.

I know in the midst of this, this is where I have to be, this is where I find healing and life and comfort and peace.   It is where I know I am loved, and so loved that I am cleansed, and my sin cut away from me with even more precision than a heart surgeon, or a rabbi/mohel doing a circumcision.

For what draws me to God is not my own strength, if so, as much as I desire it, I might desire other things more.  What draws me to God is the Holy Spirit, lovingly, caringly, bringing me back,  back to the word that reveals God’s love, back to the sacraments which demonstrate it in my life, back into prayer where I release all my burdens to the Lord who loves me.

Yeah, it’s Monday, and I have a huge week of appointments, tasks, work, ministry, to see accomplished…

But I need to seek Him first, otherwise, the rest is in vain, and the week will be a giant pain in the ass.  But with Him, at His side, the week, the very same actions, thoughts, words… will be glorious.

and so we cry out… Lord have mercy on us, and on our week!

Escriva, Josemaria. The Way (Kindle Locations 818-820). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.