O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise!
Lord, thank you. The Holy Spirit guided me back to this journal. I left because of laziness and continued my absence because I thought writing a journal like this was a form of self-promotion. Then you led me to Fr. James Martin’s article on journaling [Give Us This Day, May 2012, page 9 PDF] — I realized that stopping was what the devil wanted. Glory be to You, Lord, for bringing me to my senses. Help me do your will. Let me know if I’m abusing this tool and using it only for self gain. And, Lord, bless Fr. Martin for his wisdom. May he continue to bring more souls to You.
Holy Spirit, thank you. Two nights ago, during prayer, You provided me this bit of wisdom: the cross that I bear is my self-love and self-will crucified. In contemplation, I see how my self-love and self-will lead me to sin. I open my soul to You, and the nails are driven deeper. The pain I suffer will lead me to humility. The Sacraments on Sundays give me aid, and help me bear my cross. All this for your greater glory! Glory be to the Father…