Especially those most in need of thy mercy

It’s easy to condemn

It’s hard to look at my own sin.

It’s hard to understand the truth, that without God’s Grace I would have no good in me. 

Without God’s Grace, goodness, is merely social morality. It’s how we appear acceptable to others. It’s how we don’t get left out, judged and scorned.  It’s how we get recognition and praise. It’s how we extinguish guilt. 

Only with God’s Grace can our goodness come from the pure motive of love. 

Not the kind of love that depends on how others behave or treat us. 

Not the kind of romantic love that falls in love with a fairytale rather than a human being. 

But the kind of love that knows, but for the Grace of God go I. 

If I have my needs met so that I don’t experience the desperation that comes with poverty it’s by the Grace of God.

If I have many opportunities to serve, it’s by the Grace of God.

If I have the strength,  mentally, spiritually, emotionally, financially and physically to help carry the burden of those who struggle, those who are poor, it’s by the Grace of God.

And I don’t just mean materially poor but poor in in self control, wisdom, courage, generosity, love, hope, faith and all the fruits and gifts of The Holy Spirit.

May we never take God’s Grace upon our lives for granted.

The Fatima prayer given to the shepherd children by Mary tells us to especially pray for those most in need of God’s mercy.

O my Jesus forgive us our sins, 

Save us from the fires of hell,

Lead all souls to heaven

Especially those most in need of Thy mercy.

So while we pray for the oppressed, the abused, the persecuted and the materially poor, let’s not forget to pray for the oppressors, the persecutors and the spiritually poor.

Those that are so lost in their own suffering that all they know how to do is cause suffering.

Those whose hearts are so hardened, they don’t see, or hear or feel anymore.

 Let us pray that they experience God’s illuminating love so powerfully that their eyes, ears and hearts are opened completely. 

May we pray, Our Father, who sees, hears and knows intimately, the cries of the poor will transform them in a way that no argument, protest or law can. 

Transform them from the inside out.
 Radically transform them. 
Make them a new creation.

Take out their heart of stone and put in a heart of flesh. 
A heart that is rendered by love.
 A heart that is broken by suffering. 
A heart fashioned by love to love and be loved.

And may we pray for our own poverty.
 That God, Our Father, gives us  the Grace to see, hear and know Him and His ways more deeply.
So we can love more surely and truly.

That we may act justly,
love mercy,
walk humbly.

  In Jesus’s name. 

We are all poor before God. We are all children before our Father.