A Prayer
Frederic Ozanam dreamed a great dream, and his vision is in our hands today. We hold in our Vincentian hearts these words of the Rule (1.6):
“Faithful to the spirit of its founders, the Society constantly strives for renewal, adapting to changing world conditions.
It seeks to be ever aware of the changes that occur in human society and the new types of poverty that may be identified or anticipated. It gives priority to the poorest of the poor and to those who are most rejected by society.”
And so we pray: (Alternate sides)
Lord, sometimes we are trapped in a box that we can’t even recognize.
Release us.
We are ready to leave the box of our normal thinking and to find the opportunity that lies disguised in this challenge.
Show us the truth that will set us free.
We can be a prisoner of our old ways of thinking.
Our assumptions can blind us to the new possibilities that you have for us.
Often, what we think we know keeps us from knowing what we cannot yet think.
We see people’s weaknesses;
you see the strengths you gave them.
We see what they have done so far;
you see what they could do.
We see why we can’t do it;
you see how we can.
We see the problem;
you see the solution.
Break us out.
What do you think?
- What phrase struck you most?
- Does God need to move us to a new place for a different view?
- Have we surrounded ourselves with people who think too much like us?
Prior to reading your latest post,John,I was reading about Generation Z. These are young people,many of whom view worship and sacramental reception as irrelevant. Christian Apologetics falls short in dealing with our skeptical youthful brothers and sisters. Instead,let’s take our best shot at loving them and understand them in their skepticism. As your article states,we’ll need to think outside of the box.
Ed Ambrose,AA,St. Joe’s,1957