Act of Adoration and Thanksgiving

 I pray everyone had a blessed summer!  I wanted to begin this autumn's blogging with a beautiful prayer of adoration and thanksgiving to God.  It is especially to be said as a morning prayer as it thanks the Holy Trinity for the new day.  However, the prayer encompasses so much more than just thanksgiving for a safe night.  The prayer finds God's work in our whole life, as His work is, and adores Him, thanks Him, and humbly seeks His mercy.

Our lives are filled with God's love in every aspect of our day and night, and it is important to recognize His presence and love in each moment, even the most ordinary.  Sometimes this requires slowing down, quieting down, and giving our heart to Almighty God.  May we remember that God is always with us.

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St. Rose of Lima related a story during her life, telling how much she loved our Lord and had consecrated her life to Him.  For much of her life she, like her mother, were very fearful of the dark.  She became paralyzed with fear if required to venture through the dark alone.  One night she had remained longer in her parents' shed, where she spent her days in prayer, and she realized her mother would be worried; however, she was afraid to return to the house in the darkness of night.

Suddenly she saw her mother and father approaching her, and she was astounded to see that her mother, with her father at her side, was not afraid at all.  At that moment, St. Rose realized that she, too had nothing to fear!  If her father gave her mother comfort and protection, how much more should St.Rose see that same safety in the Presence of her Beloved God, Who was always beside her and loving her!  From that moment St. Rose never feared the dark or any other unknown, recognizing God's Presence always with her.

An Act of Adoration and Thanksgiving

O Eternal God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost; the beginning and end of all things, in Whom we live and move and have our being; prostrate before Thee in body and soul, I adore Thee with the most profound humility. I bless Thee and give Thee thanks for all the benefits Thou has conferred upon me, especially that Thou hast created me out of nothing, made me after Thine own image and likeness, redeemed me with the Precious Blood of Thy Son, and sanctified me with Thy Holy Spirit. I thank Thee that Thou hast called me into Thy Church, helped me by Thy grace, admitted me to Thy Sacraments, watched over me by Thy special Providence, blessed me, not withstanding my sins and unworthiness, with Thy continuing and gracious protection, and for all the innumerable blessings which I owe to Thy undeserved bounty. I thank Thee especially for having preserved me during the past night and for bringing me in safety to the beginning of another day. What return can I make to Thee, O my God, for all that Thou hast done for me? I will bless Thy Holy Name and serve Thee all the days of my life. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within me praise His Holy Name.  Amen.

God bless!

+JMJ+