The Abandonment Prayer

One of our Abbots, Father LeBlanc, posted this prayer of Charles De Foucauld on Facebook, and I enjoyed it so much that I copied it for here. It is called the Abandonment Prayer, and seems perfectly suited to the Season of Lent.

Father,
I abandon myself
into your hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do,
I thank you.

I am ready for all,
I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me
and in all your creatures.

I wish no more than this, o Lord.
Into your hands
I commend my soul;
I offer it to you,
with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord,
and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself
into your hands,
without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.

Lenten Words of Wisdom

I have always been struck by the wisdom of the Early Church Fathers; their writings display a depth of spirituality and wisdom that is not often seen in our world today. The following words of St. John of Chrysostom, on true Lenten piety, serve as a perfect example of what the Christian message should look like:

"Do you fast? Give me proof of it by your works.
If you see a poor man, take pity on him.
If you see a friend being honored, do not envy him.

Do not let only your mouth fast,
but also the eye and the ear and the feet and the hands
and all the members of our bodies.

Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice.
Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin.
Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is
sinful.

Let the ear fast, by not listening to evil talk and gossip.
Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism.

For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and
devour our brothers?

May He who came to the world to save sinners, strengthen us to
complete the fast with humility! Have mercy on us and save us.

Amen.”

A Lenten Reflection

I came across this Lenten reflection on the Internet (author unknown) and hope that it proves a blessing to you, as we prepare for the Season of Lent:

Give up complaining—focus on gratitude.
Give up pessimism—become an optimist.
Give up harsh judgments—think kindly thoughts.
Give up worry—trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement—be full of hope.
Give up bitterness—turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred—return good for evil.
Give up negativism—be positive.
Give up anger—be more patient.
Give up pettiness—become mature.
Give up gloom—enjoy the beauty that is all around you.
Give up jealousy—pray for trust.
Give up gossiping—control your tongue.
Give up sin—turn to virtue.
Give up giving up—hang in there!

Prayer update on Bob Edwards

After a month in Shand's Medical Hospital,Bob and Carmen have finally returned home. The doctors were able to completely remove his brain tumor (a tumor that was the size of a large orange), and Bob now begins the difficult task of physical therapy, and rebuilding his strength. While the surgery and recovery were extremely difficult on Bob (and emotionally draining for Carmen), God was with him, and brought him through this difficult time.

Bob still needs our prayers, however. The doctors discovered that his brain tumor was caused by his thyroid, which is cancerous. His thyroid spread the cancer to his brain tumor, and was also the reason for the tumor's large size. Now, doctors are preparing to treat Bob's thyroid, while also thoroughly checking Bob, to see if the cancer has spread anywhere else. All this, while Bob is still recovering from his first surgery.

Please do not forget Bob, or Carmen, during their trials. Jesus said that if we keep asking, we shall receive; if we keep seeking, we will find, and if we keep knocking, the door that we are seeking to open will indeed open before us. Effective prayer is consistent prayer. Let us stay united as together we pray that God will bring healing and release to Bob and Carmen.

A Generous Church

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” These words of comfort, command and promise were said by Jesus to His followers in Luke 6:38. I find these words of Christ particularly apropos now, as I thank you for your generosity in supporting Restoration Community Church financially in 2009. At a time when the recession is having such a negative impact on so many families and individuals, your sacrificial giving allowed our church to end 2009 with a surplus. Through you, God is building up our church, so that we can minister effectively, both to our community, as well as to each other.

Amy and I thank you for all that you do for our church. We thank you for your tithes, gifts and offerings; we thank you for your faithful attendance every week; we thank you for the love and fellowship that you show each other, as we demonstrate the love that show be so clearly manifested in the Body of Christ; we thank you for your prayers, both for our ministry and for those on our prayer list; we thank you for your faithful involvement every week, ensuring that our services flow smoothly; lastly, we thank you for choosing to call Restoration Community Church your home.

May our church continue to grow and thrive in 2010, as it did in 2009. To God be all praise, honor and glory, Amen.