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December Monthly Check-Up

On Confession

Presence of God

Grace I Ask
To see clearly how I have been making my confessions, to rejoice over successes, to be sorry for failure, to do better in the future.

Check-Up

Have I made my examination of conscience faithfully each night? This practice will help me a lot in preparing for confession. How often have I gone to confession? … once a week? …. at least every two weeks? Do I go to a regular confessor, one who can get to know me and help me with my particular problems, encourage me to make progress?

Do I examine my conscience carefully, though not scrupulously, before going to confession? Do I always put special emphasis, besides, on being really sorry for my sins, striving for perfect contrition?

When making my confession, do I realize that I am telling my sins to Christ, whose place the priest takes? Do I always put the bigger or harder-to-confess sins first? Am I always completely open and honest (something that requires real courage at times) in the confessional? Do I answer any questions the priest may ask? Do I pay attention to the priest if he give me advice? … do my best to follow it? Do I always say my penance?

I Speak to Christ
O Lord, let me realize that you gave me confession to be a help in living my life for you. Give me the grace to use this wonderful sacrament correctly. Help me to avoid the same sins in the future and to make sure I stay away from my occasions of sins. Let my attitude toward confession be that it is the place where I meet you for forgiveness and grace.

Thought for Today
Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven."

MENTAL PRAYER: Challenge to the Lay Apostle
Theologians Sodality Academy (St. Marys, KS; 1958)

CHRIST OUR KING

Who is He? The most important person who ever lived on this earth, Christ our Lord! He is our Leader – indeed, our King. What does he ask of us, His followers? Let us watch and listen ….

December 5th

THE CALL OF A LEADER

Presence of God

Grace I Ask
To know my own strength.

The Idea
Today's meditation is a test of character. I will look deeply inside myself and see honestly how I would respond to a certain imaginary situation.

First, I must imagine the situation. Suppose our country became a Communist Slave state. Impossible? That's what the people of Poland, Hungary, Romania once thought, too. So I try to imagine it, with all its accompanying horrors—especially horrible for people who try to remain faithful to God.

And now suppose that, just when things seemed at their very worst, God stepped in with a miracle. God raised up a great Catholic leader and commissioned him to lead a revolt, a coast-to-coast uprising for liberty; God called on every man, woman and child who loved his country to join in and help—there would be work for all.

And the miracle was this: though the fight would be hard and long, though there would be much work and suffering for all, still, by God's power, every single person who marched behind that leader would survive. All would, miraculously, be alive at the end and see their country free.

My Personal Application
How would I respond to such a call? Would I volunteer? Would I dare risk my job, my possessions, my reputation; face prison, suffering, dangers – if, in the end, I and the cause I fought for under such a leader were sure to win? Would I be mature enough to give up a few things now to gain a sure reward in the future? Would the good of my country, my church and the people I care for most mean enough to me?

I Speak to God
Please God, let me see myself as I am. Could I really measure up to a situation such as that? If not, what's wrong with me? Will you help me overcome whatever is wrong?

Thought for Today
Help me to know myself.