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http://www.presentationministries.com/mypeople/latestMyPeople.asp
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
1 Samuel 4:1-11, Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25, Mark 1:40-45
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/nab/011410.shtml
THE ABOMINABLE PRAYER
"When the ark of the Lord arrived in the camp, all Israel shouted so
loudly that the earth resounded." —1 Samuel 4:5
"Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who slew about four thousand men
on the battlefield" (1 Sm 4:2). "So the people sent to Shiloh and brought
from there the ark of the Lord of hosts" (1 Sm 4:4). After praying, the
Israelites went into battle again. This time, they suffered a much more
disastrous defeat in which thirty thousand of their soldiers were killed
(1 Sm 4:10). Their prayers seemed not only ineffective, but even to have
made matters worse.
The moral of this incident is not that prayer is sometimes bad; rather,
that prayer without repentance can do more harm than good. For example, if
we pray without forgiving others, we in effect curse ourselves. Even if we
don't say it, the Lord will take our prayer to mean: "Forgive us the wrong
we have done as we forgive those who wrong us" (Mt 6:12). Also, if we are
unjust and unrepentant, the Lord promises: "When you spread out your
hands, I close My eyes to you; though you pray the more, I will not
listen. Your hands are full of blood!" (Is 1:15)
When we don't repent, even our liturgical feasts and songs of worship are
hated by the Lord (Am 5:21, 23). The writer of Proverbs puts it bluntly:
"When one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an
abomination" (Prv 28:9). "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to
the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight" (Prv 15:8).
Repent, pray, and please the Lord.
Prayer: Father, may I not merely pay You lip-service (Mt 15:8). "A heart
contrite and humbled, O God, You will not spurn" (Ps 51:19).
Promise: "Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out His hand, touched Him, and
said: 'I do will it. Be cured.' The leprosy left him then and there, and
he was cured." —Mk 1:41-42
Praise: When the Smiths repented and stopped using artificial
contraception, their prayer life changed for the better.
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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my
permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from
December 1, 2009 through January 31, 2010
†Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati, June 4, 2009
The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be
free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have
granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or
statements expressed.
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