Sunday

A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
8 A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace. – Ecclesiastes 3:6-8

SOLOMON outlines that all of the times of man’s life are not the same but there is also balance with the good and evil circumstances.

 

Prayer:  We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.
*Sub Tuum Praesidium

Monday

Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.  For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment,  more than I?  For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. – Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

SOLOMON is not saying that to ‘eat, drink and be merry’ is the goal of life. Rather,  the good man can use and enjoy that for which  he has labored through God’s Will.  The ‘sinner’ toils equally, if not more, but ultimately does not get to keep and enjoy the benefits either in this world or the next.

Prayer:  Holy angel of the Lord by guardian, pray to God for me.

 

Tuesday

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ was the first to implement Divine truth. When He was being accused, He did not justify Himself, when they spit at Him, He did not protest, when they tortured Him, He did not threaten them, but bore everything patiently and silently. He did not resist when they took off His clothes and divided them among themselves, and then hanged Him on the cross naked — to shame Him before the crowd. In this example of humility, the most instructive thing for us, is that He did not only not seek protection on the part of the law but, on the contrary, even justified His persecutors before His Heavenly Father and prayed for them, saying: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!” (Luke 23:34).
(Elder St. Paisios, quote)

Prayer:  Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

Wednesday

Then I remembered Your mercy, O Lord, And Your work which is from of old, For You lift up those who wait upon You, And You save them from the hand of their enemies. I sent up my supplication from the earth And prayed about the instability caused by death. I called upon the Lord, the Father of my Lord, That He might not forsake me in the days of affliction, When I am helpless against the arrogant. I will praise Your name continually, And I will sing a hymn with thanksgiving. – Book of Sirach 51:8-10

WE must always ask God for help in times of affliction but also praise Him.   Giving thanks in hard times honors God but also reminds us of the ‘good time’ of His blessing which will ultimately return to us after our trials.

Prayer:  Our Father, Who art in  Heaven, hallowed by Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

 

Thursday
To know wisdom and instruction,
To perceive the words of understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5 A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their riddles.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Proverbs 1:1-7

IN a society that paints God in many ways to meet its needs, very often as a good, loving Father who ignores all wrongs out of love, it is important to realize that they harsh God of the Old Testament merits fear.  That fear is for our benefit as no one  is able to ‘do good’ and resist the temptations of sin without some ‘negative reinforcement’ along with love.

Prayer:  O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.

Friday

Do not set your heart on your possessions, And do not say, “I am independent.” Do not follow yourself and your strength So as to walk in the desires of your heart; And do not say, “Who will be lord over me?” For the Lord will surely punish you. – Book of Sirach 5:1-3

WE must realize that we are never skilled enough, smart enough or even ‘good’ enough to have success in life.   Circumstances destroy even the best laid plans we have.  We have to realize God is in control and we are only successful with His providential help.

Prayer:  O my God relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer.
*Act of Hope

 

Saturday
I will give thanks to You, O Lord and King, And I will praise You as my God and Savior. I give thanks to Your name. For You have been my protector and helper, And You redeemed my body from destruction… – Book of Sirach 51:1-2

MOST of our prayers are for this and that to help us going forward.   But, most of our prayer should be thanking Him for what he has done for us in the past and present.

Glory to Jesus Christ – Glory forever!