Opening Prayer
O God, who has made the heavens and the earth and all that is good and lovely therein; and has shown us through Jesus Christ our Lord that the secret of joy is a heart free from selfish desires, help us to find delight in simple things and ever to rejoice in the riches of your bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
—Anonymous
TEXT
John 15:15-17 NLT
“I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.”
Read
What a good friend you are, Lord! You are so patient, willing to wait as long as necessary for me to turn to you. You rejoice at the times when I love you, but you do not hold against me the times when I ignore you. Your patience is beyond my understanding. Even when I pray, my mind fills with worldly concerns and vain daydreams. Yet you are happy if I give only a single second of honest prayer, turning that second into a seed of love. O Lord, I enjoy your friendship so much, why is it not possible for me to think of you constantly?
—St. Teresa of Avila, 1515-1582