Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This is to wish everyone a happy St. Patrick's Day! I am three-fourths Irish and love celebrating on this day all of my ancestors who came from Ireland.

I am going to share something that is from the Concord Pastor's blog listed on the right in my blog but you may not have seen this and I think it is good for all of us to renew our prayer life sometimes by just asking the same questions.

Suppose I set aside 10 minutes a day in Lent...

Just 10 minutes
to sit down in a quiet place,
apart from others,
to breathe deeply,
to be still...
to know that God is near,
at hand, by my side, in my heart..

What would be the best time of day for me to spend these 10 minutes?
in the morning? midday? in the evening? the same time each day?
What would be the best place for me to find some peace and quiet?
at home? in a church or chapel?
outdoors? the same place each day?
How will I begin?
make the sign of the Cross
relax and remember that God is with you
ask God to help you pray
be at peace with however the 10 minutes pass
and remember that tomorrow is another day to pray...
How might I spend those 10 minutes?
simply in silence?
with the scriptures?
speaking from my heart to the Lord's heart?
What might I pray?
tell the Lord what's in your heart;
speak to him as you would to your best friend;
pray by listening...
Open the scriptures and read until you come to a verse that hits you...
read the verse again, and again, and again until you know it...
speak it aloud or pray it silently, letting it sink in...
let the verse become part of your prayer...
ask the Lord to bring that verse back to your attention through the day...
What might I expect?
peace and quiet...
time alone with the Lord...
the consolation of God's presence...
How will I end my 10 minutes?
thank the Lord
pledge to return tomorrow
pray the Our Father
make the sign of the Cross

Just 10 minutes? At least to begin with! Set a modest goal, and 10 minutes out a day of 1,440 minutes is certainly a modest goal.

Look for the Cross (top of this post) each day in Lent for some "prayer starters" and a reminder, a nudge, to set apart 10 minutes a day... to be still... and to know that God is near...

So do look at the Concord Pastor's blog and click on the Cross. Remember, too, that if you click on the Bible you will get several excellent commentaries for the next Sunday's liturgy.