Opening Prayer
God of Truth and Integrity, how do You feel about the trickery and duplicity of Jacob, pretending to be his first-born brother, Esau? Why does Jacob become the chosen child of the promise? You have an amazing and mysterious ability to bring goodness and grace from the strangest and most confusing situations — even injustice. Help us to trust Your providence when duplicity, misfortune and evil seem to get the upper hand in our lives and world. Re-consecrate us in Your truth that we might spare others the detours of painful misunderstanding. Fill the old wine skins of our cynical spirits with the new wine of your compassion and mercy. InSpirit us with truth which does not judge others or make unfair comparisons. Embrace us, God of Mercy, in our sinfulness, arrogance, pettiness and duplicity. You are the new wine — make new and flexible wineskins of us who imbibe your compassion and truth.
Therese, this must have been a dark day for you, when in 1897, the decision was made to isolate you in the infirmary because of the accelerating rate of your illness. You must have known that God was drawing you closer to home. Help us to have faith amid the dark times of pain, disappointment and illness to trust that your refining and embracing presence is still with us, even though we feel empty. Strengthen our faith, powerful Therese, to believe that in our frailty is God’s mercy and healing power.
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