Beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.”

Matthew 14:30

Sinking times are praying times with the Lord’s servants. Peter neglected prayer at starting upon his venturous journey, but when he began to sink his danger made him a suppliant, and his cry though late was not too late. 

In our hours of bodily pain and mental anguish, we find ourselves as naturally driven to prayer as the wreck is driven upon the shore by the waves. The fox hies to its hole for protection; the bird flies to the wood for shelter; and even so the tried believer hastens to the mercy seat for safety.

Heaven’s great harbour of refuge is All-prayer; thousands of weather-beaten vessels have found a haven there, and the moment a storm comes on, it is wise for us to make for it with all sail.

Short prayers are long enough. There were but three words in the petition which Peter gasped out, but they were sufficient for his purpose. Not length but strength is desirable. 

A sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity. If our prayers had less of the tail feathers of pride and more wing they would be all the better. 

Verbiage is to devotion as chaff to the wheat. Precious things lie in small compass, and all that is real prayer in many a long address might have been uttered in a petition as short as that of Peter.

Our extremities are the Lord’s opportunities. Immediately a keen sense of danger forces an anxious cry from us the ear of Jesus hears, and with him ear and heart go together, and the hand does not long linger. 

At the last moment we appeal to our Master, but his swift hand makes up for our delays by instant and effectual action. Are we nearly engulfed by the boisterous waters of affliction? 

Let us then lift up our souls unto our Saviour, and we may rest assured that he will not suffer us to perish. When we can do nothing Jesus can do all things; let us enlist his powerful aid upon our side, and all will be well.

Frequent Confession

1. Confess Frequently

You don’t “have to” confess frequently, but it is a good idea.

Confession is not just for mortal sins. Frequent Confession is an easy and powerful means to overcome venial sins and lukewarmness. Because we love Jesus, we hate our sins.

Because we hate our sins and understand His power to overcome them, we confess our sins to Him as He request through this Sacrament. Because we love Jesus, we hate our pride. 

Because we hate our pride, we imitate His humility (He humbled Himself to take on Flesh and dwelt amongst us!) and confess our sins to His representative (the priest) so He can forgive us directly.

Why not take advantage of the Sacrament where Jesus

Himself works directly in the soul? Is there a better way to increase your sorrow for sin and to humbly express that sorrow by taking advantage of this great sacrament of forgiveness and mercy?

Why not approach the Just Judge NOW and accuse ourselves often when there is yet time to repent? Do you really want to wait until you die before you stand before the “Court of GOD” and His perfect Justice?

 Glorify His Mercy NOW during this time of Mercy so that His Perfect Justice will be tempered by your disposition to receive and forgive His mercy.

Unless you experience God’s forgiveness, how can you forgive those who hurt you? Don’t resist His will to forgive you - go to confession frequently!

Frequent, good confessions is humble and safe. Today, almost all souls go to Holy Communion on Sunday. But how many go to Confession? How can so much sin in the world be compatible with Holy Communion if all of those Communions were indeed Holy? 

If those Holy Communions were associated with frequent Confession, the world would quickly become sanctified!

2. Daily Examination of Conscience

Every night take at least a minute or two and review the day: What did I do wrong? Why did I offend God?

Make acts of sorrow. Make a formal Act of Contrition.

How can I do better? Resolutions give strength and integrity to your true contrition for your sins. Keep trying; if you fall; you get up again and keep trying. Jesus came not for the self-righteous for the sinner. The sinner who believes in Jesus will keep trying and by the grace of God will eventually become a saint!

3. Daily Particular Examination of Conscience

Each soul has his strengths given to him by God.

Our strengths are accompanied with our dominant weaknesses. Moreover, your strength is your weakness insofar as you don’t entrust yourself to God and build your foundation upon Christ! Every other foundation will come shattering down.

It is a good idea to spend a minute in the midday (maybe around Noon, the time of the Angelus) to check up on your dominant weakness: How am doing? 

Ask Jesus’ forgiveness for your sins that day and renew the battle then and there while the day is far from spent!

The “particular exam” regarding our dominant spiritual fault provides a powerful means to grow in grace and grow in real, lived-out virtue. We don’t “check out” of the plan to continually grow in grace by ignoring the battle; rather we consciously strive then-and-there to serve God first precisely in the matter where we need His grace the most!

I Ask Your Help, As A Beggar Asks Alms

" I Ask Your Help, As A Beggar Asks Alms.
Will You Help Me?"

For larger images
and to see the promises given by Our Lord,

see links below

 Image 1

Image 2

An Act of Abandonment (by Saint Francis De Sales) Devotion

O my God, I thank you and I praise you for accomplishing your holy and all-lovable will without any regard for mine.
With my whole heart, in spite of my heart, do I receive this cross I feared so much!

It is the cross of Your choice, the cross of Your love.

I venerate it; nor for anything in the world would I wish that it had not come, since You willed it.

I keep it with gratitude and with joy, as I do everything that comes from Your hand; and I shall strive to carry it without letting it drag, with all the respect and all the affection which Your works deserve.

Amen.

An Act of Abandonment to Divine Providence (by Saint Jane Frances De Chantal.) Devotion

O sovereign goodness of the sovereign Providence of my God!

I abandon myself forever to Thy arms.

Whether gentle or severe, lead me henceforth whither Thou wilt; I will not regard the way through which Thou wilt have me pass, but keep my eyes fixed upon Thee,
my God, who guidest me.

My soul finds no rest without the arms and the bosom of this heavenly Providence, my true Mother, my strength and my rampart.

Therefore I resolve with Thy Divine assistance, O my Saviour, to follow Thy desires and Thy ordinances,
without regarding or examining why Thou dost this rather than that; but I will blindly follow Thee according to Thy Divine will, without seeking my own inclinations.

Hence I am determined to leave all to Thee, taking no part therein save by keeping myself in peace in Thy arms,
desiring nothing except as Thou incitest me to desire,
to will, to wish.

I offer Thee this desire, O my God, beseeching Thee to bless it; I undertake all it includes, relying on Thy goodness, liberality, and mercy, with entire confidence in Thee, distrust of myself, and knowledge of my infinite misery and infirmity.

Amen!

Catholic Prayers - http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=wiktoria.goroch.bible_prayers

Act of Adoration - 2

I adore Thee, O my God, present in the holy Eucharist, as my Creator, my Preserver, and my Redeemer. 

I offer Thee all that I have, all that I am, all that depends on me; I offer Thee my mind to think of Thee, my heart to love Thee; my will to serve Thee; my body to labour and suffer for Thy love.

 I am Thine, I give myself; I consecrate myself to Thee, I abandon myself to Thee, I wish to live and die for love of Thee.

Amen

Act of Adoration Devotion - 1

Jesus, my God, I adore You,
here present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar,
where You wait day and night to be our comfort
while we await Your unveiled presence in heaven.

Jesus, my God,
I adore You in all places
where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved
and where sins are committed
against this Sacrament of Love.

Jesus, my God,
I adore You for all time,
past, present and future,
for every soul that ever was,
is or shall be created.

Jesus, my God,
who for us has endured hunger and cold,
labour and fatigue,
I adore You.

Jesus, my God, who for my sake
has deigned to subject Yourself
to the humiliation of temptation,
to the perfidy and defection of friends,
to the scorn of Your enemies,
I adore You.

Jesus, my God, who for us has endured
the buffeting of Your passion,
the scourging, the crowning with thorns,
the heavy weight of the cross,
I adore You.

Jesus, my God, who,
for my salvation and that of all mankind,
was cruelly nailed to the cross
and hung there for three long hours in bitter agony, I adore You.

Jesus, My God,
who for love of us
did institute this Blessed Sacrament
and offer Yourself daily for the sins of men,
I adore You.

Jesus, my God,
who in Holy Communion became the food of my soul,
I adore You.

Jesus, for You I live.
Jesus, for You I die.
Jesus, I am Yours in life and death.

Amen.