O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I am a little discouraged because I don’t have much of anything to offer to Thee. My Lenten penances are rather pathetic, to say the least. I am not undertaking any great fasts – I just try to eat two smaller meals and one larger meal like Holy Mother Church has asked me to do. I have been hungry at times this Lent, but I certainly haven’t been starving. Two smaller meals and one larger meal would be a luxury for most of mankind throughout most of its history. How can I offer to Thee this pitiful attempt at a “fast”?
My attempt at mortifications might be even less impressive. I try to avoid any sweets, alcohol, and excessive phone use during Lent, but these things are excesses and luxuries which I shouldn’t really be indulging in, anyway. How can You be pleased with these tiny “sacrifices”?
O Jesus, I read of Thy saints, and I see clearly that I am not one of them. Please make me one of them. I don’t want to perform great penances and make great sacrifices to puff up my pride – I want to do great things for Thee because I have a great love for Thee. I want love for Thee to be my only motivation. I wish to do Thy will because that is the essence of love – the union of wills. Is Thy will for me to be ordinary and not heroic? But then it seems that the fault is mine and Thou canst not make me heroic because it would only serve to feed my pride and be my destruction. A thousand thoughts like these plague me and only serve to discourage me from pursing perfection. But if that is the result of such thoughts they must not emanate from Thee!
No, I reject those depressing thoughts. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I offer to Thee whatever I have to offer to Thee. Even if it be merely the widow’s mite, I make my offering to Thee completely and unreservedly. If Thou desirest anything from me which I do not have, then I humbly beg of Thee to give it to me so that I may return it to Thee. I don’t need to be heroic, I just wish to be loved by Thee, my Jesus. Please help me to love Thee with all of my powers of loving, and then daily increase those powers of loving. Let my only reward for loving Thee be to love Thee more, and grant that someday I may love Thee perfectly in heaven for all eternity.
O Mary, my mother, please hear my prayer and present it to Thy Son!
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