Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

Luke 2: 1-20

"Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace good will towards me."
(Luke 2:14)

Reflection:

The Christmas season is a time for happiness and joy.
But I find myself feeling kind of sad. Especially during
this time of year, I am reminded of human suffering in
our world. There are so many diverse groups who
are looking for donations and that reminds me how
much pain there is in the world. I don't have money
so I really have very little to donate. But there is one
very important thing that you and I can donate. We
can offer them our prayers. I am a very big believer
in the power of prayer. I know for a fact that prayer
works because it works in my life. We need to pray
for peace and good will towards men, especially this
year. Brothers and sisters, there is a great deal of
suffering in God's world, and we need to pray for
help for the poor and suffering, for guidance for how
we can help. We need to ask our Lord and Savior
for His strength to help alleviate this suffering and pain.
We need to remember for over 2/3 of the population
of the earth, this is not a time of happiness and joy,
but a time of real pain. I really believe that if enough
of us pray, there will be a change. Let us all pray
together, so that next year will be a Merry
Christmas.

Prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love
Where there is injury . . . pardon
Where there is doubt . . . faith
Where there is despair . . . hope
Where there is darkness . . . light
Where there is sadness . . . joy
O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled . . . as to console
To be understood . . . as to understand,
To be loved . . . as to love
For it is in giving . . . that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.