The Morning Offering
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day
for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world,
for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians,
and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father this month.
Amen.
Reflect
Your alarm wakes you. Whether it be a ringing phone, the brightness of the rising sun, or an energetic child jumping in your bed, your eyes open to another day. If you're like me, your mind immediately begins to swirl with the items on your mounting to-do list, worries about family members or friends, and mostly, thoughts like, "Where's the coffee?"
Every morning we wake is another day lived in our mission to know, love, and serve Christ and those around us. But many of us great these days, these great opportunities for growth, with foggy and distracted minds. In her wisdom, the Church gives us a way to center ourselves and our days on Jesus through the Morning Offering.
The Morning Offering covers all the spiritual bases with tremendous understanding of our human condition. We start by calling on the holy name of Jesus and asking for His mother's intercession. From the beginning of our day, unaware of what the day may hold for us, we offer Him our prayers, our works, our joys, and our sufferings. See? Covering our bases. Whatever befalls us, we give it all to Jesus. Then we get to offer these things, in union with the holy and beautiful sacrifice of the Mass, for specific intentions: the cares of the Lord's Heart, the salvation of every soul, reparation for the sins we and others commit against God, unity among Christians, and the holy father's intention of the month.
When we begin our days with this short and powerful offering, we clear the fog in our minds and remind ourselves of the good work the Lord has for us. We start our day in a spirit of prayer and gratitude. And along with looking for coffee, we remember to look for moments of grace and God's presence throughout the day.
Act
Challenge yourself to pray the Morning Offering every day this week. Try to take it with you throughout the day. So when you encounter a difficulty, you can pray, "Lord, I give you this suffering." When you experience a happy moment, you can say, "God, I offer you this joy!"
Let Us Pray
Lord, you are the King of our days. May we approach everything we encounter today with Your Spirit and perspective, offering You everything we have and everything we are. Amen.
Prayer Pledge 2018: The Morning Offering #BISblog #prayerpledge //Click to tweet
Olivia Spears lives in Kentucky, where sweet tea and bourbon flow like milk and honey. She works from home as an editor and social media manager while raising her children and laughing with her husband. You can find out more about her here.
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