Day 187: Praying for Time

2 Kings 21:1-26 Manasseh reintroduced paganism by means of the worship of Baal to Judah, thereby defiling the Temple. He erected new altars and asherahs and offered his son as a human sacrifice. With these egregious sins, he brought the wrath of God upon Judah.


2 Chronicles 32:1-32 Hezekiah dealt wisely with the Assyrian threat of invasion, trusting in the Lord and turning to him in prayer. In response, an angel of God forced the Assyrians to return home. Later, when he was cured of an illness, he failed to offer thanksgiving to the Lord, but soon repented of his pride. During his reign he enjoyed prosperity and success in all his projects for the people of Judah and is still considered one of the greatest Kings of Judah. 


Psalm 145 This hymn is a litany of praise for God’s many interventions in forming, guiding, and protecting his people throughout the course of history. God’s vision for all people is to form a kingdom of grace, mercy, justice, and love rather than of power and domination. Therefore, with respect to this psalm, Pope Benedict XVI emphasized the phrases referring to God’s perfections that include the description as “good to all” and having compassion “over all that he has made.” His works of creation are magnificent, but his most salient attribute is his boundless mercy toward us. 


The Lord is near...truth: The second part of this psalm bears this striking line. As long as we are disposed to fulfill God’s will, we can have the firm conviction that he will respond to our prayer. (Cf. Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, February 1 and 8, 2006)


His greatness is unsearchable: The human mind, being finite, can never comprehend fully the infinite wisdom and power of God. God can be known indirectly by the magnificence and grandeur of his creation. Omnipotence and absolute perfections are concepts we can only grasp faintly by analogy.


The Lord is good...he has made: God created freely a rich array of both living and inanimate things that reflect in a very finite way his wisdom, intelligence, and goodness. He shares his goodness in a spectacular way by making the human person in his image and likeness. (CCC 295, 300, 342)

(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006) 




Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we thank you so much. Gosh, Lord. I just ask you please this day on day 187, I just ask you please to receive our praise once again because we can never tire of praising you, blessing you, giving glory to your Holy Name. So, Lord God, please receive our praise. Receive our thanks today. Help us to use our lives well. Help us to use whatever time you give us in this life well and wisely. Lord God, let not one of our days not help to make us better people, more faithful to you, more repentant of our sins, and more virtuous in your grace and your power and your strength. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”