SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

 February 19, 2017

COLLECT

Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that, always pondering spiritual things,
we may carry out in both word and deed
that which is pleasing to you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Reflection:

This Collect for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time comes from the Gelasian Sacramentary and can also be found in other early Sacramentaries.

This prayer begins with a request. We ask God to grant, in both what we say and do, that we will always do what is pleasing to him. But rather than just ask, we promise that we will fulfill our part of the bargain by always pondering spiritual things. This is a promise that we will always try to keep and, if we are able to keep this focus, we will do what is right and pleasing to God. This is a reminder that we can’t do what is right without taking the time to think and pray. The word “ponder” helps to understand that our prayer should include deep reflection. To ponder takes time. Pondering the spiritual things means prayer, synonymous on that word is reflecting or meditating. Our Christian life is a life of prayer: reflection and meditation. Reflective prayer is a kind of prayer that usually the person is so much involve in it. It is usually the “I” who is praying. While the meditative prayer is a kind of prayer that is allowing God to work within us. We are on the passive mode- listening to God.

How much time do I take for my prayer? How many times am I distracted by the ways of the world and lose sight of spiritual things?

Source: http://anglatak.blogspot.com/2017/02/pondering-spiritual-things.html