Living Temple
Father, may I always remember
that all the parts of my body are good because you made them,
that my body does not belong to me but to you,
who bought it at my Baptism
at the price of Christ's Cross
and that my body is the living temple of the Holy Spirit.
Give me self-control over my passions, appetites and imaginations;
"Abba, call me that," my host father responded when I asked him how I should call him. Abba is the Hindi (Indian) word for father. Sam Daniel would be my third host-father in Fiji. He is Anglican and lives with his wife near their church. They have a son, Roneel, who is now an Anglican priest himself. Abba works as the school manager of the Anglican church-run schools in Labasa.
God Be Praised
May the most holy,
most sacred,
most adorable,
most mysterious and unutterable name of God
be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified
in heaven on earth and under the earth,
by all the creatures of God,
and by the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ
in the most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
Independence Day Prayer
Lord, we stand today as our forefathers have stood before You in times gone by,
Celebrating our history and reveling in all the great things that our country has achieved.
On this day we rejoice in the favor You have graciously given us.
We thank You for the blessings of liberty, for this generation and for the generations to come.
For more than a year I spent most of my time visiting the elderly. I would say that meeting the different types of elderly is interesting and enjoyable, but needs a lot of energy, and a peaceful mind and heart to be able to listen to them.
Due to their age and physical condition many can no longer walk far. Most of them just stay in their houses and spend time watching television. There was a time I caught an elderly person drinking makgeolli (rice wine) just to ease her loneliness. Some of them spend time sitting near the window waiting for the daylight to fade.
Guide Our Nation
We thank You, O heavenly Father,
for the guidance given to our Founding Fathers
in recognizing that "all men" of all nations
"are endowed by their Creator with unalienable right,"
and in realizing at the very birth of our nation
that the chief purpose of government
Like Your Son
Lord, bless this day for me and for all of us.
Make it a day in which we grow more like Your Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus Christ,
friend and brother,
may we know You more clearly,
love You more dearly,
and follow You more nearly,
day by day.
Amen.
During this day,
may I become a more thoughtful person,
a more prayerful,
generous and kind person.
Help me not to be turned in on myself,
but to be sensitive and helpful to others.