St. Roch Chapel

MORNING PRAYER

Luke 1:76-78

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

Inspiration

Do you honestly confess to your sins? On the surface of it, it is easier to confess and own up to the largest errors when one has clearly been caught, for these sins are the most blatant and glaring. However for the true follower of Christ, who knows there is no realm which may hide or obscure itself from God's light, real courage comes in facing the darkest desires of one's heart, even if they have not yet been committed, or have instead been covered up. In asking for forgiveness not because one is caught, or for fear of retribution, but rather in clearing one's conscience, in obedience to a moral order of purging one's heart before one's maker, this is a mark of the truly faithful, the truly courageous. Evil often stems from weakness, of not being able to look it in the eye fully, or giving it a disguise. With God's divination, we may trust and find this power to purge it from our souls.

Prayer

Lord Almighty, in your infinite wisdom and glory, you know and see me better than I do mine own self, therefore grant me the courage to face my sins and wicked desires. Let me not give them shelter in secret and in shadow, to harbor their temptations and will, where they may grow stronger; but help me purge them in your light, and cast them out of your Eden in Heaven. Amen.

MORNING PRAYER

Philippians 1:20

According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Inspiration

It is easy to be fearful or worried about how nonbelievers will perceive you; however, as the Apostle Paul shows, we have nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to Jesus Christ! Instead, we should boldly share our faith in Jesus with others. Yes, people have suffered for their faith (and some have even died), but we should be courageous enough to allow both our lives and our sufferings to display Jesus boldly.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for loving me enough to send Your Son to save my life. Thank you for not turning away from me while I was yet a sinner even though You had every reason to be ashamed of me. Forgive me for the times when I was ashamed and scared to share my faith in You with others. Give me the boldness to share Your hope with others. In Jesus' name, Amen.