Fr. Mike Schmitz

Give, give, they cry.

Three things are never satisfied.

Four never say enough.

Sheol, the barren womb, the earth ever thirsty for water, and the fire which never says enough.

Thank you for Peter once again today.

Thank you for Paul.

Thank you for your Holy Spirit that has reached out to us and continues to speak to us through your word that you have given to us for so many years.

Lord God, we ask you to please continue to shape our hearts, continue to change our hearts, make them more like you.

Help us to imitate Jesus Christ, whose spirit you have given to us to give us wisdom, to give us strength, to give us courage.

And in this moment right now, Lord, to give us hope, especially in the midst of suffering.

for doing what's right also, Lord God.

We know that many of us not only suffer for doing what's right, we also, many of us suffer because of the consequences of our own actions that we've chosen wrong in our day.

We've chosen wrong at some points in our lives and now we're experiencing the burden of that choice.

We're experiencing the reality of that choice and we ask you, Lord God, come and meet us in our need.

Come and meet us in our weakness.

Come and meet us in our brokenness.

Without you, we can do nothing.

Whether this is our own making or whether this was a trouble that has come upon us, even in the midst of virtue.

Regardless, Lord, we ask you to be with us because we need you.

In Jesus' name we pray.