Day 4 – 90 Days to Liberty

by Fr Richard Heilman | March 2, 2023 3:00 AM

My Morning Prayer Sampler

For me, it starts by clearing the cobwebs. I jump out of bed and I am into the shower, get dressed and pour myself a nice cup of coffee. I want get up at a time when I don’t feel rushed to meet my daily duties. Mornings (after a shower and my first few sips of coffee) are quality time for me. It’s uninterrupted time with just me and my loving God. After a few minutes of quiet time, I begin my prayer.

5:20am – Morning Offering[1] (30 seconds)

5:21am – Spiritual Reading: “Freedom from Predation” (below) by Fr. Bill Peckman (4 minutes)

5:25am – Mental Prayer. Using my Peace Through Strength Journal[2], as I sip my coffee, I pray the Preparatory Prayer found in the journal as I spend the first few minutes speaking to God. This can include what or who you are praying for today. I write this in my journal. Then I just sit quietly, allowing today’s spiritual reading to resonate in my heart, while I listen for anything God wants to speak to my heart, which I can write in my journal. Then I pray the Closing Prayer found in my journal. (15 minutes)

5:40am – Pray the Rosary. During these 90 Days I am so looking forward to the peaceful offering of the rosary by Doug Barry in the video below. (19 minutes)

6:00am – Pray the Angelus (1 minute)

Then I spend some time reflecting on today’s readings for Mass, and I am off for a brisk walk with my dog, Gracie (still reflecting on today’s readings). Then, it’s time to head to Mass.

There you have it, like Jesus spending 40 days in prayer in the desert, defeating the devil, we dedicate ourselves to just 40 minutes of prayer each morning, cultivating our love for our Lord and our Lady, filling the house of our soul with their love and God’s grace, which brings peace. Now I am well-prepared to live my day for God, not for me.

 

Our Daily Prayer for Liberty and for a Holy Spirit Revival 

“Free us from every force of oppression, both internally and externally. Grant to our leaders the wisdom to protect and promote our liberties; by your grace may we have the courage to defend them, for ourselves and for all those who live in this blessed land. Heavenly Father, grant a Holy Spirit Revival in our land!” (Based on a prayer by the USCCB)

 

“Freedom from Predation” by Fr. Bill Peckman

The devil is the ultimate predator. St. Peter warns his readers, “Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The devil is always looking for any opening in which he can pounce and destroy. He uses everything from occult practices to our concupiscence (our predilection to sin) to gain a beachhead. He will also teach us how to follow him as predators ourselves.

We live in a society that encourages predation. From the mobster who shakes down the local merchant for protection, to the sex trafficker and pornographer, to the predatory interest charged in so many loans, to the endless scams used to bilk people out of money, to the common bullying (cyber and otherwise), to those engaged in domestic violence — our society is full of predators looking for their mark, looking for their next meal. Many hide behind the cover of darkness, anonymity, or even behind the law.

Our Church has been rocked over the past half century by predation. The most obvious examples have stemmed from the scandals in which clerics preyed on their own flocks for sexual gratification, heinously even preying on the lambs of their flock. Others have preyed on their flock through financial malfeasance by defrauding their parishes or dioceses of funds. Many are also complicit in withholding from their flocks how to stave off predation. In abandoning their flocks, they are every bit as guilty as the wolves they welcomed.

Certainly, we can extend these behaviors to the most basic building block of the Church: the domestic church, or the family. In these places we can see domestic violence, molestation, and other nefarious abuses of power that have their roots in the diabolic. The demonic mimicking of the predatory behaviors of the devil must be purged from all levels of the Church.

All predatory behavior stems from selfishness: the person’s needs or wants are so important that all means to satisfy them are justified. For a predator, his or her satiation is of far greater value than your happiness, security, or life. While a predator may be infatuated by their prey, they cannot love them. Their intent is to eventually destroy or discard, after they have taken all they want. What force could possibly stand up against such an insatiable beast?!

We look to Christ the Good Shepherd for our answer! Christ does not prey on His flock. No, He places Himself between His flock and that which would destroy them. He stands in that breech, sacrificing Himself for their salvation. Jesus tells us, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep” (John 10:11). Why would He do this? Because He loves them. It is impossible to love someone and prey on them at the same time. Hence, the virtue we cultivate to conquer the desire to be a predator is the theological virtue of love. Love, divine love (or agape) is completely selfless. Instead of focusing on one’s own desires and satiation, love allows you to look to the good of others, even when doing so incurs suffering or sacrifice. Love, because it is of God, chases away the devil and his minions. It helps us, as St. Paul says of himself, to be “poured out like an oblation” (2 Timothy 4:6)  (From “Let Freedom Ring[3]“)

 

 

You can enlist in the United States Grace Force HERE[4] (please recruit family and friends!)

Information on the United States Grace Force can be found HERE[5]

We highly recommend ordering the book “Let Freedom Ring[3]” authored by Fr. Bill Peckman, Fr. James Altman and Fr. Rick Heilman. This amazing book will be a great tool for easy access, highlighting and bookmarking as you traverse through the first 40-days of our 90 Days to Liberty journey with tens of thousands of other special forces prayer warriors!

You can order the book at RomanCatholicGear.com[6].

You may want to consider using the Hallow App for Lent: Hallow.com[7]

 

GET YOUR PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH PRAYER JOURNAL …

HERE[8]

 

[9]

Endnotes:
  1. Morning Offering: https://usgraceforce.com/morning-offering/
  2. Peace Through Strength Journal: https://romancatholicgear.com/collections/grace-force
  3. Let Freedom Ring: https://romancatholicgear.com/collections/books/products/let-freedom-ring-book
  4. HERE: https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001ESuSGaJpYPCG2iUdd4j4bkKwd4gkh2ZUVbam_Ty9rCn6blH6_U3cI2D8UvSLEcSzHnC4eq2UWmK1I0SbEw0SPKqnkZ2j0Z4J4D-_m4dD6CKJU9day-bBa8Qnx4dv7RLDIVlYAjL1JWsjfUTNPH2jQIVY9gbdbz4O4oMIzv5V1dT_upQsD8cX86iq_5Y-x4eLrTVtdOmA24s%3D
  5. HERE: https://usgraceforce.com/god-wants-you-enlist-in-the-grace-force/
  6. RomanCatholicGear.com: https://romancatholicgear.com/collections/grace-force
  7. Hallow.com: https://hallow.com
  8. HERE: https://romancatholicgear.com/collections/peace-through-strength-1
  9. [Image]: https://romancatholicgear.com/collections/peace-through-strength-1

Source URL: https://usgraceforce.com/day-4-90-days-to-liberty/