Defend Us in Battle

What do you need today?

Many of my online friends are galavanting around in Mardi Gras swag, shroving it up before the onset of Lent tomorrow. But I find myself less in party mode than in panic mode. It has more to do with spiritual struggles than stress, but a massively crushing workload is not contributing to giving the best of myself to my Lenten preparations.

And lest I taunt “you know who” into more antics, I’ll avoid writing what I really feel inside about who’s messing with my head the most. Suffice it to say I’ve got the St. Michael the Archangel prayer at the tip of my tongue:

St. Michael the Archangel, 
defend us in battle. 
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. 
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, 
and do thou, 
O Prince of the heavenly hosts, 
by the power of God, 
thrust into hell Satan, 
and all the evil spirits, 
who prowl about the world 
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

I thought this morning that what I really needed — along with the Eucharist — is a trip to Pope Francis’ newly opened gardens. But since I can’t get there today, I’m playing windchime sound effects and mentally transporting myself here:

I’m trying to place my tiny little insignificant woes into the arms of my Savior and to focus instead on the tasks at hand and the needs of so many around me. Pope Francis also threw me a bone this morning with this tweet which reminds me to see my role in the cause of some of my chaos, but not to wallow in it:

In life we all make many mistakes. Let us learn to recognize our errors and ask forgiveness.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 4, 2014

If you find yourself sharing my funk today, I invite you to pause for a moment and pray the prayers and intercessions from today’s morning prayer, which were truly a balm for my soul:

Our sufferings bring acceptance, acceptance brings hope: and our hope will not deceive us, for the Spirit has been poured into our hearts. It is through the same Spirit that we pray:
– Stay with us, Lord, on our journey.
Help us to realize that our troubles are slight and short-lived;
they are as nothing compared with the joy we shall have when we reach our home with you.
– Stay with us, Lord, on our journey.
Come to the lonely, the unloved, those without friends;
show them your love, and help them to care for their brothers and sisters.
– Stay with us, Lord, on our journey.
Take away our pride, temper our anger:
may we follow you in your gentleness: may you make us humble of heart.
– Stay with us, Lord, on our journey.
Give us the fulness of your Spirit, the Spirit of sonship:
make our love for each other generous and sincere.
– Stay with us, Lord, on our journey.

How about you? What are you most needing today to draw you into closer relationship with Jesus Christ? And how will your Lenten journey bring this closer to your heart?