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Jan 29, 2017
Catholic Influencers· Faith

Dear America, Please Look Up

 

Screen Shot 2017-01-29 at 4.30.20 PMA powerful picture of a crowd during the Pope’s visit to Philadelphia was shared on social media a little over a year ago.  The photo captured a group of people lined up on the sidewalk, anxious to see Pope Francis pass by and wave to them.  All of them were holding their phones… except one elderly woman.  The expression on the old woman’s face clearly demonstrated that she was enjoying the moment and fully present in it.

 

I remember my sister, a “millennial”, telling me to put my phone down that same weekend.

I think that no matter how old we are,

we all know we are looking down at a device to often.

We know we need to look up at each other.

We know we need to be kind to one another.

We all want love to win in our personal life, in our nation and in our world.

But, have we prayed about it as much as we talked about it?

Does anyone else think it might be a good idea to look up even more?

DearAmericalookup1.jpeg

One of our strengths as Americans is how much we encourage kindness toward others. Another strength we have is how much we value education.

It is not uncommon for parents to refer to a book or read an article in order to help them love their children.

We know that it is perfectly okay to look at and refer to a reliable source in order to better ourselves.

And most of us believe:

God is love.

1 John 4:8

There is no greater source to go to than God when we seek to love one another.

No matter how we identify ourselves – as a Catholic or agnostic, as a Jew or Protestant, as a Muslim or an atheist – we can certainly meditate upon the meaning of love and the calling that each of us has to be an instrument of peace.

Don’t believe in God?  Meditation is proven to lower stress and increase good health.  Go to a church while some old ladies are praying the Rosary and sit quietly.  Listen to the meditation.  I guarantee you will find rest. You might also find that your blood pressure is lower.

Are you a believer?  Great!  Pray more.  Please, I beg of you!  There is not one person in this world that could use less prayers.  Even Pope Francis asks us all to pray for him!

Let us truly love one another. Let us truly embrace our freedom to pray. Let us ask the Holy Spirit for more guidance before we engage in a debate about politics or express our opinion about the media.

Let us remind ourselves that:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

1 Corinthians 4-8

It seems that many of us are often upset by what we see on the news or on Facebook or Twitter. There is A LOT of information out there that is upsetting.  Let us bring ourselves to the one source of peace that will renew, energize and calm us . . .

Our Creator

Not sure the words to pray?  Sit in silence and ask the Lord to move your heart.

Want some words to pray?  Here is just one prayer that might help . . .

Copy of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.png

And a longer version of the same prayer:

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,

Help me to be patient and kind.

Help my family to not envy or boast.

Help my community to honor all members and to not be self-seeking.

Help our leaders to be slow to anger and not delight in evil but rejoice with the truth.

Help me to keep no record of wrongs, but to always ask –

what can I peacefully do at this moment?

Lord Jesus, Enable and inspire all Americans to always protect, trust, hope and persevere.

Open the hearts of all Americans to truly love You Lord;

and compassionately love our neighbors.

Please Lord, give all of us a mind to know you,

a heart to seek you, 

wisdom to find you,

and conduct pleasing to you

Amen.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!

Saint Katharine Drexel, pray for us!

Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us!

OurLadyJaredXav.jpg

I am not suggesting that we do not speak up for those that need our voice.

I am suggesting we seek guidance from the Lord before we do so, and seek that guidance frequently.

Let’s make sure we can answer the following question with a confident, “YES!”

Have you prayed about it as much as you have talked about it?

Prayer causes miracles.

Who doesn’t love witnessing a miracle?

Dear America,

Please look up at each other,

and more often than that,

look up towards heaven . . . and pray.

May God Bless America

Interested in why asked Saint Katharine Drexel to pray for us?  Read this post Hear, Listen, Understand: St. Katharine Drexel’s Prayer for America

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alicia says

    January 29, 2017 at 11:44 pm

    “Have you prayed about it as much as you have talked about it?”

    Ouch. That’s such a powerful question. Thank you for sharing and challenging us all to look up first.

  2. Jessica says

    January 30, 2017 at 9:22 am

    This is so true! There are so Days we’re my husband and I leave our phones and I’ll take our normal camera to take pictures so there are no distractions. You miss out on too much!

  3. LaNeshe says

    January 30, 2017 at 10:17 am

    I’m actually ashamed of how much I HAVE NOT prayed for this country recently. Thank you for the reminder.

    • Amy says

      January 30, 2017 at 10:25 am

      We are all pretty distracted! But nothing is more powerful than prayer!!!

  4. Ginny says

    January 30, 2017 at 1:26 pm

    It’s all sound bites. I think social media has damaged critical thinking and true compassion. We share articles and quotes and memes, but how many of us actually do anything?

    Praying for our country. We are so divided.

  5. Caitlyn says

    January 30, 2017 at 2:22 pm

    Love the prayer you share here!
    It’s also great to remind ourselves that what we see on social media and the news isn’t the whole story… We need to educate ourselves on the issues at hand before we make an opinion of them!
    Great post, Amy!

    • Amy says

      January 30, 2017 at 4:54 pm

      Thank you Caitlyn!

  6. Leslie says

    January 30, 2017 at 5:39 pm

    We all should pray first, then speak and act. Thanks for the great reminder.

    • Amy says

      January 30, 2017 at 5:50 pm

      Thank you Leslie! Hopefully we both encouraged more prayer today!!

  7. Sara @ To Jesus Sincerely says

    January 30, 2017 at 6:12 pm

    “Dear America, Please look up at each other, and more often than that, look up towards heaven . . . and pray.” YES YES YES!!! Amy, I love this! <3

    • Amy says

      January 30, 2017 at 7:52 pm

      Thank you Sara – I hope many people agree with you and pray with us!

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I adore you Jesus, true God, and true man, pres I  adore you Jesus, 
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