Where Do You Find Strength?

Where Do You Find Strength? 
11/12/2020

As you may recall, my last post was about what pillar I stood on and how different pillars make our lives better or worse. This time, I pose the question, where do you find strength? You could easily replace strength with hope, energy, comfort, etc. As a seminarian we spend many hours week in prayer, both private and communal. This is where I find strength. In my daily prayer regimen and in the daily celebration of the Mass. There are many great advantages to a daily prayer life. Mainly it helps me remain calm (somewhat...) and helps me be grounded in my daily tasks. While there are many different attributes of my prayer lfie that change on a daily basis, there are a few consistent things. This consistency occurs in the celebration of the Mass, praying the Divine Office, and the Rosary. However, I would like to focus on two small prayers that I say multiple times a day: one is the prayer of St. Francis before the Crucifix, and the other is a section from the Constitutions of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Dubuque, Iowa. 

The Prayer of St. Francis Before the Crucifix

Most High, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me true faith, certian hope, and perfect charity, sense and knowledge, Lord, that I may carry out Your holy and true command. Amen.

The above prayer is something that reminds me about the importance of Theological Virtues. Faith, the absence of any and all doubt. Hope, the expectation of a brighter tomorrow. Love, an understanding of how everything is perfect the way it is. Through faith, hope, and love, we can all stay grounded in our lives. In the midst of all the craziness going on in life, we can take solace that things will get better, whether we know it or not. This prayer also adds another aspect to our lives which is an important one. It urges us to follow God's will in our lives - the only will that will make us truly happy. We are called to do something unique to only ourselves. We can be grateful for the implications of that. This means we do not have to try and be like anyone else, we can simply be who God meant us to be. 

The other "prayer" I say multiple times a day goes as follows: 

Inspired by the example of Mother Xavier, we are called to a trustful dependence on God, a spirit of joy, and a courageous response to the changing conditions of our time. 

Constitutions, 12

While this is not a prayer in a strict sense, it is something that challenges me to be a better person. It also challenges me to remember the goodness around me, and in turn how lucky I am. Mother Xavier was the foundress of the Dubuque Franciscan Community and proudly led her Sisters from Herford, Germany, to Iowa City, Iowa, and finally to Dubuque, Iowa. I have mentioned her before in these posts. She was a truly remarkable woman. Through the daily recitation of this prayer, I remember that God alone has a plan for me. God alone will keep me happy. I am also challenged to remain joyful and positive in all that I do, in every circumstance. In the world right now, there are many things that could cause us to be upset or angry. We are separated from our loved ones, we are feeling the emotional toll of months of a world-wide pandemic, and we are realizing that politics just cause more devisiveness in culture. With a spirit of joy, we can learn to overlook all of these difficult challenges in life. 

Lastly, the abover verses casuses me to stop and think about all of the things in the world that seem to be wrong or crazy or different form how I expect them to be. Mother Xavier led her Congregation with courage in the early days. One thing that has always endeared me to her. After her community was awarded the Iron Cross, by Empress Augusta of Germany, for their nursing skills on the battlefields of the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian Wars, the sisters then had to face a new law against religious orders in Germany. Instead of dispanding, the 29 Sisters decided to remain a religious community and sail for America, eventually settling in Dubuque. Mother Xavier showed courage in response to the changes happening in her time, and it is in that Spirit that I pray for the same courage! I want to face the changes of my day to day life with courage. I fall short of having this courage on a daily basis, but I keep trying. I encourage everyone to just keep trying. 

These are two of my favorite prayers and devotionals, and they give me strength, hope, faith, love, and courage. Where do you find strength? Do you have daily devotionals you say? Do you spend time in prayer each day to find strength or become recharged? If you do, share it with those around you. You never know how your suggestion may impact someone. 

As always, know of my prayers. 

Pax et bonum,

Jake

P.S. - Just remember, seminarians love to get mail!

Jake Rosenmeyer 
5200 Glennon Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63119