July 21, 2017 Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time-A

Exodus 11:10-12:14

Psalm 116

Matthew 12:1-8

How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?  Psalm 116:12

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice…”  Matthew 12:7

Lord, the answer to the question in the Psalm today is “I cannot” or “I don’t know how”.  What you have done for me exceeds my capacity to respond to you.  There is no way I could list, remember or even be conscious of everything I have received from you.   My gratitude seems to fall so short of an offering to you.  I pray you can look into my heart and see gratitude that I’m not even aware of.  Lord, I know many of your blessing and many I’ve missed.  So much of your care for me I take for granted or have become so accustomed to that it is invisible to me.   Plus, I often take personal credit for good things I’ve accomplished ignoring the truth that they really come from you.  Today I thank you for all your gifts especially those that I’m not aware of.   I thank you for every breath I take, every beat of my heart.  I thank you for every kind word said about me that I don’t hear.  I thank you for the difficulties you allow me to have so I can become stronger, wiser and more understanding of other’s problems.  Amen