Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi

For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us. O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have given the corpses of your servants as food to the birds of heaven, the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.

We will not always be triumphant in this world. There will be times when we are defeated. We might fail in our personal lives. We might fail in our careers. We might fail in our finances. We might be besieged by worldly worries, concerns, doubts, fears, and anxieties. We might fail to be good and cave to temptations and sin. However, no matter what happens to us, if we trust in God, He will save us and raise us up again. He will give us the graces and blessings we need to rebuild ourselves and become living temples that give glory to God and build up our brothers and sisters in Christ.

How do we deal with defeat in this world? Do we turn to God and ask for His help? What do we do to help others when they are overwhelmed by sufferings?

O Lord, deliver us from evil and build us into a good and faithful people.

Amen.