PRAY WITH LOUIS BRISSON
A Novena on the occasion of his Beatification on September 22, 2012

Day 3: The Divine Character of Everyday

I place myself in the Presence of God.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
God, You are here, in my thoughts and in my heart; You envelop me with Your Presence.

Louis Brisson

With us, everything must contribute to our sanctification. Consequently, everything is endowed with something of the Divine and must be treated with the same respect, with the respect with which we would treat a Sacrament. (Louis Brisson, Chapter of June 13, 1888)

Scripture Text

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, and you are the branches; he, who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit, for separated from Me, you can do nothing... If you abide in Me, and if My words abide in you, then ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. (John 15: 4-5, 7)

Reflection

Every day is that field where we live, move, build and cultivate, plan our projects, and struggle. And so, for Louis Brisson, every day was indeed given to him to be lived in God’s Presence. Nothing happens or is done without God’s being part of it. He is the vine; we are the branches; without Him, we can produce no fruit. Consequently every day, each smallest action we perform becomes a Sacrament, thus a holy Sign of God’s Presence in our midst. That awareness made Louis Brisson more intensely conscious once again that he was constantly in the Presence of God while accomplishing his every smallest action.

Questions for reflection

• What do I still have to do today?
• Am I aware that God is always with me?
• How can I recall that I am in God’s Presence?

Prayer

O God of Love, You are beside me, and I, too, am with You, engrossed in You. Each aspiration, each tiny step, each smallest action, reminds me of Your Presence. It feels good to know that You are there, even if I do not always think of You. Nevertheless, let me once again and always find my way in You, conscious of what Your Presence does for me everyday. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven…     Glory be to the Father….