The Grace of Your Presence

Grant me the grace, O Lord, of Your presence.

In Your bosom, O Father, is where I find comfort for my soul. Your presence is like a restorative embrace, where everything becomes light, my spirit fills with life, and my heart finally rests. You alone are capable of creating this feeling.

There are no distractions, no desires, no pleasures whatsoever that are capable of filling, in my heart, what I feel when You touch mine. There is no happy time far from You.

It is time for me to surrender truly and completely. I can no longer be stubborn and live only on crumbs of Your presence. I need the Lord every day, every moment. My heart can no longer bear the emptiness of being far from You.

Why, Lord, do we seek You only when we can no longer endure the pain we are carrying? Why do we not live constantly in search of Your presence in our hearts? Why do we remain stubborn, even knowing how important You are to us?

I can no longer ignore it. I can no longer live for this world. I need to live for You. I need to leave behind every illusion of happiness that exists apart from You, because there is none. I need to make the definitive, permanent, unwavering decision to surrender my life to You. I need to stop delaying this commitment. I need to stop postponing this life for myself.