I never really thought about praying to grant me more gifts to help others, but that just may be what others need. So you can reflect on the “gift” of self when you apply PACTS to your prayer – petition, adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and silence. It is in our petitions that we can feel the full power of our prayer, as Saint Pope John Paul II indicated in an address to a general audience in 1997, “The prayer of petition is an essential form of co-operation in furthering the work of salvation in the world”. It is in our prayer of adoration that we are able to draw closer to the Lord. As Pope Francis noted in a homily in 2016, “One cannot adore without accusing oneself. To enter into this bottomless and boundless sea, which is the mystery of Christ, these things are needed.” Our prayer of contrition brings us into an understanding of Christ as human and Christ as God. It is our resolve to seek to avoid all further acts of thought, word, deeds, and omission. In thanksgiving, we acknowledge the one true God who has died for our sins and gives us the ability to even seek to call on his divine intervention to solve not only issues for ourselves but challenges others may face as well. Finally, it is in silence that you will be given the opportunity to truly listen to what God has in mind to help you express the worth you will bring to each new day.

Yes, the gift of self is that way for us to not only draw closer to God but also draw closer to others (even our enemies). As Kevin Aldrich wrote in the Catholic Stand in 2014, “Every person’s most fundamental vocation, moral responsibility, and source of fulfillment is authentic self-giving”. Let’s seek to practice bringing worth to each one in need, through our gift of Self. They are depending on us.