Daily Thought

From His Fullness We Have Received Grace in Place of Grace Lectio John 1:1–18 Meditatio “No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.” Have you ever had the chance to see a famous person whom you really wanted to meet? Perhaps a sports star, an actor, a civil leader, or someone else you almost idolized? What was it like for you? How did you feel when you saw your hero in person? I still recall vividly how thrilled I was to see the Pope in person for the first time, when John Paul II celebrated Mass at Yankee Stadium in 1979. After the Mass, he rode around the stadium in the Popemobile, smiling and waving, and I got to see him up close. I felt ecstatic, swept up in the moment and the cheering crowd. It buoyed my spirit for quite a while. Such things, though, can’t even begin to compare with what it is like to see God. That’s what John is telling us in the prologue to his Gospel. God gave us the greatest gift possible when he ...

An Amazing Exchange! The humble, simple souls, who are little enough to see the bigness of God in the littleness of a Babe, are therefore the only ones who will ever understand the reason of His visitation. He came to this poor earth of ours to carry on an exchange; to say to us, as only the Good God could say: 'you give me your humanity, and I will give you my Divinity; you give me your time, and I will give you My eternity; you give me your broken heart, and I will give you Love; you give me your nothingness, and I will give you My all. Venerable Servant of God Fulton J. Sheen

He Has Pitched His Tent In Our Midst The grace which was revealed in our world is Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, true man and true God. He has entered our history; he has shared our journey. He came to free us from darkness and to grant us light. In him was revealed the grace, the mercy, and the tender love of the Father: Jesus is Love incarnate. He is not simply a teacher of wisdom, he is not an ideal for which we strive while knowing that we are hopelessly distant from it. He is the meaning of life and history, who has pitched his tent in our midst. The shepherds were the first to see this “tent”, to receive the news of Jesus’ birth. They were the first because they were among the last, the outcast. And they were the first because they were awake, keeping watch in the night, guarding their flocks. The pilrim is bound by duty to keep watch and the shepherds did just that. Together with them, let us pause before the Child, let us pause in silence. Together with them, let us than...

A Plea for Love & Peace! Dear Brothers and Sisters, The Gospel according to Luke recounts that when the shepherds of Bethlehem had received the Angel’s announcement of the Messiah’s birth “they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger” (2:16). The first eyewitnesses of Jesus’ birth therefore beheld a family scene: a mother, a father and a newborn son. For this reason the Liturgy has us celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family on the First Sunday after Christmas. This year it occurred the very day after Christmas, and, taking precedence over the Feast of St Stephen, invites us to contemplate this “icon” in which the little Jesus appears at the centre of his parents’ affection and care. In the poor grotto of Bethlehem — the Fathers of the Church wrote — shines a very bright light, a reflection of the profound mystery which envelopes that Child, which Mary and Joseph cherish in their hearts and which can be seen in their expression, in their act...

Don't Play It Safe! It is not those who commit the least faults who are the most holy, but those who have the greatest courage, the greatest generosity, the greatest love, who make the boldest efforts to overcome themselves, and are not immediately apprehensive about tripping. St. Francis de Sales

Send Us Your Spirit! Lectio Matthew 10:17–22 Meditatio “For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” We might suppose that the day after Christmas would bring us another cozy Gospel story of angels and shepherds, or Magi traveling across countries, following the light of a star. But today, instead, we recall one of the first martyrs of the early Church—Saint Stephen. Stephen’s story seems to break rather abruptly into the Christmas season. The rage of the crowd and Stephen’s violent martyrdom startle us. It seems so much at odds with the utter wonder and simplicity of God coming among us as a newborn baby. New hope was born among us, cause for great joy. The story of Stephen is given to us today as a challenge to bring this joy out into a world that often resists it. As too soon the lights and decorations begin to come down around us and life quickly returns to more “ordinary” time, it can be difficult to live out the joy and ho...

Peace Is On The Way! Lectio Luke 1:67–79 Meditatio   “… the daybreak from on high will visit us.…” This promised daybreak is the One whose birth we celebrate tomorrow. More than two thousand years ago he came to shine on those who lived in darkness. He brought hope and healing and forgiveness of sins. He died out of love for us, and he destroyed the finality of death by his resurrection. He sent his followers to continue his mission, and he said he would be with them until the end of the world. So … why do we still dwell “in the shadow of death”? Why are we not on the “way of peace,” but instead are on the way of war, confusion, and hatred? Why have we not yet been set free of all this? Yes, the dawn has broken, but we do not yet enjoy the full light of day. The Incarnation ended the night, but the complete fulfillment of the promise will occur only when Jesus comes again at the end of the world. (The name of the liturgical season that ends today—Advent—means “comin...

Cause For Our Joy! Lectio Luke 1:39–45 Meditatio “For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.” One of the time-honored titles for Mary is Cause of Our Joy. Do you know anyone who has been a cause of joy to you? Someone who lights up your day just by being present? Someone who always seems to have a kind word and who leaves your heart feeling lighter? Mary is like that. When we let her into our life as disciples of her Son, she brings joy and peace to our hearts. And she never comes alone. She always brings Jesus. The Gospel tells us that Mary went “in haste” to visit Elizabeth. She knew that the older woman was approaching the last part of her pregnancy and would need help. So without thinking about her own needs, Mary hurries to help Elizabeth. Could we possibly think Mary is any different now? No! In heaven she intercedes for us, and she still hurries to help us in all of our needs. In these final days before C...

The Devil Is On A Chain The devil is like a rabid dog tied to a chain; beyond the length of the chain he cannot seize anyone. And you: keep at a distance. If you approach too near, you let yourself be caught. Remember that the devil has only one door by which to enter the soul: the will. St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Rejoice in the Divine Assistance You must not be discouraged or let yourself become dejected if your actions have not succeeded as perfectly as you intended. What do you expect? We are made of clay and not every soil yields the fruits expected by the one who tills it. But let us always humble ourselves and acknowledge that we are nothing if we lack the Divine assistance. St. Pio of Pietrelcina

One Step At A Time But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be?” (Luke 1:34) Imagine you are a child, and it’s Christmas morning. You are opening presents in front of the tree, and you spot a large package with your name on it. You open the package, and it’s a model airplane—but the instructions for assembling it are missing. You’re perplexed, and you ask your parents, “How am I supposed to put this together?” But then your parents offer to help you, and with their help, the model gets built. In some ways, Mary’s initial response to the angel is like this child’s first reaction to his gift. Even as the sinless Mother of God, she still reacts in a human way. She doesn’t deny that her calling is real, but she wonders just how it’s supposed to come about. And so she asks a question—as any of us would. Then, after she hears the angel’s explanation, Mary is ready to take the first step of obedience—even if she doesn’t completely understand God’s plan. Certainly, Mary’s calling was...

St. Joseph & How God Works In Marvelous Ways Lectio Matthew 1:18–25 Meditatio   “[Y]ou are to name him Jesus.…” In his first chapter Matthew goes to great lengths to relate the human ancestry of … Jesus? No, of Joseph, the husband of Mary, to whom was born Jesus the Christ. Through the angel, Joseph is asked to become Jesus’ legal father. And by naming the child, Joseph complies with God’s request. Jesus becomes “Son of David.” This is another of God’s marvelous interventions in human history. Sarah, Hannah (the wife of Manoah), and Mary’s cousin Elizabeth all conceived sons when conception seemed impossible. Gideon routed the Midianites with only a few hundred men. Samson performed feats of extraordinary strength. The Maccabees fought against overwhelming odds to overthrow the Seleucids. And now, here again, God is entering perceptibly into human events. He is becoming present in an entirely new way. Yet the Lord is always present! He cares about his sons and ...

Experiencing Gaudete Joy True joy is linked to something deeper. Of course, in the all too often frenetic pace of daily life it is important to find time for rest and relaxation, but true joy is linked to our relationship with God. Those who have encountered Christ in their own lives feel a serenity and joy in their hearts that no one and no situation can take from them. St Augustine understood this very well; in his quest for truth, peace and joy, after seeking them in vain in many things he concluded with his famous words: “and our heart is restless until it rests in God” (cf. Confessions, I, 1, 1). True joy is not merely a passing state of mind or something that can be achieved with the person’s own effort; rather it is a gift, born from the encounter with the living Person of Jesus and, making room within ourselves, from welcoming the Holy Spirit who guides our lives. It is the invitation of the Apostle Paul who says: “May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and ma...

Inner Healing In the inner stillness where meditation leads, the Spirit secretly anoints the soul and heals our deepest wounds. St. John of the Cross

Speak To God Without Fear Dear brothers and sisters: In our continuing catechesis on the “Our Father”, we now consider the attitude required by Christ of his disciples as they pray. Jesus invites us to invoke God as “Father” thus encouraging us to beseech him in a way that breaks down barriers of subjection and fear. The prayer’s seven questions are also rooted in our daily experience of life and its basic needs. We are taught, for instance, to ask for our daily bread – a simple yet vital request. Our first prayer, in a sense, was the cry that accompanied our original breath as a new-born child, for it announced our life’s destiny: our continual hunger and thirst and search for happiness. With this prayer, then, Jesus desires that every suffering and anxiety should rise up to heaven and become a dialogue. Indeed, to have faith is to be able to cry out in this way. God is truly a Father who has an immense compassion for us and wants his children to address him without fear. For this...

Bringing People To The Lord Lectio Luke 5:17–26 Meditatio “When he saw their faith, he said, ‘As for you, your sins are forgiven.’ ” As I read this Gospel, I am struck by the simple love and determination of these unnamed men for their paralyzed friend. They are not idly interested in the possibility of witnessing a miracle. They are men with a purpose, whose love will take them to great lengths to see their friend well again. They are also men who have great faith in the power of God at work through Jesus. In one translation, the word for “faith” in this Gospel is translated as “trust.” I like this way of thinking about faith. We hear the word “faith” so often, that at times it might bounce off our minds and hearts without hitting the mark. We assume we have faith—after all, we go to Mass on Sundays and say our prayers, right? But in a world where true relationships can be hard to find, the word “trust” can hit our ears and minds in a different way. We know the risks a...

A Beautiful Invitation “So many souls make little or no progress in the holiness that I desire for them because they do not trust in My grace.  They attempt to change themselves by making use of purely human means, and forget that I am all-powerful, all-merciful, and ready at every moment to heal and sanctify those who entrust themselves, with their weaknesses and sins, to My most loving Heart.  I do not ask for perfection from those whom I have chosen to be My friends; I ask only that they give Me their imperfection and the burden of their sins, and allow Me to do for them what, of themselves, they are incapable of doing.”  from In Sine Jesu p. 163.

Prayer For Advent Dear Jesus, you are the hope in our messy world. This Advent, help us slow down, listen to your voice, and focus on what’s really important. We place our hope in you as we prepare our hearts to celebrate your birth on Christmas. Amen. from Dynamic Catholic.Com

Life With God Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties. C.S. Lewis

No Fear ⎯ Called By Name “I have called you by name” (Is 43:1).  The first reason not to fear is the fact that God has called us by name.  The angel, God’s messenger, called Mary by name.  To God belongs the power to give names.  In the work of creation, he calls into existence every creature by name. There is an identity behind a name, that which is unique in every single thing, in every single person; that intimate essence that only God truly knows.  This divine prerogative was shared with man when God invited him to name the animals, the birds and also his own offspring (Gen 2:19-21; 4:1).  Many cultures share this profound biblical vision; they recognize in a name the revelation of the profound mystery of life and the meaning of existence. When God calls someone by name, he also reveals to the person his vocation, his plan of holiness and fulfilment, through which the person becomes a gift to others and is made unique.  And when God wants to ...

The Importance Of Family The following is taken from The 7th Annual Meeting with Families with Pope Benedict XVI (June 2, 2012) in Milan. The following is a question asked by a 7-year-old Vietnamese girl about the Pope's experience with his family. I share this with you and ask for your prayers for the healing and support of families.  1 CAT TIEN (Vietnamese girl): Hello Papa. I am Cat Tien and I come from Vietnam. I am seven years old and I wish to present my family to you. This is my Dad, Dan, and my mother is called Tao, and this is my little brother Binh. I would very much like to know something about your own family and when you were very young like me. HOLY FATHER: Thank you, my dear, and warm thanks also to your parents. You have asked me about my family memories. They are so many, and I can only speak of a few. The most important moment for our family was always Sunday, but Sunday really began on Saturday afternoon. My father would read out the Sunday...

Beautiful Words of Encouragement Dear friends, open your eyes and look around you. So many young people no longer see any meaning in their lives. Go forth! Christ needs you too. Let yourselves be caught up and drawn along by his love. Be at the service of this immense love, so it can reach out to everyone, especially to those “far away”. Some people are far away geographically, but others are far away because their way of life has no place for God. Some people have not yet personally received the Gospel, while others have been given it, but live as if God did not exist. Let us open our hearts to everyone. Let us enter into conversation in simplicity and respect. If this conversation is held in true friendship, it will bear fruit. The “nations” that we are invited to reach out to are not only other countries in the world. They are also the different areas of our lives, such as our families, communities, places of study and work, groups of friends and places where we spend our free t...

Being Content With Little Things I think the difference between me and some people is that I'm content to do my little bit. Sometimes people think they have to do big things in order to make change. But if each one would light a candle we'd have a tremendous light. Servant of God Thea Bowman

Happy Thanksgiving  Lord, we thank you for the goodness of our people and for the spirit of justice that fills this nation. We thank you for the beauty and fullness of the land and the challenge of the cities. We thank you for our work and our rest, for one another, and for our homes. We thank you, Lord: accept our thanksgiving on this day. We pray and give thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. R: Amen.

All Things Work For Good Darkness transfigures into light, bad transfigures into good, grief transfigures into grace, empty transfigures into full. God wastes nothing – ‘makes everything work out according to his plan.’ (Ephesians 1:11). Ann Voskamp

Consistency A truly loving heart loves God's good pleasure, not only in consolations but also in afflictions, trials and crosses. In fact, in such cases it even loves more. Love does just this; it makes the lover ready to suffer for the beloved. St. Frances de Sales

If You Are Busy — Consider This Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed. St. Francis de Sales

Evangelization Person To Person Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you. St. Teresa of Calcutta

Stand Firm & Persevere   MY CHILD, I am the Lord Who gives strength in the day of trouble. Come to Me when all is not well with you. Your tardiness in turning to prayer is the greatest obstacle to heavenly consolation, for before you pray earnestly to Me you first seek many comforts and take pleasure in outward things. Thus, all things are of little profit to you until you realize that I am the one Who saves those who trust in Me, and that outside of Me there is no worth-while help, or any useful counsel or lasting remedy.   But now, after the tempest, take courage, grow strong once more in the light of My mercies; for I am near, says the Lord, to restore all things not only to the full but with abundance and above measure. Is anything difficult for Me? Or shall I be as one who promises and does not act? Where is your faith? Stand firm and persevere. Be a man of endurance and courage, and consolation will come to you in due time. Wait for...

No Fear The one thing we owe absolutely to God is never to be afraid of anything. Blessed Charles de Foucauld

Strength For The Journey God of our life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies gray and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage. Flood the path with light, run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to your honor and glory. St. Augustine

The Eloquent Lesson of Our Example Your example, even more than your words, will be an eloquent lesson to the world. St. Madeleine Sophie Barat

Broken & Fruitful The more you have loved and have allowed yourself to suffer because of your love, the more you will be able to let your heart grow wider and deeper. When your love is truly giving and receiving, those whom you love will not leave your heart even when they depart from you. The pain of rejection, absence, and death can become fruitful. Yes, as you love deeply the ground of your heart will be broken more and more, but you will rejoice in the abundance of the fruit it will bear. Henri Nouwen

Giving Thanks And Seeing Clearly The practice of giving thanks...eucharisteo...this is the way we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes. We don't have to change what we see. Only the way we see. Ann Voskamp

Quenching Our Thirst For God There is a moment when the interior light of the "eyes of faith" becomes one with the exterior light that shines from Christ, and this occurs because man's thirst, as he strives and seeks after God, is quenched as he finds repose in the revealed form of the Son. Hans Urs Van Balthasar

Open Your Door Let your door stand open to receive Him, unlock your soul to Him, offer Him a welcome in your mind, and then you will see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the joy of grace. Throw wide the gate of your heart, stand before the sun of the everlasting light. St. Ambrose

Beautiful Message For All Souls Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning, Yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints, and today the liturgy invites us to commemorate the faithful departed. These two recurrences are intimately linked to each other, just as joy and tears find a synthesis in Jesus Christ, who is the foundation of our faith and our hope. On the one hand, in fact, the Church, a pilgrim in history, rejoices through the intercession of the Saints and the Blessed who support her in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel; on the other, she, like Jesus, shares the tears of those who suffer separation from loved ones, and like Him and through Him echoes the thanksgiving to the Father who has delivered us from the dominion of sin and death. Yesterday and today, many have been visiting cemeteries, which, as the word itself implies, is the “place of rest”, as we wait for the final awakening. It is lovely to think that it will be Jesus himself to awaken us. Jesus himse...

Find Us Faithful  (words and music by Jon Mohr) We're pilgrims on the journey Of the narrow road And those who've gone before us line the way Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace. Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses Let us run the race not only for the prize But as those who've gone before us Let us leave to those behind us The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives CHORUS: Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful May the fire of our devotion light their way May the footprints that we leave Lead them to believe And the lives we live inspire them to obey Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone And our children sift through all we've left behind May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover Become the light that leads them to the road we each must f...

Be Patient When Helping Others You can often help others more by correcting your own faults than theirs. Remember, and you should, because of your own experience, that allowing God to correct your faults is not easy. Be patient with people, wait for God to work with them as He wills. Francis Fenelon

Gratitude Gratitude is not only a response to God in good times - it's ultimately the very will of God in hard times. Gratitude isn't only a celebration when good things happen. It's a declaration that God is good no matter what happens. Ann Voskamp

Go Light Your World! You go to pray; to become a bonfire, a living flame, giving light and heat. St. Josemaria Escriva

A Reminder Once again, through myself, the Church, in the words of the well-known declaration Nostra Aetate, 'deplores the hatred, persecutions and displays of anti-Semitism directed against the Jews at any time and by anyone.' I repeat, 'By anyone.' St. John Paul II

Divine Mercy Lectio Luke 13:1–9 Meditatio “… leave it for this year also.…” On April 30, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938). Saint Faustina lived an obscure life in her Polish convent, hidden from the eyes of the world. Yet through this humble sister, God gave the world a message of divine mercy—a message that the world needs now more than ever. In a way, Faustina’s life parallels what Jesus is saying in this parable. He’s telling us to look beneath appearances. To the hasty observer, it might have seemed that the people who were killed by Pilate and by the falling tower in Siloam had been cursed by God.  And the barren fig tree was obviously a lost cause, just some deadwood cluttering up the ground. Why not get rid of it? But Jesus says no, those unfortunate people were no more guilty than anyone else. And God, the Master Gardener, sees the potential of the seemingly lifeless tree. He wants to pour out more fertilizer on it, to coax it to...

Let The Mass Set Our Hearts On Fire! In the Holy Mass a surging current of divine love is transmitted from the Son to the Father through the Holy Spirit. The follower of the Lord participates in this love since he or she is incorporated in Christ. The Christian then extends this love to other people and to all earthly realities, which are thereby sanctified and made into a fitting offering to God. Our apostolate should have its roots in the Mass and should from there draw its efficacy. For the Mass is nothing less than the realization of the Redemption in our time by means of apostolic Christians. Jesus came on earth to redeem everyone, because 'He wished all men to be saved' (1 Tim 2:4). There is not a single soul in whom Christ is not interested. Each soul has cost him the price of his Blood (cf 1 Pet 1:18-19).9 If we truly imitate Our Lord's example we can never be indifferent towards any soul.  from In Conversation with God by Francis Fernandez Volume 5 p.300

Docility To The Holy Spirit God is very generous and does not deny His grace to anyone. Indeed he gives more than what we ask of Him. Faithfulness to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit-that is the shortest route. St. Faustina Kowalska

Avoiding A "Throw Away" Culture A society which discards those who are weak and non-productive risks exaggerating the development of reason, organization, aggression and the desire to dominate. It becomes a society without a heart, without kindness - a rational and sad society, lacking celebration, divided within itself and given to competition, rivalry and, finally, violence. Jean Vanier

Give A Little — Receive A Lot! The slightest cooperation with God's grace can provoke a massive spiritual change. Bishop Robert Barron

A Great Thought On A Foggy Fall Day Let everything in creation draw you to God. Refresh your mind with some innocent recreation and needful rest, if it were only to saunter through the garden or the fields, listening to the sermon preached by the flowers, the trees, the meadows, the sun, the sky, and the whole universe. You will find that they exhort you to love and praise God; that they excite you to extol the greatness of the Sovereign Architect Who has given them their being. St. Paul of the Cross

He Sent Them Two By Two Beloved brothers, our Lord and Savior sometimes gives us instruction by words and sometimes by actions. His very deeds are our commands; and whenever he acts silently he is teaching us what we should do. For example, he sends his disciples out to preach two by two, because the precept of charity is twofold – love of God and of one’s neighbor.   The Lord sends his disciples out to preach in twos in order to teach us silently that whoever fails in charity toward his neighbor should by no means take upon himself the office of preaching.   Rightly is it said that he sent them ahead of him into every city and place where he himself was to go. For the Lord follows after the preachers, because preaching goes ahead to prepare the way, and then when the words of exhortation have gone ahead and established truth in our minds, the Lord comes to live within us. To those who preach Isaiah says: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of ...

Make An Impression For Christ Christianity is not a matter of persuading people of particular ideas, but of inviting them to share in the greatness of Christ. So pray that I may never fall into the trap of impressing people with clever speech, but instead I may learn to speak with humility, desiring only to impress people with Christ himself. St. Ignatius of Antioch

Have Confidence Today Keep your heart in peace and let nothing trouble you, not even your faults. You must humble yourself and amend them peacefully, without being discouraged or cast down, for God's dwelling is in peace. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Two New Saints! Today in Rome, Pope Francis will canonize Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, in addition to Pope Paul VI, who is featured on pages 52–57 of this magazine. Selected as archbishop of San Salvador in 1977, Romero served during a time of intense political turbulence and religious persecution. Through his homilies, radio sermons, and newspaper articles, Romero became the voice of his country’s conscience. Constantly referring to the message of the gospel, he condemned the violence and corruption that plagued his country. Countless threats against his life didn’t deter Romero. In one homily, he said, “You can tell the people that if they succeed in killing me, I forgive and bless those who do it. Hopefully, they will realize they are wasting their time. A bishop will die, but the Church of God, which is the people, will never perish.” On March 24, 1980, as he was saying Mass, a lone gunman stood at the door of the chapel and fired. Romero, who was standing at the...

This Is My Prayer For All Of You Today! May today there be peace within.  May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.  May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.  May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.  May you be content knowing you are a child of God.  Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.  It is there for each and every one of us. St. Teresa of Avila

Letting God Be The Master Artist & Penance Penance means being very charitable at all times towards those around you, starting with the members of your own family. It is to be full of tenderness and kindness towards the suffering, the sick and the infirm. It is to give patient answers to people who are boring and annoying. It means interrupting our work or changing our plans, when circumstances make this necessary, above all when the just and rightful needs of others are involved.  Penance consists in putting up good-humoredly with the thousand and one little pinpricks of each day; in not abandoning your job, although you have momentarily lost the enthusiasm with which you started it; in eating gladly whatever is served, without being fussy.  For parents and, in general, for those whose work involves supervision or teaching, penance is to correct whenever it is necessary. This should be done bearing in mind the type of fault committed and the situation of the person...

A Good Reminder From St. Francis of Assisi Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received - only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage. St. Francis of Assisi

The Radical Call of Discipleship As Jesus begins his final journey to Jerusalem, he is approached by three different would-be followers. Each of them wants to follow him, but their responsibilities and concerns seem to give them pause. In answer to their requests, Jesus makes it clear that following him isn’t always easy. He offered them a reality check so that they could clarify their motivations and decide whether they really wanted to be his disciples. And so he cut below the surface of their words to address their real questions. Notice how each of these people responds to Jesus’ invitation by talking about their life circumstances—a funeral, a family farewell, a concern about housing. Jesus responds not only to what they say on the surface, but also to their deepest motivations, fears, and intentions. One of Jesus’ answers reveals that the person approaching him probably has false expectations of comfort and ease. By another response, he helps a disciple face his unwillingne...

The Work Of Angels In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels.  In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She invokes their assistance (in the funeral liturgy’s In Paradisum deducant te angeli … [“May the angels lead you into Paradise …”]). Moreover, in the “Cherubic Hymn” of the Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly (St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels).  From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.” Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.  Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd Ed., p. 87). Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference. #334-336

We Are Citizens of Heaven! The world's thy ship and not thy home. St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Never Miss An Opportunity Lord, help me to make time today to serve you in those who are most in need of encouragement or assistance. St. Vincent de Paul

The Light of the Cross   Understanding is like a light turned on in a darkened room, or like the dawn that enables one to see things as they really are. We speak of being enlightened when confusion yields to clarity or ignorance yields knowledge. I am coming to see, as never before, that the true light, the uncreated light, the light that gives life, comes from the cross. The elements of the natural world must receive light in order to shine forth and dazzle us with their beauty. But the cross-the cross emanates light and enlightens everything that its shadow touches. Light comes from the cross: a simple realization, to be sure. Simple, as all the deep things of life are simple. The cross, icon of all that is hateful and diabolical, is transformed by him who willingly, lovingly, passionately, ascends it. On the cross, love is revealed as sacrifice. When I gaze on the cross, when I ponder Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection, when I fix my inward eye upon him, I am drawn...