Daily Thought

Great Advice from Saint Teresa of Calcutta Let us be very sincere in our dealings with each other and have the courage to accept each other as we are. Do not be surprised or become preoccupied at each other’s failure; rather see and find the good in each other, for each one of us is created in the image of God. Keep in mind that our community is not composed of those who are already saints, but of those who are trying to become saints. Therefore, let us be extremely patient with each other’s faults and failures. Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Praying For A Sense Of Humor Lord, give me a sense of humor so that I may take some happiness from this life and share it with others. St. Thomas More

Radiating Christ To The World      “Live”, then, “by the truth!” Radiate the light of faith, hope and love in your families and communities! Be witnesses of the holy truth that sets men and women free! You know from bitter experience that, in comparison with the sudden, destructive fury of evil, the work of rebuilding is painfully slow and arduous. Living by the truth takes time, effort and perseverance: it has to begin in our own hearts, in the small daily sacrifices required if we are to be faithful to God’s law, in the little acts by which we demonstrate that we love our neighbours, all our neighbours, regardless of race, ethnicity or language, and by our readiness to work with them to build together on foundations that will endure. Let your parishes become communities where the light of God’s truth and the power of Christ’s reconciling love are not only celebrated, but proclaimed in concrete works of charity. And do not be afraid! Even if it means being a “sign o...

Shine Jesus Shine! Lectio Mark 9:2–10 Meditatio “Rabbi, it is good that we are here!” Before the humiliation and loss of his crucifixion and death, Jesus gives three of his apostles an experience of his glory. Jesus knows of what we are made. He knows we are fitful and frightened creatures. He knows that we dread the cross, that we fear loss. So he brought these apostles to Mount Tabor to experience with him the glory that is his. Our community receives prayer intentions from many people who entrust to us their most heartfelt desires or deepest fears and problems. We pray for these persons who are encountering the cross and bearing life’s burdens. Though we all bear the cross in some way, in order to be like Jesus and to be with Jesus, we need to remember our own Mount Tabor moments. We all have had them. These joyfully transfigured moments may have been celebrations of weddings, watching sunsets or sunrises with someone we love, the birth of a child, an experience of G...

Loving Our Enemies            Our Lord did not tell us we were to love only those who we liked, but everyone without distinction. Unless we are constantly watchful and unless we have faced the truth about ourselves, we are bound to discriminate.      It can easily happen that we pass for very kind people, ever ready to lend a hand or do a good turn, and in our own heart we may think we are. But there will be one or two left out of this benevolent radiance. We shall be courteous to them, for we must not spoil the image we have of ourselves as charitable persons, but we shall be critical, ready to find fault in a discrete way, ready to use them as scapegoats. We shall find it hard to be fair in judgment where they are concerned. We shall come up with rational explanations of why we think as we do, but if we were really honest we would have to admit that in some way these people cut us down to size. In some way they challenge and thr...

Daily Opportunities To Share Our Faith    We have to show everyone that Christ is still alive by living heroically the events of our daily lives. The apostolic vocation which we all received at Baptism means giving witness in word and deed to the life and teaching of Christ. People said of the early Christians See how they love one another. The pagans were really edified by this behavior and those who conducted themselves in this way had favor with all the people as the Acts of the Apostles tell us. As a result, the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47)  Those who were converted to the faith made good use of every opportunity to explain the reason for their hope, (cf. 1 Peter 3:15) and in order to spread their joy to others: Those who were scattered went about preaching the word.    Many gave the supreme witness of martyrdom to the faith they professed. We too are ready to go to that extreme if Our Lord ask...

A Powerful Moment of Conversion         As I went up to Communion I asked for that single gift, for a genuine, enduring faith. As I returned to my seat I stood with my eyes closed repeating that same prayer. At that moment I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. A man I had never met was standing next to me. He said that he was sitting about six rows behind me and that while I was standing in line for Communion he saw me and he  felt a very strong urge from the Holy Spirit to come and tell me something. He told me, “The Lord Jesus wants you to know that the faith and love that you seek shall be granted to you because he loves you and has died for you.”     As soon as he spoke those words I felt a tremendous rush of power from my head to my toes. I felt an intense heat running through my body accompanied by a vivid experience of the presence of the risen Christ. It seemed to me that the Lord was present, that he was drawing near and that the closer h...

Don't Be Afraid of Failure Deepest failure is the fertile seed of highest resurrection. Blessed Henry Suso

Obtaining Inner Peace          There is a serenity of spirit that is extremely valuable in the spiritual life. It is not easy to acquire because we are inexperienced and face powerful foes.       Sometimes we are completely out of control. Our minds are confused. This is the time to get right into prayer. Remember how our Lord prayed three times in the Garden of Gethsemane before his betrayal. It is only in conversation with God that we can find refuge. Pray that God will replace the chaos in us with tranquility.       Don't be bothered by the continuous and meaningless hustle of the business world. When we go to work we can take care of business without getting rattled. We can lighten up a bit. We do not need to be intimidated by a crowded calendar. Some work can wait.       The thing we should concentrate on is an awareness of God's holy presence. A desire to please God should be our top pr...

Amen! Music, great music, distends the spirit, arouses profound emotions and almost naturally invites us to raise our minds and hearts to God in all situations of human existence, the joyful and the sad. Music can become prayer. Pope Benedict XVI

Press Forward And Fear Nothing If we wish to serve God and love our neighbor well, we must manifest our joy in the service we render to Him and them. Let us open wide our hearts. It is joy which invites us. Press forward and fear nothing. St. Katharine Drexel

A Relationship That Changes Us & The World Follow me. (Luke 5:27) These two words changed everything for Levi, for Simon and Andrew, for Philip, for unnamed disciples—and for us. Jesus is not pleading or begging. He is inviting, earnestly and lovingly. Follow him, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Follow him, who is the light in the darkness, the spring of water that never fails, the One who promises to guide you always. Follow me, just as you are. Not because you’re particularly good or talented or holy. According to Jewish law, Levi was “impure” because of his association with Gentiles. He was also probably dishonest and greedy. Peter was impulsive and stubborn. James and John wanted places of honor. All of the disciples had issues, but Jesus called them just the same—just as he is calling you. Follow me, and be part of my Church. Once you were no people, and you had not received mercy. But everyone who follows him becomes part of God’s people and receives mercy....

Preparing For The Wedding Feast Lectio Matthew 9:14–15 Meditatio “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?” Today’s reference to the bridegroom is one of many uses of marriage imagery in the Gospels. Jesus refers to himself as the “bridegroom” and tells a parable about a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son. In another passage, the familiar story of the wise and foolish virgins also centers on the arrival of the bridegroom. Those who were ready went in with him to celebrate the wedding feast. In John’s Gospel the Baptist declares: “The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete” (Jn 3:29). A major wedding connection is also made in the Gospel of John with the marriage feast at Cana, when Jesus turned water into wine. In the Old Testament we find the Song of Songs and, in the prophets, the heart-rending love God...

Prayer & Beauty Observe this beautiful fact: By bringing us into communion with God, prayer makes us share in God’s creativity. Contemplation nourishes our creative faculties and our inventiveness, particularly in the realm of beauty. Contemporary art is cruelly lacking in inspiration and very often produces nothing but painful ugliness, when people are so thirsty for beauty. Only a renewal of faith and prayer will enable artists to rediscover the sources of true creativity, so that they will once again be able to provide people with the beauty they so badly need, as was done by Fra Angelico, Rembrandt, or Johann Sebastian Bach. Fr. Jacques Philippe, Thirsting for Prayer

Lent - Allow God To Surprise You! Lectio Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18 Meditatio “… [Do not] perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them … your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” “What are you going to do for Lent?” As children each year we had to answer this question. We gave up cookies, candy, TV, video games …; the list was made up of our most precious pleasures. We struggled through the forty days of Lent, flexing our spiritual muscles as we raced toward the Easter Day finish line. As adults we’ve settled into a more sophisticated Lenten spirituality, but often we end up giving up the same things we did as kids, perhaps hoping to lose a little weight or gain a little time. Today’s Gospel reading prods us to go deeper. It centers around theatrics. We all are mini-celebrities of our own lives, imagining a trail of adoring fans following us. We can even make Lent into a minor Hollywood production. We conceive the idea for our Lenten penance. We write the scri...

Humility & Forgiveness        All of us should work for peace. But to obtain that peace all of us have to learn from Jesus to be meek and humble of heart. Only humility will lead us to unity, and unity to peace. To that end, let us help each other draw closer to Jesus, so that we learn the lesson of humility with joy.      Let us think about oppressed countries. The greatest need of Bangladesh is forgiveness — there is so much bitterness and hatred! It is impossible to imagine how those people suffer. If they realize that we care for them, that we love them, perhaps they will find strength in their hearts to forgive. I think this is the only thing that can bring them peace.       We want this year to be, above all, a year of peace. With that aim, we will try to talk more with God than with men.       Let us spread Christ’s peace as he did. He planted good everywhere. He did not forsake his works of...

Pray With Confidence   Pray with great confidence, with confidence based upon the goodness and infinite generosity of God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ. God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray.    St. Louis De Montfort

Giving God Permission          If you want a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit, give God a blank check. Decide in your heart that you want whatever he wants for you, no matter what it is. Don’t put limits on him. Be willing to come out of your comfort zones and the grooves you’ve dug to ensure your safety, comfort, and security. Tell the Lord every morning that your life is his and that you give him permission to do with it whatever he wants. Then walk throughout your day with one ear turned toward the Spirit. Don’t leave the Spirit at home or in church. Be conscious of his presence; attempt to listen even amidst the noise and frantic pace of life. When you hear him, or sense his prompting or gentle nudge, act on it. Don’t hesitate, do what he wants you to do. If you do this consistently, the Spirit will become your intimate friend and he will make something beautiful out of your life.       Pope Joh...

The Christian Perspective    People who come to know the joy of God do not deny the darkness, but they choose not to live in it.    Henri Nouwen

On Not Being Overly Sensitive         Christians who are too sensitive about their good names and reputations are like those who take medicine for a slight indisposition. They think they are taking care of their health, but they are ruining it. When we are overly protective of our reputation, we may lose it completely. This is because our tenderness makes us argumentative and unbearable. This provokes our detractors even more.       Ignoring a negative comment about yourself is a better remedy than becoming resentful and planning revenge. Contempt for injuries makes them vanish. If we become angry, we tacitly admit the truth of the accusation. Fear of losing our good name is the result of not trusting its foundation-a good life. Souls firmly anchored on Christian virtue can pay little attention to the torrent of a critical tongue.       Reputation is like a sign. It points to virtue. If your reputation is taken away by...

A Haven Of Rest        A friend once sent me a snapshot that had been taken four decades ago, when we were in the novitiate together. The photo shows me as a seventeen-year old sitting on a park  bench talking with my father. . . . I was struck by how peaceful and contented I looked in the photo. I remember asking myself, “How in the world did this boy ever survive all these years? He looks so terribly vulnerable.”      Survival at best―that has literally been my experience. But I have survived the swirling tides of life because I discovered a little harbor inside my soul―a haven that I didn’t build, a refuge that I didn’t set apart from the winds of life. Sometimes, in the midst of storms, I  couldn’t find this sanctuary, but I knew it was there anyway.      Because he is the God of peace, the Father provides this inner haven for each of us, a shelter that allows us to survive during difficult times, a place where we ...

Choosing To Be Merciful - Never Easy But The Key To Peace         It should be of no concern to you how anyone else acts; you are to be My living reflection, through love and mercy. I answered, "Lord, but they often take advantage of my goodness." That makes no difference, My daughter. That is no concern of yours. As for you, be always merciful toward other people, and especially toward sinners.    O God, give me a deeper faith that I may always see in [my neighbor] Your Holy Image which has been engraved in [his] soul.   Have great love for those who cause you suffering. Do good to those who hate you. I answered, "O my Master, You see very well that I feel no love for them, and that troubles me." Jesus answered, It is not always within your power to control your feelings. You will recognize that you have love if, after having experienced annoyance and contradiction, you do not lose your peace, but pray for those wh...

 Whatever Did I Do?   "What did I ever do to deserve this?" I kept asking as I stood looking out over the muddy Monongahela River from my dormitory window. It was September, 1964 and I had just arrived at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh to begin my freshman year. The resident assistant told me how lucky I was to have a room "with a view." "Some view!", I grumbled inwardly. I was convinced I had made a huge mistake by coming to Duquesne. It certainly wasn't Plan A.  You see, I had set my heart on going to Boston College after a visit to its beautiful campus. Although I was accepted at BC, I received no financial aid. A full tuition scholarship from Duquesne lured me there instead. After my choice was made, I won a larger scholarship which could have been used at any school, including Boston. However, I decided to hold fast to my choice of Duquesne, even though I had never seen the campus.  Words cannot ...

Grace For The Present Moment          The past casts its shadow over the present whenever we brood about old failures and yesterday's choices. Of course we should ask God's forgiveness for our faults and should learn from them where appropriate. But once we've said we're sorry and meant it, that is enough. While seeking to make amends where possible for the harm we have caused, most of the time we should simply leave things in God's hands, trusting him to put everything right. We must put a stop to attitudes or thoughts that keep us from living trustingly in the present moment.      Sometimes we feel we've wasted much time and missed all too many opportunities to love and grow. If the feeling leads to real repentance and to starting again courageously and trustingly, then it is something positive. But if the sense of time wasted gets us down and makes us feel we have ruined our lives, we must reject it. To lock ourselves in the past woul...

The Gentleness & Mercy of Christ        A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench.       Jesus' mercy for people never faltered for a moment, despite all the ingratitude, difficulties and hatred he encountered. His love for men is so great because He is concerned above all for their souls, and to bring them with his powerful help to eternal life; at the same time, it knows no bounds and extends to all mankind. He is the Good Shepherd of our souls, who knows us all and calls each one of us by our name' and leaves none abandoned on the mountainside. He has given his life for each man and woman. When a soul strays, Christ's immediate reaction is to do all He can to help it return, and we can visualize him watching daily to catch a glimpse of it in the distance. Whenever someone offends him grievously, He tries to draw him to his merciful Heart. He doesn't break the bruised reed, he doesn't finally snap ...