Daily Thought

Encouraging Words for Our Youth Dear young people, you are a precious gift for society. Do not yield to discouragement in the face of difficulties and do not abandon yourselves to false solutions which often seem the easiest way to overcome problems. Do not be afraid to make a commitment, to face hard work and sacrifice, to choose the paths that demand fidelity and constancy, humility and dedication. Be confident in your youth and its profound desires for happiness, truth, beauty and genuine love! Live fully this time in your life so rich and so full of enthusiasm. Realize that you yourselves are an example and an inspiration to adults, even more so to the extent that you seek to overcome injustice and corruption and strive to build a better future. Be aware of your potential; never become self-centred but work for a brighter future for all. You are never alone. The Church has confidence in you, follows you, encourages you and wishes to offer you the most precious gift she has: t...

A Call To Bring Peace Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus prophesied to Peter: “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church”. There is a similar prophecy for us too. It is found in the last book of the Bible, where Jesus promises his faithful witnesses “a white stone, on which a new name is written” (Rev 2:17). Just as the Lord turned Simon into Peter, so he is calling each one of us, in order to make us living stones with which to build a renewed Church and a renewed humanity. There are always those who destroy unity and stifle prophecy, yet the Lord believes in us and he asks you: “Do you want to be a builder of unity? Do you want to be a prophet of my heaven on earth?” Brothers and sisters, let us be challenged by Jesus, and find the courage to say to him: “Yes, I do!” Pope Francis - Homily excerpt - Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul June 29, 2020

Jesus Our Faithful Companion Jesus Christ treats missionaries in a very special manner, for it is He who guides their footsteps and preserves them from all danger. I find my consolation in the one and only companion who will never leave me, that is, our Divine Savior in the Holy Eucharist. . . .It is at the foot of the altar that we find the strength necessary in this isolation of ours. Without the Blessed Sacrament a position like mine would be unbearable. But, having Our Lord at my side, I continue always to be happy and content. . . . Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the most tender of friends with souls who seek to please Him. His goodness knows how to proportion itself to the smallest of His creatures as to the greatest of them. Be not afraid then in your solitary conversations, to tell Him of your miseries, your fears, your worries, of those who are dear to you, of your projects, and of your hopes. Do so with confidence and with an open heart. St. Damien of Molokai

Fighting Discouragement These moments of profound self-disappointment make us vulnerable to the machinations of the devil, who can easily lead us away from God on the path of discouragement. He does so by introducing us to the spiritual fallacy that we are the ones responsible for our own virtue and holiness. He convinces us to put confidence in ourselves and to ignore the true object of our trust in God. The antidote to this toxic and ruinous fallacy is to learn a new and authentic way of confidence. A most remarkable prayer of Saint Claude de la Colombière — An Act of Confidence in God  —serves as a school of true trust: My God, I am so convinced that you keep watch over those who hope in you, and that we can want for nothing when we look for all from you, that I am resolved in the future to live free from every care, and to turn all my anxieties over to you. "In peace, in the selfsame, I will sleep and I will rest; for thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope...

St. Francis de Sales On Humility For Francis, the virtue of humility combines recognition of the truth of who we are with the truth of God's love for us.  Humility is true knowledge and voluntary acknowledgment of our abjection. The chief point of such humility consists not only in willingly admitting our abject state but in loving it and delighting in it. (Introduction to the Devout Life, p. 139)  This humility helps us to combat the dangers we typically encounter along the journey toward our own spiritual perfection.  Why is it that when we happen to commit some imperfection or sin, we are so surprised, upset, and impatient? Without doubt, it is because we thought we were something special, resolute, and steady, and therefore, when we discover that in reality we are nothing of the kind and have fallen flat on our face, we are disappointed, and consequently we are vexed, offended, and upset. If we really knew ourselves well, instead of being astonished at f...

The Narrow Gate Lectio Matthew 7:6, 12–14 Meditatio “How narrow the gate … that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” As I was making my daily commute one day, it hit me that I was actually living this Gospel. I was trying to catch the Staten Island Ferry, and the terminal workers were ready to close the doors to the crowd going into Manhattan. At a certain point, they must secure the area and make sure it is safe for the ferry to leave port. As the wide-open glass doors that separate the terminal (where I was) from the ferry (where I wanted to be) started to close, I and all the other late-comers broke into an all-out run. We made it just in time. Once inside the safety zone, panting, I thought, “That was a real, visceral feeling of the narrow gate!” I was focused only on getting through that door. Nothing could distract me from my goal. Have you ever lived this? Hastening to make it just in time before the door closes … whether it’s a ferryboat, a deadline, or ...

Father's Day Blessing God, our Father Bless these men, that they may find strength as fathers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect. Author Unknown

One Can't Love & Walk In Darkness Loving others is a spiritual force drawing us to union with God; indeed, one who does not love others “walks in the darkness” (1 Jn 2:11), “remains in death” (1 Jn 3:14) and “does not know God” (1 Jn 4:8). Benedict XVI has said that “closing our eyes to our neighbour also blinds us to God”, and that love is, in the end, the only light which “can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working”. When we live out a spirituality of drawing nearer to others and seeking their welfare, our hearts are opened wide to the Lord’s greatest and most beautiful gifts. Whenever we encounter another person in love, we learn something new about God. Whenever our eyes are opened to acknowledge the other, we grow in the light of faith and knowledge of God. If we want to advance in the spiritual life, then, we must constantly be missionaries. The work of evangelization enriches the mind and the heart; it opens up s...

Prayer From Mass On The Celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus          May this sacrament of charity, O Lord,          make us fervent with the fire of holy love,          so that, drawn always to your Son,          we may learn to see him in our neighbor.          Through Christ our Lord. The Roman Missal: Renewed by Decree of the Most Holy Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, Promulgated by Authority of Pope Paul VI and Revised at the Direction of Pope John Paul II. (2011). (Third Typical Edition, p. 504). Washington D.C.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Great Insight On The Lord's Prayer Lectio Matthew 6:7–15 Meditatio “Our Father …” In today’s Gospel, Jesus, the master pray-er, teaches us how to pray. In this lesson, he shows us the connection between prayer and our relationships. He assures us that we do not need to multiply words in order to be heard, for the simple yet profound reason that God is “your Father [who] knows what you need before you ask him.” Yes! God is our Father! As our Parent, God loves us and takes care of us. Would our relationship with God be different if we believed more deeply that he is our loving and caring Father? Jesus then teaches us to pray, “Our Father …” With this single word, “our,” Jesus reveals our relationship with one another. God is our Father; we are all sisters and brothers. What a vast family we have—siblings everywhere! Everyone we read about in the newspaper or pass on the street is our sister or brother. Everyone with whom we live or work is our sister or brother. This t...

Overcoming Disappointments EVERY TIME something thwarts your plans or desires, use that as a reminder to communicate with Me. This practice has several benefits. The first is obvious: Talking with Me blesses you and strengthens our relationship. Another benefit is that disappointments, instead of dragging you down, are transformed into opportunities for good. This transformation removes the sting from difficult circumstances, making it possible to be joyful in the midst of adversity.  Begin by practicing this discipline in all the little disappointments of daily life. It is often these minor setbacks that draw you away from My Presence. When you reframe setbacks as opportunities, you find that you gain much more than you have lost. It is only after much training that you can accept major losses in this positive way. But it is possible to attain the perspective of the apostle Paul, who wrote:  Compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, I consider everyt...

Encouraging Tweet From Pope Francis Our principle of unity is the Holy Spirit who reminds us that above all we are God’s beloved children. He comes to us, in our differences and difficulties to tell us that we have one Lord, Jesus, and one Father. For this reason we are brothers and sisters! Pope Francis June 15, 2020

The Eucharist ⎯ Supreme Act of Love This leads us to reflect on the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. It took place within a ritual meal commemorating the foundational event of the people of Israel: their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. This ritual meal, which called for the sacrifice of lambs (cf. Ex 12:1–28, 43–51), was a remembrance of the past, but at the same time a prophetic remembrance, the proclamation of a deliverance yet to come. The people had come to realize that their earlier liberation was not definitive, for their history continued to be marked by slavery and sin. The remembrance of their ancient liberation thus expanded to the invocation and expectation of a yet more profound, radical, universal and definitive salvation. This is the context in which Jesus introduces the newness of his gift. In the prayer of praise, the Berakah, he does not simply thank the Father for the great events of past history, but also for his own “exaltation.” In institutin...

Wrestling with God & The Grace of Conversion Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning! Let us continue with our catechesis on the subject of prayer. The Book of  Genesis, through the occurrences of men and women of a far off time, tells us stories that we can reflect on in our own lives. In the Patriarch Cycle, we also find that of a man who shrewdly developed his best talent: Jacob. The biblical account tells us about the difficult relationship Jacob had with his brother Esau. Ever since childhood, there was a rivalry between them, which was never overcome later on. Jacob is the second-born - they were twins - but through trickery he manages to obtain the blessing and birthright of their father Isaac (cf. Gen 25:19-34). It is only the first in a long series of ploys of which this unscrupulous man is capable. Even the name “Jacob” means someone who is cunning in his movements. Forced to flee far from his brother, he seems to succeed in every undertaking in his life. He ...

Sowing Good Seed We plant seeds that will flower as results in our lives, so best to remove the weeds of anger, avarice, envy and doubt, that peace and abundance may manifest for all. Servant of God Dorothy Day

Prophecy Given To Fr. Michael Scanlan in 1976 Son of man, do you see that city going bankrupt? Are you willing to see all your cities going bankrupt? Are you willing to see the bankruptcy of the whole economic system you rely on now so that all money is worthless and cannot support you? Son of man, do you see the crime and lawlessness in your city streets, and towns, and institutions? Are you willing to see no law, no order, no protection for you except that which I myself will give you? Son of man, do you see the country which you love and which you are now celebrating—a country’s history that you look back on with nostalgia? Are you willing to see no country—no country to call your own except those I give you as my body? Will you let me bring you life in my body and only there? Son of man, do you see those churches which you can go to so easily now? Are you ready to see them with bars across their doors, with doors nailed shut? Are you ready to base your life only on me and...

Commentary On Today's Scripture Reading “Carmel” is a chain of mountains that starts near the port of Haifa and runs some 30 km. (18.5 miles) south-east. Its height (almost 600 m. or 1800 ft.) and its lush vegetation made it particularly suitable as a place of religious cult (at that time, the local people worshipped Baal). There, the one, true God will make himself manifest in the sacrificial fire. To begin with, the people have nothing to say when Elijah upbraids them, but at the end of the episode (v. 38) they make a profession of faith which echoes in a way the faith of the prophet, who bears witness to the living God. The name of Elijah, “ ‘The Lord is my God’, foretells the people’s cry in response to his prayer on Mount Carmel” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2582). The fire which consumes the offering is a figure of the Holy Spirit: “While water signifies birth and the fruitfulness of life given in the Holy Spirit, fire symbolizes the transforming energy of the Ho...

Saint of the Day - St. Ephrem, the Deacon St. Ephrem is said to have been born of a Christian mother and pagan father in Nisibis, Mesopotamia (modern Nusaybin, Turkey), in about 306. He was baptized a Christian when he was a young man of eighteen and became a teacher in his native city. After the cession of Nisibis to Persia in 363, he moved to Edessa, Greece, where he continued to teach. He remained a deacon all his life, and to escape episcopal consecration he is supposed to have feigned madness. His writings, written in Syriac, include biblical exegesis and dogmatic treatises, as well as ascetical works. The Syrian Church refers to him as the Harp of the Holy Spirit, not only because of his many hymns, which are still sung in the Syrian liturgy, but also because many of his other works were written in verse. Ephrem had singular devotion to the Virgin Mary, and in his writings he so emphasized her perfect sinlessness that he is now numbered among the earliest Fathers of the Churc...

Powerful Prayer For Peace & Doing God's Will 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

Thank You So Much For All Of Your Prayers God promises the Church not just any sort of shepherds, but shepherds “after his own heart.” And God’s “heart” has revealed itself to us fully in the heart of Christ the good shepherd. Christ’s heart continues today to have compassion for the multitudes and to give them the bread of truth, the bread of love, the bread of life (cf. Mk. 6:30ff.), and it pleads to be allowed to beat in other hearts—priests’ hearts: “You give them something to eat” (Mk. 6:37). People need to come out of their anonymity and fear. They need to be known and called by name, to walk in safety, along the paths of life, to be found again if they have become lost, to be loved, to receive salvation as the supreme gift of God’s love. All this is done by Jesus, the good shepherd—by himself and by his priests with him. Now, as I bring this exhortation to a close, I turn my thoughts to all aspirants to the priesthood, to seminarians and to priests who in all parts of the ...

A Marvelous Plan For Each Of Us! Learn from My saints. Study them. Receive their teachings. Draw inspiration from their friendship with Me. But do not try to imitate them. Each of My friends arrives at union with Me by the path traced for him by the Holy Spirit. Even when two paths may appear similar, know that they are not identical. All of these paths converge in union with Me, in the light of My Face, and all of them lead to the open door of My Sacred Heart.  Yours is the way of adoration. I have called you to abide before My Eucharistic Face and to make it possible for others to follow that same vocation. Even when many souls are called to the same way of life, each soul has its secret of love, a way of experiencing My friendship most intimately, that can be shared with no one else.  My love is a personal love. I love each soul that I have created as if that soul were the only soul in the universe, and I adapt My infinite love to the particular sensibilities a...

The Secret To Happiness - Gratitude The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness. St. Gianna Beretta Molla

St. John XXIII's Prayer For Peace Lord Jesus Christ, who are called the Prince of Peace, who are yourself our peace and reconciliation, who so often said, “Peace to you,” — grant us peace. Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice, and brotherly love. Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace. Enlighten our rulers that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace. May all peoples of the earth become as brothers and sisters. May longed-for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all. St. John XXIII

The Wonderful Effects of God’s Love Disciple You are “my glory” (Ps 3:3) and “the joy of my heart” (Ps 119:111). You are my hope and “a refuge in the day of my distress” (Ps 59:16). I need to be comforted and consoled by you because my love is so weak and my virtue so imperfect. Come to me often to teach me your holy way. Deliver me from unruly passions and cure my heart of all disordered affections, so that healed and purified interiorly, I may be able to love with constancy, despite my suffering. Christ Love is a great thing, in fact, the greatest of all, because it lightens every burden and bears every misfortune. It carries burdens without feeling them, and makes even bitterness sweet. This noble love of Jesus spurs us on to great things and moves us to always desire the most perfect. Love always wants to desire the highest goods, and does not want to seek out anything base. Love wants to be free, not tied down to affection for this world, so that its burning desire may ...

Be Encouraged! SOMETIMES WE CAN BE OVERWHELMED with the challenge of making progress on the spiritual journey. Sometimes we can become discouraged and be tempted to think that we can never hope to reach our destination. Every saint and Doctor we have learnt from in the pages of this book wants us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this journey is for everyone, and that if we persevere, by His grace, we will surely reach journey’s end. Let’s meditate on these words of encouragement addressed to us by those who truly are our friends and companions on the journey.     In the first place it should be known that if anyone is seeking God, the Beloved is seeking that person much more. (John of the Cross)     The soul seeks the Word, but has been first sought by the Word.… Let her seek him as she can, provided she remembers that she was first sought, as she was first loved; and it is because of this that she herself both seeks and loves.     It is my ...