Daily Thought

The Freedom of Faith Abraham must have felt trapped. He had already given up so much to follow the Lord, and God had blessed him richly. So logic would tell him that he would be blessed if he obeyed the Lord this time. But this was the hardest thing God could possibly ask of him: to kill his son with a knife and burn his corpse in ritual sacrifice. Could God really want that? But Abraham had already told God, “Here I am!” (Genesis 22:1). He had committed himself, and there was no backing out. Try to imagine that three-day journey to the place of sacrifice. The silence, the awkward answers to Isaac’s questions, the agonizing over what he was about to do. How many times did Abraham almost turn around and head back home? But somehow, Abraham trusted that God would still fulfill his promises. So when he arrived at the place, Abraham told his servants, “We will . . . come back to you” (Genesis 22:4). Even then, he trusted that both he and Isaac would return. Notice, when the angel intervene...

Conversion Is A Step By Step Process Lectio Matthew 5:43–48 Meditatio “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This morning I happened to pick up a personal notebook that I had kept about fourteen years ago. I had written in it some resolutions about ways I could grow spiritually, noting several areas for improvement. Not much has changed in fourteen years! I had to laugh at myself because I realized that despite all my plans and good intentions, I still have to work on a lot of the same areas that I was working on back then. I’m pretty much the same person. I suppose I could get discouraged at that. But it’s probably the same for most people. We do grow, change, and mature through the years. But we also have our same personality, genetic makeup, and personal background that have stamped us in certain ways. I’ll probably be writing the same resolutions for Lent until the end of my life. And that’s okay. God doesn’t expect us to be perfect in the sense of not having any...

  Enlightened by Faith The soul enlightened by faith judges things in a very different way than those who, having only the standard of the senses by which to measure them, ignore the inestimable treasure they contain. The one who knows that a certain person in disguise is the king, behaves toward him very differently than another who, only perceiving him to be an ordinary man, treats him accordingly. In the same way, the soul that recognizes the will of God in the smallest event as well as in those that are the most distressing, receives all things with an equal joy, pleasure, and respect. Such a soul throws open its doors to receive with honor what others fear and flee from with horror. The outward appearance may be mean and contemptible, but beneath this abject garb the heart discovers and honors the majesty of the King. The deeper the abasement of his entry in such a guise and the more secret, the greater does the heart become filled with love. I cannot describe what the heart f...

  Ask And You Shall Receive Lectio Matthew 7:7–12 Meditatio “Ask and it will be given to you …” We have heard or read these words countless times—at Mass, on a retreat, reading Scripture. Their very familiarity could make them lose their impact unless we really think about them. I once met a young woman who was not very religious. We were talking about the Bible, and I was amazed when she quoted this passage and told me that she tried to live her life by these words. She confided that she had been searching for meaning in her life and one day read this saying of Jesus. It struck her, and she found in it an answer to her yearning. She realized that God was the one she had been searching for, and that she could trust in God and his promises. Jesus understands our needs, desires, and wants. How can we not be touched by Jesus’ assurance that he hears us knocking and he sees us searching? This is not the only place in Scripture where Jesus makes this promise. For example, Jesus say...

  An Ocean of Love There is an ocean of Gods love available-there is plenty for everyone. May God grant you never to doubt that victorious love-whatever the circumstances. Corrie Ten Boom

 Replanting Repotting a plant is a stressful but essential step in keeping it strong and healthy. You might have a small plant that seems happy but is bursting out of its pot. So you replant it into a larger pot so that the roots have room to grow. For a week or two, however, the poor plant doesn’t look so good. It might wilt or look sickly in its new home. But after a little while, it takes off again. Roots begin spreading again. Stems shoot up. Leaves sprout and produce abundant flowers. This is similar to what happens to Simon Peter in today’s Gospel reading. Peter had grown to the point of acknowledging that Jesus was Israel’s Messiah. So Jesus could see he was ready to be replanted into a new environment. By giving him a new name and placing him in a new role, Jesus gave him the chance to grow even more. Peter was very likely shocked by this transition. It wasn’t an easy shift, but it was worth it. Just think about all that Peter was able to accomplish once his roots in Christ...

  Prayer Is Seeking A Relationship Not Answers Seek a relationship when you pray, not answers. You won't always find answers, but you will always find Jesus. Fr. Mike Schmitz

  A Blessed Lent! Dear brothers and sisters, every moment of our lives is a time for believing, hoping and loving. The call to experience Lent as a journey of conversion, prayer and sharing of our goods, helps us – as communities and as individuals – to revive the faith that comes from the living Christ, the hope inspired by the breath of the Holy Spirit and the love flowing from the merciful heart of the Father. May Mary, Mother of the Saviour, ever faithful at the foot of the cross and in the heart of the Church, sustain us with her loving presence. May the blessing of the risen Lord accompany all of us on our journey towards the light of Easter. excerpt Message For Lent 2021 Pope Francis

  Reflection For Ash Wednesday First Reading: Jl 2:12–18 Responsorial Psalm: Ps 51:3–4, 5–6ab, 12–13, 14, 17 Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:20–6:2 Gospel: Mt 6:1–6, 16–18 In many ways today’s New Testament readings—from 2 Corinthians and from Matthew—echo the Old Testament reading from the prophet Joel. Joel’s words are set in a time of crisis, a defining moment. In that critical moment, he summons the whole people of God to gather in the liturgical assembly to pray and fast. Playing on the Hebrew word shub, which means “turn,” he tells the people to “return” to the Lord their God in the hope that God may “turn” (relent) and take pity on them. Paul proclaims this message as well. Like Joel, he too addresses people at a defining moment, “the acceptable time” (2 Cor 6:2). As Christ’s ambassador, Paul implores the Corinthians to return and be reconciled to the God who has graciously turned to them in Christ. Joel also warns the people that the public character of their gathering must not det...

Humility If you want to learn something that will really help you, learn to see yourself as God sees you and not as you see yourself in the distorted mirror of your own self-importance. Thomas a Kempis

  Living Right I URGE YOU TO USE WORDS WITH RESTRAINT. Misusing words is one of the easiest ways to sin—and one of the deadliest. In fact, the tongue is a fire that corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. You would be wise to follow the example of David, who wrote: Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Controlling your tongue is so difficult that you cannot do it without massive help.  Actually, I want to help you control not only your spoken words but also your thoughts. The contents of your thoughts have an enormous influence on your health and well-being. Many people are depressed or anxious because their thinking is so distorted and unbiblical. If this problem remains uncorrected, it can lead to a breakdown of health. However, Scripture provides correction: Pleasant words are sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. When My Spirit is controlling your thoughts and words, b...

  The Grace of the Present Moment Trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. St. Teresa of Avila

  A Person of Faith He desired nothing more than to serve God . . . and nothing less. As he shared his story, bit by bit, during the days of my retreat, he gave the clear impression that his life was not about him but rather a reflection of the movement and action of God in his life. He liked sharing his story, because it allowed him to share about God. He was faithful because he knew to the core of his being that God was faithful, and he clearly enjoyed helping others to the same understanding. He was a living example of both the simplicity and profundity of what it means to be a person of faith. Walter J. Ciszek, With God in America: The Spiritual Legacy of an Unlikely Jesuit

  Freedom COME TO ME WHEN YOU ARE HURTING, AND I WILL SHARE YOUR PAIN. Come to Me when you are joyful, and I will share your Joy—multiplying it many times over.  I invite you to come to Me just as you are—no matter what condition you’re in. You don’t have to clean up your act first, since I already know the worst about you. When you’re hurting, you want to be with someone who understands you without condemning you. When you’re happy, you delight in being with someone who loves you enough to celebrate with you. I understand you compassionately and love you exuberantly, so bring more and more of yourself to Me.  Most people are selective about which parts of themselves they share with Me. Some hesitate to bring Me the traits they consider shameful. Others are so used to living with painful feelings—loneliness, fear, guilt—that it never occurs to them to ask for help in dealing with these things. Still others get so preoccupied with their struggles that they forget I’m even ...

  The Power of Prayer The devil smiles when we make plans. He laughs when we get too  busy. But he trembles when we pray-especially when we pray together. Corrie Ten Boom

  Scripture & Joy The stream of holy Scripture flows not from human research but from revelation by God. It springs from the Father of lights, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth takes its name. From him, through his Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit flows into us; and through the Holy Spirit, giving, at will, different gifts to different people, comes the gift of faith, and through faith Jesus Christ has his dwelling in our hearts. This is the knowledge of Jesus Christ which is the ultimate basis of the solidity and wisdom of the whole of holy Scripture.   From all this it follows that it is impossible for anyone to start to recognise Scripture for what it is if he does not already have faith in Christ infused into him. Christ is the lamp that illuminates the whole of Scripture: he is its gateway and its foundation. For this faith is behind all the supernatural enlightenments that we receive while we are still separated from the Lord and on our pilgrimage. It ...

  Believing In The Goodness of the Lord Lectio Mark 1:29–39 Meditatio “He approached … and helped her up.” Today’s Gospel impresses us with Jesus’ compassion. We observe that as soon as he enters the house of Simon and Andrew, people tell Jesus that Simon’s mother-in-law is sick with a fever. He approaches her, helps her up and heals her. In the evening, everyone in town comes to see Jesus. We can imagine their hope as they bring their ill or possessed family members and neighbors, pleading with Jesus to heal them. We can almost hear the compassion and goodness in his voice, see the gestures as his mercy reaches out to them. His heart is so moved with love that he cures many people suffering from various diseases and drives out many demons. The following morning, Jesus’ compassion leads him to travel to other villages, to preach in those places too. His ministry was not limited to physical healings but was extended to the spiritual. Familiar with Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels, we...

  Lead Kindly Light LEAD, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom     Lead Thou me on!   The night is dark, and I am far from home—     Lead Thou me on!   Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see   The distant scene—one step enough for me.   I was not ever thus, nor pray’d that Thou     Shouldst lead me on.   I loved to choose and see my path, but now     Lead Thou me on!   I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,   Pride ruled my will: remember not past years.   So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still     Will lead me on,   O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent,     till The night is gone;   And with the morn those angel faces smile   Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile. At Sea June 16, 1833 Newman, J. H. (2010). Life’s Purpose: Wisdom from John Henry Newman (pp. 1–2). Boston, MA: Pauline Books & Media.

  Content In Weakness Without self-knowledge you have no root in yourselves personally; you may endure for a time, but under affliction or persecution your faith will not last. This is why many in this age (and in every age) become infidels, heretics, schismatics, disloyal despisers of the Church. They cast off the form of truth, because it never has been to them more than a form. They endure not, because they never have tasted that the Lord is gracious; and they never have had experience of His power and love, because they have never known their own weakness and need. St. John Henry Newman

  Imitating Christ Christ-as always, the model-never sat back, crossed his arms, and dismissed the annoying, the troublesome, or the unpromising. He never name-called, never judged, never treated a single person with contempt. Christ talked to everybody, he mingled with everybody, he shared his message with everybody, and he also loved everybody. So don't count the cost with anybody either. We don't waste our time with people who don't want what we have to offer. But if they do, one form of martyrdom is to give a listening ear or an understanding smile to all comers. Heather King

  Staying Together When The Enemy Tries To Drive Us Apart The atomization of contemporary life has left most of us vulnerable to demoralization—and therefore, to manipulation. Christians are no different. It’s easy for believers to feel that they are all alone, even when they are gathered at worship. By their indifference to solidarity, and surrendering to social disintegration as the new normal, Christians make it easier for those in power who hate us to control us.  We desperately need to throw off the chains of solitude and find the freedom that awaits us in fellowship. The testimony of anti-communist dissidents is clear: Only in solidarity with others can we find the spiritual and communal strength to resist. The longer we remain isolated in a period of liberty, the harder it will be to find one another in a time of persecution. We must see in our brothers and sisters not a burden of obligation but the blessing of our own freedom from loneliness, suspicion, and defeat....