Reflecting Him

Daily Reflection – 5/13/2024

Sacred Scripture

The disciples said to Jesus, “Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (John 16:29-33)

Reflection

Jesus knew the hearts of his disciples better than they knew.  He knew they would desert him in his hour of trial.  Such knowledge could have easily led to bitterness and rejection.  But Jesus met the injury of betrayal and disloyalty with supreme love and trust in his disciples.  He loved his disciples to the very end even when they left him alone to die on the cross.  He knew that the cross would not bring defeat but victory over sin and death. 

The last words of Jesus here are words of confidence and hope: “But take courage; I have conquered the world.” Even as he goes to his death, Jesus knows that victory will be his. He will overcome, through his cross, all the negative powers that try to prevent his love from reaching the ends of the earth.

Jesus speaks the same word to us today.  “My love for you is unconditional and I will never abandon you”. While we cannot avoid all pain and suffering in this life, Jesus, assures us that he will be at our side to guide us safely through any difficulty or trial we may have to undergo for his sake.

That gift is immeasurable. We will never be alone. When we are at the lowest point of our life, his love, his promise, his strength sustains us.

I know and understand that It takes courage to believe when we are faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles and difficulties of life. It is at times like these that our faith is tested and tried. It is at times like these when we have to ask ourselves whether we believe that God is still working for our good.

To have courage in the face of adversity, to believe in the face of trials, and to trust and have faith when everything seems to be going wrong, is to have the confidence in the Father that Jesus had. But that is our gift from Christ.

All we need to do is to claim it. How? We need to open ourselves to God’s abundant grace and realize the impermanence of all that assails us. It is to understand that this world is mortal, but the love of Christ is not. We can and will overcome the problems, sufferings and pain of this world if we sit with Him each day, ask Him to let His presence be known to us and take His love into our lives. It works because He promises us his steadfast love and constant companionship.

Take those words and that promise and make them real in your life. Let those words fill you, feed you and sustain you.

Believe and it will be.

The Lord Jesus gives us the gift of his Holy Spirit who fills us with expectant faith, persevering hope, and unfailing love to help us stay the course which he has set for us.

While we may forget the Lord and fail him, he will never forget us nor fail to come to our aid.

Prayer of The Day

 “Lord, help me to trust in your saving power, especially when I meet adversities and trials.  Give me your peace when I am troubled and let me know the joy of your victory over sin and death.”

Daily Note

Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and the victory he has won for us (Romans 8:35-39). The Holy Spirit gives us the strength and courage we need to overcome every adversity and to persevere with faith and hope in God. Do you believe in the power of Christ’s love for you and in the victory, he has won for you through his death and resurrection?

Daily Reflection – 5/10/2024

Sacred Scripture

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”(John 16:20-23)

Reflection

As Jesus approached his crucifixion, he tried to help his disciples. He knew that they would be faced with a huge challenge when they saw him die on the cross. To prepare them, he explained that this was part of the great story that he had called them into. Their grief would be turned to joy, and the story would take on a whole new meaning.

You and I have come in later in the story. We know about Jesus’ resurrection! We understand that the victory of the cross changed humankind and left its promise for all of us.

But at times we lose sight of God’s story. We forget that our joy comes from Jesus’ salvation, not from the story that the world offers us. Losing focus, we can begin to lose our trust that God is with us. Some even despair and live their lives around false prophets. But there is only the victory of the cross that truly opens us to eternal life.

If we can try to center our life in Jesus’ victory, we will know a joy, a stability, and a peace that nothing in this world can take away.

We need to make God our daily sustenance. We need to understand what is expected of us. We need to accept that every single one of us has a purpose and to fulfill that purpose, we need to find it and make it part of who we are,

How do we do that? It comes only through a deep connection with our God, one built on and sustained by a deep reservoir of prayer and daily living His word.

True faith requires work on our part. It is not simply prayer, nor is it simply studying the word of God, nor going to church, or availing ourselves of the sacraments. It is all of those combined with living out and standing up for our faith.

At times, in today’s world, that seems as if it’s a daunting task. But his disciples lived and taught their faith even to the point of martyrs’ deaths. The Easter victory of the Lord Jesus gives us courage, strength, and confident hope in the face of suffering and death. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ our fears are laid to rest. His resurrection is total and final triumph over death, and for us peace and joy in the confident hope that we, too, will be raised to everlasting life with Christ.

We will have trials in this present age -. but, through the eyes of faith, we know the outcome – complete victory over sin, suffering, and death in Jesus Christ.

His word, our prayer, our lives combined with one eternal and immoveable reality. Jesus is always with us. Today Jesus is certain to come to us.  Never forget that you are part of an epic story. You are one of the “great cloud of witnesses” whose lives have been changed by the Lord (Hebrews 12:1). You aren’t just a passive observer; you’re an active participant. You have a role to play today in moving this story forward.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord, I surrender my anguish and burdens to You.  I unite them to Your Cross and trust that You will be there in all things walking with me through my life.  May I keep my eyes on the goal and rejoice in Your steadfast love.  Jesus, I trust in You.”

Daily Note

Jesus wants his disciples to know and believe that after the difficult days of his crucifixion and death, new life will come forth for them.  Jesus also wants us to know and believe that after our difficult days, we also will experience new life.  Once again, we will see him and experience His presence with us.   We will be able to rejoice when Jesus gifts us with new life and hope.

Daily Reflection – 5/9/2024

Sacred Scripture

“A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me.” So some of his disciples said to one another, “What does this mean that he is saying to us, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” So they said, “What is this ‘little while’ [of which he speaks]? We do not know what he means.” Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing with one another what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.” (John 16:16-20)

Reflection

I am sure you remember, as I do, driving in a car with a small child to a special destination. The child was filled with excitement and anticipation. In one way or another, the child asked: “How much longer before we get there?” Perhaps you were the child and you asked the question.

All the joy felt by the child was well and good. Their full attention was on the destination. For that moment in time, there was nothing else.

As adults, we tend, at times, to slip into the same mode. If it is a moment of celebratory joy, we focus with great anticipation on that moment. We focus on the “how long question.” If we have problems and distress, we pray for relief and/or strength to carry us through. We focus not only on the “how long” but we often add the “why” question.

Jesus had to prepare the disciples psychologically for the sufferings they would encounter. He was teaching them to look beyond the moment and even the event. This is what Jesus Christ is trying to tell us today. That while we are here on earth we will have to suffer, weep and mourn for the sake of the Kingdom of God especially because that which the world does is the opposite of what God wants the world to do.

Human frailty, vanity and ego often get in the way of the Lord. When that happens, we know the evil one abounds. The goal of evil is to separate us from the One who loves us so completely.

For our sake and for our salvation, we must remember that Jesus is always here and providing for us. There is no need to worry or to be afraid. There is no need to doubt. In our darkest moments is when we must let His love and light shine in our hearts.

 If we keep striving to follow Him and to serve Him in our lives, then we will certainly see Him in our lives now and at the moment we pass over. And just like the moment that a mother sees her newborn baby, there will be nothing but joy at that moment when we see our Jesus.

As we look beyond the horizon, we must always remember that the certainty of the Resurrection is the certainty of newness, of new life for us. A prisoner has joy in being set free from captivity. But that joy is complete and made full when he or she puts the walls of the prison far behind them and in righteousness and confidence, really enjoys a life of freedom.

The brilliant light that lies beyond the horizon is that after all these sufferings, paradise awaits us in heaven where we will join the communion of Angels and Saints to live happily and eternally in the presence of God.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord, I do want to gaze upon You.  I want to see Your splendor and glory.  I want to see You risen from the dead and take great joy and delight in this reality.  Help me, dear Lord, to experience the incredible joy that comes from knowing You, our Resurrected Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.”

Daily Note

Reflect, today, upon your own reaction to the reality of the Resurrection of our Lord.  Spend some time today gazing upon the Risen Lord.  Look at His victory.  Look at His glory.  Look at Him who calls you to a deep faith.  With your eyes fixed on Him, all else that tempts you to discouragement simply fades away.

Daily Reflection – 5/8/2024

Sacred Scripture

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason, I told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12-15)

Reflection

The disciples stood on the beginning of a world about to be transformed by the teachings of Christ.

Yet, at that time, Jesus’ teachings, rich in wisdom and parable, often left more questions than answers. But there was a promise from Christ– a beacon of hope that said they would never walk alone; that they would be equipped to continue their mission beyond what they could then comprehend. This promise was the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We see this promise fulfilled at Pentecost, where the disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit, went beyond their human limitations to bear witness to Christ in a myriad of languages and missions. But what does all that mean for us today?

To understand that we can turn to the wisdom offered by Augustine of Hippo, who poetically wrote about the restless yearning of the human heart for God. “You have made us, O God, for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Within that statement, there is an intrinsic truth about our nature and desire. In our choices, relationships, and even our dreams, we knowingly or unknowingly, seek and pray for the presence of God — for we know that every good and perfect thing flows from Him.

Thomas Aquinas wrote a complementary perspective, stating that our inherent human orientation is towards God’s goodness because of our divine creation. We are, according to Aquinas, “hardwired” to pursue goodness because it reflects the ultimate good that is God.

Here is where our humanity is tested. It’ s not the inclination towards desiring God that we find challenging, for that desire is etched into our very being. But the true trial lies in distinguishing the genuine goodness of God from all the illusions created by humankind.

THAT is where the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in our lives comes into prominence in our lives (John 16: 12-15.). Jesus, understanding the limitations of human comprehension and the vast expanse of divine wisdom yet to be revealed, promised the Spirit of truth to his disciples. The Holy Spirit is not a mere external guide but an indwelling presence that directs us towards the profound truths of God’s kingdom, helping us discern the real from the guise, the everlasting from the ephemeral.

Jesus assured his disciples, and by extension, us, that the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all the truth…and declare to you the things that are to come.” This assurance holds a promise of continuous revelation and guidance, a beacon that not only reveals God’s wisdom, power, and glory but also invites us into a deeper communion with Him. Through the Holy Spirit, we are offered a glimpse into the boundless joy and freedom found in living within God’s love and truth.

The Holy Spirit awaits us, desiring to guide our lives toward the genuine good for which we were created. In acknowledging this divine gift, we are invited to explore the depths of our desire for God, allowing the Holy Spirit to illuminate our path, clarify our choices, and lead us into the fullness of truth.

May we open our hearts to the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit, trusting in the divine wisdom that leads us to the fulfillment of our deepest yearnings and into the loving embrace of God.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and guide me in your way of life, truth, and goodness. Free me from ignorance of your truth, and from deception and moral blindness caused by sinful pride and the refusal to believe and obey your word of truth. May I love you with all of my heart, mind, and strength, and seek to please you in all things.”

Daily Note

Jesus knew that his disciples could not fully understand on their own everything he had taught and revealed to them while he was physically present with them. He knew that they would need the ongoing guidance and help of the Holy Spirit after he returned to his Father in heaven. That is why he assured them that the Holy Spirit would take what he had spoken to them and guide them into a fuller understanding of God’s wisdom, power, and glory he wished to share with them so they could live in the joy and freedom of his love and truth.

Daily Reflection – 5/7/2024

Sacred Scripture

But now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.( John 16:5-11)

Reflection

Have you ever thought about how our life is filled with good-byes?

It begins in our earliest years as we pass from one threshold of age to another. In each threshold, there is a good-bye to someone or something. As we grow older the good-byes multiply to people, places, milestones, things. Admittedly, it is true that most good-byes are followed by a “hello” to another person, place or event. But saying good-bye is always difficult.

The Apostles knew about saying good-bye. They had already said good-bye to their former lives to follow Jesus. So, their hearts are filled with the sadness each of us has known when we say good-bye permanently. But our good Lord knows their hearts and in this Gospel passage, he not only reassures them of not being alone but also lets them know why they are receiving this gift.

I sometimes think we don’t truly appreciate and recognize what it is that Jesus is saying here.  It was necessary that Jesus leave, because He wanted to send us something very special.  Now just think about that for a second.  Why couldn’t Jesus have simply remained with us, and sent the Holy Spirit?  Why was it necessary for Him to leave for the Holy Spirit to come?  How on earth is this a better outcome?  The answer is Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit is sent to complete God’s work in us.  While Jesus takes on human flesh and becomes one of us, the Holy Spirit enters into humanity to become one in us.  I think it is worthy of silent reflection to bask in the awe that God has united Himself to us in this way.  We have the Holy Spirit in us, and He shares with us His gifts, His power, His life!  No longer are we children of darkness and sin, but the Holy Spirit has transformed us into children of God. There is a profound realization in the belief that the Holy Spirit is within each of us. What is that realization?

Our life are not  defined by our weaknesses, our failures, our sins, our fears. Instead, our life is defined by His love and our measure of that is living up to the love He has for us.

Each of us is a temple of the Lord because God, through the Holy Spirit, resides in us.

I pray earnestly that each of you takes that into your heart and begins to live each day free of anxieties, free of thoughts regarding what you could have/should have done. Live knowing His love of you and let that be THE definition of your life!

When Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to come and burn the hearts of His early disciples so that they may all remain united to Him and the Father, so that they may be one with Him in both spirit and in truth, He had in His heart the intentions of every person of all generations. He had all of us in His heart so that we may be filled by His presence, so that we may have Him always despite all that may come to separate us from Him.

Jesus’ love for us is constant and His kindness endures forever.

Prayer of The Day

“Come Holy Spirit, and let the fire of your love burn in my heart. Let me desire only what is pure, lovely, holy and good and in accord with the will of God and give me the courage to put away all that is not pleasing in your sight.”

Daily Note

Saying goodbye permanently to a loved one or a friend is always a heart wrenching experience. We may even wish that there would be no more goodbyes anymore. But the reality of life is that we shall say goodbye permanently someday whether we like it or not, we shall say goodbye on a time that God has willed for us. But let us not allow our goodbye be a forgetful experience by not doing something indelible in the lives of our fellowmen. As we live in this world let us do something good that will remain forever in the minds of those who know us. So that when our time to say goodbye comes, our beautiful deeds will forever be imprinted in the hearts of those who know us.

Daily Reflection – 5/6/2024

Sacred Scripture

But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. . . .I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. (John 15:26-16:4)

Reflection

We all have moments of doubt. We all have moments when we evaluate the morality of a thought, a word, an action. We all have moments when the beauty and goodness of God shines bright through the deeds of another.

Throughout all of those moments is a constant. A constant that we might overlook at times. That constant is throughout scripture – from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelations.

That constant is the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is and was a gift of God. We have been given the Holy Spirit to help us live as disciples of Jesus Christ. The Spirit gives us courage and perseverance when we meet adversities and challenges. The Spirit gives us wisdom when we contemplate a decision. The Spirit is the breath of God that each of us has.

Have you ever thought about the fact that the scriptures are always showing us what the Spirit does? Tracing those actions is important, because what the Spirit does tells us what God does. A history of the Spirit’s actions etches a portrait of our invisible God. We can identify seven actions of God’s Spirit within the scriptures. God’s Spirit creates, sustains, saves, judges, inspires, equips, and guides.

And that is the gift.
The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to know God personally. He gives us experiential knowledge of God as our Father. The Holy Spirit reveals to us the knowledge, wisdom and plan of God for the ages and the Spirit enables us to see with the “eyes of faith” what the Father and the Son are doing. Through the gift and working of the Holy Spirit we become witnesses to the great work of God in Christ Jesus.

this promised power from on high, this One whose task is to make Jesus present to us at our every breath, making us participants in his work–whether we are conscious of it or not.

Each of us is Christ’s minister of grace in our homes, our work places, our communities, our families and among our friends. That is where each of us lives out the Spirit. In those moments when we live out the presence of the Spirit, each of us becomes an icon of Christ.

Each day when we listen and open our hearts to the voice of the Holy Spirit, we become part of Cristian history spanning more than two millennia. While each of us may not find our way into published history, each of us perpetuates that history.

The Advocate is here, among, with, and in you and me–the chosen. The chosen. Think about that as you move through life.

Prayer of The Day

“Come, Holy Spirit, come and fill us with your power. Come and fill us with truth. Come and fill us with Christ Himself that we may bear him faithfully in our lives. This we ask in His name and for His sake. Amen.”

Daily Note

Jesus offers his disciples the best and truest of friends. Who is this promised friend? Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our counselor and advocate. Counselor is a legal term for the person who defends someone against an adversary and who guides that person during the ordeal of trial. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Helper who guides and strengthens us and brings us safely through the challenges and adversities we must face in this life.

Daily Reflection – 5/3/2024

Sacred Scripture

“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.” (John 15:12-17)

Reflection

“Love one another.”

The beauty and the power of those words have reverberated throughout Christianity since they were first uttered.

On the face of it, the words are simple. But to most, the power of living those words seems almost herculean. After all, as humans, we are subject to human frailties . . . anger, self-pity, inadequacy, emotions, sadness, fatigue and more. How can we rise to the challenge of loving one another as He loved us?

We can IF we focus on a key phrase of this discourse by Jesus. “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain.” We live in a time when we have deep fear about our personal powerlessness. Institutions and problems seem to not only dwarf us but to consume us.  But we are not powerless. God created us for a purpose. Jesus reminds us that each of us is chosen. Yes, you and I have been chosen.  We need to internalize that before we can open ourselves to the task of loving.

But even more empowering is that Jesus promises that our love will not only bear fruit, but fruit which abides. In other words, lives motivated by love have meaning. They’re fertile.  They’re powerful. They live. Think for a moment of the child you were or a child that was part of you. Isn’t that love powerful? Isn’t that love a thing of beauty? Isn’t that love a treasure? You chose, either through parentage, or adoption, or family to foster that love. Having fostered that love, there is nothing that you would not do . . . including laying down your life for that love.

Again, reflect, understand and then embrace the fact that you are chosen by God. Chosen to be part of His plan of salvation. You and I are not mere mortals or pawns on a chessboard. You and I are individuals chosen to fulfill His gospel of love.

And once we grasp it, then we need to understand that we are fueled by a power far greater than we could imagine. Jesus tells us that he is our friend and he loves us whole-heartedly and unconditionally. He wants us to love one another just as he loves us, whole-heartedly and without reserve. His love fills our hearts and transforms our minds and frees us to give ourselves in loving service to others. If we open our hearts to his love and obey his command to love our neighbor, then we will bear much fruit in our lives, fruit that will last for eternity.

Remember those words. You are chosen. You are appointed. Your witness of love will and does enable others to love, to believe and to hold on to His promise. May God grant each of us the unselfish love to hear His voice . . . and the courage to act on it by following His call.

Prayer of The Day

“Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that we do your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Prayer of Ignatius of Loyola)

Daily Note

No matter how “unqualified” we may feel at times to make a difference, we must remember that God does not see us that way. Rather, He sees the infinite potential within each of us and chooses to use that potential for the building up of His Kingdom. Reflect, this day, on those two short phrases: “I have chosen you” and “Go and bear fruit.” Accepting your call from God will change your life and will also change the lives of those whom you are called to serve.

Daily Reflection – 5/2/2024

Sacred Scripture

Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” (John 15: 9-11)

Reflection

In today’s scripture, Jesus speaks a truth as enduring as the stars—God’s unfathomable love for us. It is a love that stretches across the universe, touching each heart with a warmth and depth that is both invigorating and consoling. This love, pure and unchanging, invites us into a divine dialogue that reveals the essence of who we are and whose we are.

Further, these words are not merely uttered but are anchored in an astonishing reality—He loves us “just as the Father loves me.” This divine affection, perfect in its essence, is bestowed upon us with a generosity that knows no bounds. The love that the Father bears for the Son, a love perfect and complete, is the same love extended to each one of us. Saint Paul intimately understood this as he expressed, “He loved me and gave his life for me” (Gal 2:20).

Jesus’s words also reveals a truth about our existence. We are not solitary wanderers on this earth, left to fend against the tempests of life with nothing but our fragile strength. No, we are cherished beyond measure by a Love that went to the cross for our sake. This divine love is neither abstract nor distant but is as real as the air we breathe and as constant as the beating of our hearts.

However, knowing of this love is also a beginning. Jesus invites us, commands us, “Remain in my love.” This beckoning is a call to action that challenges us to dwell deeply and securely within this love, shaping our lives and decisions around its compelling force. It is here remaining in that love, that we find the fulcrum of our faith and the source of our joy. For as we remain in His love, we align ourselves with His will, embedding our existence in something greater than ourselves, something eternal.

To live in accordance with God’s commandments is to engage in a profound act of love, mirroring the love Jesus has for the Father by cherishing His will. It is through this lens of love that the commandments transform from mere rules to follow into expressions of love to live by. Our love for God and, consequently, for what He loves compels us to love others, to spread the warmth of God’s affection through acts of kindness, mercy, and compassion.

In the modern world, where the chase for perfection and satisfaction often leads to dead ends and disillusionment, Christ’s words ring out as a beacon of true fulfillment. “Just as my Father loves me, I love you.” In Christ, we are reminded that our worth is not tied to the transient or the tangible. Our value, instead, is inherent, given by the One who formed us in the womb, who calls us to a life not just of earthly contentment but of heavenly bliss.

For those who may have encountered a portrayal of God as anything less than loving, or who doubt their worthiness of such love, Jesus reassures, “I love you…just as my Father loves me.” This is the heart of the Gospel, the core of our faith, and the source of our hope. It is an invitation to an eternal relationship founded on divine love, urging us to shift our gaze from the fleeting to the everlasting, from the imperfect love of this world to the perfect love of the Father.

“Remain in my love,” Jesus tells us (John 15: 9-11). In these words, lies the secret to a life of fulfillment and peace—a life anchored in God’s love, radiating trust, and marked by obedience to His will. It is here, within the infinite warmth of God’s love, that we truly find ourselves, discover our purpose, and receive the grace to love in return, unreservedly and unconditionally.

In the end, to dwell in God’s words of love is to accept the most profound and beautiful invitation of all—to remain forever in the heart of God’s Love, growing, learning, and loving, in the boundless and breathtaking wonder of His presence.

Prayer of The Day

“Father above, we thank you and praise you for the gift of this day. Lord, thank you for all that you have blessed us with. Lord, help us to never stray and to always remain in your loving care. Lord, you choose to pour out your love and mercy on us no matter what, help us never to forget this. We ask this all through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Daily Note

There is nothing that we can take more peace and comfort in than knowing that we have a God that loves us so much and only wants us to have the best. He is love Himself, the source of all love; and there is nothing greater in this world than loving and being loved. We have a chance to remain in the source of love, but we must choose to live by His rules, not our own. If we are obedient servants and choose to live by His commandments, then we can live in His love. If we choose to go it our own way, then we cut ourselves off from this life-giving love that He offers us.

Daily Reflection – 5/1/2024

Sacred Scripture

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”(John 15:1-8)

Reflection

There is both a profound beauty and majesty in today’s scripture.

It’s the invitation to keep our lives centered on Jesus Christ and in so doing, our lives will be blessed abundantly. Not so much in terms of materiality but rather that our lives are magnified by His presence in us.

He is the true vine and each of us has the opportunity to be a fruitful branch. Our actions, our words, our very being can be used to bring Him glory. Our actions, our words, our very being can be used to bring others to Him. Our actions, our words, our very being can be used to magnify His love for us throughout the world. He wants our lives to be fruitful and He wants to use us as powerful instruments of His grace in the world.  That is both humbling and, at the same time, glorious!

In truth, isn’t that what we believe as followers of Christ? Christianity is not a religion of “don’ts” but one of “do’s”. Christ is very definite about it, “You must bear fruit in plenty,” fruits of good works.  The only thing that matters is “faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6) or as St James beautifully put it: “What good is it to profess faith without practicing it? Such faith has no power to save one, has it?”

We bear fruit abundantly by being attached to and living in the Vine, Jesus Christ . We must be abiding in Jesus and He in us, and stay in communion with all the others who abide in Jesus. This life of union with Christ is necessarily something which goes far beyond one’s private life: it has to be focused on the good of others; and if this happens, a fruitful blessing is the result.

But Jesus reminds us that there is a balancing that must take place continuously. It lies in a spiritual pruning that each of us is called to do. A life of good acts which is not accompanied by a life focused on Jesus Christ falls far short. So too does a life of prayer not accompanied by being Jesus to one another.

Spiritual pruning takes the form of letting God eliminate the vices in our lives so that the virtues can be properly nourished.  This is especially done by letting Him humble us and strip away our pride.  This can hurt, but the pain associated with being humbled by God is a key to spiritual growth.  By growing in humility, we grow ever more reliant upon the source of our nourishment rather than relying upon ourselves, our own ideas and our own plans.  God is infinitely wiser than us and if we can continually turn to Him as our source, we will be far stronger and better prepared to let Him do great things through us. 

I pray that this day each of us will allow the Lord to prune away all that is not of Him in our lives.  Trust in Him and His divine plan and know that this is the only path to bearing the good fruit God wants to bear through you.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord, may I be one with you in all that I say and do.  Draw me close that I may glorify you and bear fruit for your kingdom. Inflame my heart with your love and remove from it anything that would make me ineffective or unfruitful in loving and serving you as My All.”

Daily Note

There are many seductions and distractions in our world also inviting us to make our home in them but if we do our branch will wither and we will not bear fruit. There are many voices in the world telling us to eat the apple from the tree and then we will have life and all will be well. But after eating the apple we discover that we are worse and even more unhappy. So, we make our home in Jesus. He alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life and when we make our home in Him, we bear fruit.

Daily Reflection – 4/30/2024

Sacred Scripture

Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.” (John 14:27-31)

Reflection

Jesus knew His disciples were anxious as they looked to their future. So Jesus gave them His most precious gift. . . the gift of peace. At that moment, they may not have fully understood what that meant but it was Jesus Christ telling them not to be” troubled or afraid.”

In the weeks and months that followed that supper, each of them came to understand that gift of peace. Each of them would overcome worldly strife, pain and even death. Yet, each died in peace.

It seems more difficult to maintain peace of mind and spirit. Today’s world seems devoid of it. Why do so many of us find that peace so elusive? Why do so many of us find peace so fleeting?

The answer is that each day our sense of peace is attacked. Attacked? Yes, attacked by the evil one. He seeks to find us dispirited. If we are dispirited, then it’s easier for him to gain a foothold in our lives. He knows that if a soul is grounded in Christ, peace is there, and he has no place.

There comes a point in all of our lives when we must decide whether we are for Christ. If we answer that we stand with Christ, then we need to act on it. Not words that sound good or are used to impress others but rather submitting our lives to Christ.

It takes no less than that. It’s dying to our selves and choosing to live IN Christ. When we submit ourselves to Christ and allow Christ to be the center of our lives then we are truly living our faith. Christ rules, Christ governs our heart.

Where He is, there is peace.

If you feel battered, or worn out, or riddled by worry, then you must give in and turn over the problem or the issue to Him. Turn it over to Him.

Literally saying I can’t carry this cross alone, but I will if I have you at my side. He is there. He is present in each of us in the Holy Spirit. Yield to his love and give him your trust. Give Him your life.

It’s through the gift and work of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, that the Lord Jesus shows us how to yield our passions of anger, fear, and pride to Him so we can receive His gift of peace. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness and strengthens us with his gifts and supernatural virtues which enable us to live as wise and holy disciples of Christ.

Jesus called Satan the “ruler of this world” (John 14:30) who seeks to rob people of peace and friendship with God. Jesus defeated the evil one through his death and resurrection and won pardon and peace for all who believe in him. The victory of the cross brought glory to Jesus and to the Father and it is our way to glory with the Father in heaven as well. In the Cross of Christ, we find true peace and reconciliation with God our Father.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus may your peace be always with me. May no troubling thought, trial or affliction rob me of the peace which passes all understanding. You, alone, O Lord, are my Peace. May I always reside in that peace by believing in your word and by doing your will.”

Daily Note

Jesus says to you and me, I give you peace right in the midst of trouble, right in the midst of distress and turmoil and heartache and pressure. I can impart peace to your heart right there, and not as the world gives. How? Why? Because we can return to that basic relationship we have–You in Me, and I in you.

 Out of that comes the guarantee that He is working out His purposes. He will bring us to the end of the trouble. He will still the storm and quiet the waves. We rest in the boat, content, knowing, no water can swallow the ship, where lies the Master of ocean and earth and sky. That is peace.