Reflecting Him

Daily Reflection – 5/18/2023

Sacred Scripture

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”(Matthew 28: 16-20)

Reflection

Christ chose the disciples not for what they were, but for what they would be capable of becoming under his direction and power. The world they were commissioned to serve was as tumultuous, as fractured and as topsy turvy as the world that faces us every day.

Guess what? The world we have inhabited needs us involved in His Kingdom just as the Apostles did. We are ordinary people who believe in the Word and do our best to live the Word.

The very best primer on living the Word is to look at the Beatitudes to see how God sees.

God sees as blessed those who are poor. God sees as valuable those who mourn, those who are lonely, those who are persecuted. The Beatitudes reveal that God is committed to those who are in need and those who suffer. It is because God is present to them, they are blessed. 

The Beatitudes do not say that it is a blessed or wonderful thing to be poor, or to be grieving, or to be persecuted. They do assert that whenever any of these distressful things happen to us, God comes to us. God is attracted to us because God knows our needs.

The challenge for us today is to stand in our faith that our God is recreating the world and calling us to participate. We are called to believe that God through Christ is establishing the kingdom. How Christ is going to lead us into that kingdom is not entirely clear. But this much is clear: If we are going to follow Christ, we have to begin by claiming his vision—we must  see the world as God sees it.

It would be a world where peace triumphs over war, where people are liberated rather than exploited, where there is compassion and mercy for everyone. It would be a world that shuns violence and cares for the vulnerable first, a world of generosity over greed, a world of humility over arrogance, a world that embraces rather than excludes, a world where truth prevails over lies—the world as God sees it

In that vision lies our role. We need to be the nurses of the Divine Physician healing the wounds of those today. The Church is a field hospital in battle, it’s a trauma unit, and so many are wounded physically, emotionally, relationally, spiritually. We’re sent out as his apostles to try to care for people in their illnesses and to let Jesus and his healing into their lives, remembering that Jesus never healed just for healing’s sake, but to bring people to the deepest type of healing of all, spiritual healing by faith.

There it all is. You and I are called to triage in today’s world. Every small step we take to heal, to put on a band aid, to offer comfort and hope, to love in spite of another’s differences, to dry the tears of another, to offer our arms as an emotional sanctuary are all steps to building His kingdom.

What a great way to live our lives. I might even sign up for taking extra shifts!

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, you have chosen me to be your disciple. Take and use what I can offer, however meager it may seem, for the greater glory of your name.”

Daily Note

Those who follow Jesus must be people of hope because God cares for us in our need. We must also be people of solidarity, solidarity with the poor and oppressed. If God is close to those who struggle, if God is close to those who are persecuted or in need, we must act towards them in the same way. We cannot worship God and ignore those for whom God cares. We must as followers of Jesus be people who are committed to eliminating poverty and injustice and oppression because those are the very things that our God is also committed to eliminate.

Daily Reflection – 5/17/2023

Sacred Scripture

“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 from 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

Stop for a moment and humor me. If we were to portray the Trinity in a song, every one of us would immediately say: “I know that tune.”

But do we?

The mystery and the absolute power contained in the Christian belief in the Holy Trinity is enormous. Yet in its enormity, there is also a simplicity that can guide us and help deepen our faith.

It is important for us to know and understand that God is not just the transcendent Father in Heaven far away from us.  We need to know that God the Son is willing to suffer and die for us.  We need to know that God is always near to us in the Holy Spirit Think about it. Our God is in the heavens. Yet, he found a way to reach us in our everyday lives.  The Father in the heavens, the Son bridging the gap between being God and being human, and the Holy Spirit drawing us to trust that God has bridged the gap and is near.

The Holy Spirit transcends time and space so that we can be with Jesus and the Father at all times. How?   Simply because the Holy Spirit is the same substance and existence as the Father and the Son.

Being the Trinity means that God cares.  Being the Trinity means that God wants to be active in your life and be near.  He will never leave you orphaned.  He will never leave you alone.   How we access God is through prayer, which is talking and listening to God in the Holy Spirit.  We access the active God through receiving the sacraments.  We access the Holy Trinity by reading the Holy Word of God and by worshiping and doing things in his name for his Glory.

But professing our faith in the Triune God is not enough. We must live as if we truly believe what we proclaim. We have been saved by our Triune God and we are continually brought by this same God to a deeper appreciation of the truths of a life of faith. That life is one to be lived in union with God and with each other. The unity within the Trinity is the model placed before us today. That unity is central to our faith and to our life. Living a life of divisiveness and separation one from another is not living in the model of the Triune God given to us. The three divine persons work together for the salvation of all. So too, must we work together for the good of all, over and over and over.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and guide me into your way of truth.  Free me from erroneous and false ways and lead me in the knowledge of your ways and your will for my life.  May there be nothing in my life that is not under your lordship.”

Daily Note

Since God is the source of all truth, then the closer we draw to him and listen to his word, the more we grow in the knowledge of him and of his great love and wisdom for us.  Jesus told his disciples that he would send them the Spirit of truth who will announce to you the things to come.  Through the Holy Spirit, we proclaim our ancient faith in the saving death and resurrection of Christ until he comes again. The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit as our divine Teacher and Helper that we may grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God.  Do you seek the wisdom that comes from above and do you willingly obey God’s word?

Daily Reflection – 5/15/2023

Sacred Scripture

“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.( John 15:26-16:4)

Reflection

Jesus, speaking in the setting of the last supper, tells his disciples that he is speaking to them in the way he is so that ‘your faith may not be shaken’. Jesus was aware that beyond the time of his death and resurrection, his disciples’ faith in him would be shaken and put to the test.

He knows that suffering will come their way, in the form of persecution and hostility, and suffering might be undermining of their faith in him.

The words of Jesus to his disciples can speak to our experience.

Our own faith can be shaken by various experiences.

Sometimes it is personal suffering through the illness or death of a loved one, sometimes it is through  the efforts of others to undermine our faith, or the failures of  people of faith whom we trusted – all of these experiences and many others can contribute to our faith being shaken.

Jesus makes a promise to his disciples, and to all of us. He promises to send the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, and he tells us that this Spirit will enable us to witness him, even in the dark experiences of life.

He wants them, and us, to know that we will never be alone.

His presence is always with us. The paraclete (translated as one who is close by us) is there. The power of our Lord is beyond words and comprehension. Even in those times when our prayers seem not to be answered, the Holy Spirit is there to guide us, to hold our hand, to show us a way out of the darkness, to remind us that our faith is a gift from God. The giver will always be there to. It is truly the gift that never ends.

The need for reassurance in our faith is even greater, for most of us live in a distraction-filled world. Most modern Christians have the vocation of living the Gospel and being wives, husbands, religious, ministers and priests as well. Then there are the vocations imposed on them by their various professions. Sometimes. It is not very easy to be able to experience the effect of the resurrection in our lives. Each of us needs all the help we can get. That is accomplished in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. We need him for the progress of that ongoing conversion that must characterize our lives as Christians. We need the Spirit that Jesus speaks.

When our faith feels fragile, there can be no better prayer to pray than, ‘Come Holy Spirit, fill my heart’ or in that lovely prayer to the Holy Spirit, ‘Heal our wounds, our strength renews; On our dryness pour thy dew’.

Prayer of The Day

“O merciful God, fill our hearts, we pray, with the graces of your Holy Spirit; with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control.  Teach us to love those who hate us; to pray for those who despitefully use us; that we may be the children of your love, our Father, who makes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  In adversity grant us grace to be patient; in prosperity keep us humble; may we guard the door of our lips; may we lightly esteem the pleasures of this world, and thirst after heavenly things; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Prayer of Anselm, 1033-1109)

Daily Note

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. Do you pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen you in faith, hope and love and to give you courage and perseverance when you meet adversities and challenges?

Daily Reflection – 5/12/2023

Sacred Scripture

Jesus said to his disciples: “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

Today Jesus tells us to love one another as He loved us. Wow! That is quite a mandate! Is Jesus telling us to “give our all” as He did? Jesus loved us so deeply that He was willing to die for us! What a singular gift that was. It raises the question for us: are we willing to “die” for one another?

Jesus asks us to “die” for one another. Jesus does not literally mean we are to “die.” Yet, when we give fully and freely of ourselves to the people in our lives, in a sense, we are dying to ourselves. We are putting others first, rather than ourselves. We freely give of our time, attention, care, and love. Is there a better gift we can give to the people we love and cherish? What better gift can we give to our world? 
Take a moment and ask yourself: who are the people who “die” for you? What are the gifts you receive from them: love, attention, care, a phone call, interest or help when you need it? Could there be any better gifts to receive?

Yet, we often take these seemingly “small” gifts for granted especially since kind and thoughtful people naturally extend themselves over and over again. They don’t count the times they gave of themselves. They don’t ask for an I.O.U. They give because they love and love has no physical dimension nor does it carry a price tag. Love is priceless.

I invite you to take a few moments this evening and consciously remember the “gifts” you received today. Then remember the people who gifted you! Give thanks to God (and perhaps to them) for their presence in your life! 

Equally as important, have you loved them back? What about a friend who moved away? Do you go out of your way to keep in touch? What about your use of the words “thank you?’ Are they the stopping point for your appreciation of a loving act or loving word or loving presence? Or do you extend the love inherent in “thank you?” by an act of kindness?

One of the most meaningful activities I have always enjoyed were weekly visits to nursing homes and assisted care living facilities. On each visit, I left both humbled and filled. Humbled because I see the effects of loving words and small acts of kindness to those that receive little attention. Filled because those moments of being with each resident bring me indescribable job. With each person, I am focused solely on that person. In those moments, I am filled with warmth, and love and joy.

The love, the call and our service are at the root of a great and sustaining joy in life as Jesus wants ‘our joy to be complete’ and we join our lives to his vision of the world and how it might be.

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 Loyola) 

Daily Note

God not only chooses us to belong to Him, He also chooses us for His mission. He wants to use us to go and bear fruit for His Kingdom. He wants to use us for a sacred purpose and a divine calling. 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.

Daily Reflection – 5/11/2023

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 Gospel, Jesus says the most important words in the history of the world. They’re important whenever anyone says them, but the fact that God himself said them in the way that he said them makes them life-changing: “I love you,” he tells us.

But then, Jesus puts them into a context that ought to astound us: “Just as the Father loves me, I love you.” The Father loves him perfectly. The Father loves him profoundly and intimately. And Jesus tells us that he loves us in that same way. And he doesn’t merely love us “all” in that way, but he loves each of us in that way, as St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians, “He loved me and gave his life for me” (Gal 2:20).

Grasping the enormity of God’s love  is essential not only for the Christian life but for human life. We need the love of family, the love of friends, the spousal love of a husband or wife, the total self-giving love of someone who values us that much. Without it, we’re lost. We’re an enigma to ourselves.

And what is true in terms of human love is also true in terms of divine. There are many people who have never really experienced the love of the Lord. Their notion of the faith is perhaps an angry God, or a distant, negligent God, or a God who is a stern taskmaster making sure they fulfill all their duties lest they be punished. Many people are filled with a type of self-pity and self-hatred because they have never experienced God’s love and often don’t believe they are lovable by God or anyone else. Today Jesus says to them, and to all of us, “I love you … just as my Father loves me!”

Then Jesus gives us the most important command of the Christian life. “Remain in my love.”

It is crucial for us to remain in Christ’s love and in relationship with him because we thirst for him as well. Our world longs for perfection and satisfaction, but we will never be able to achieve this as the world sees it. The perfect body, the perfect job, the perfect grades, house, family, car – none of these can satisfy us like we often think it will. Christ knows this because he knows us intimately – “You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb” (Ps 139:13). He did not merely make us for this short life on earth – Christ made us to live eternally with him in heaven! Christ calls us to live this calling as citizens of heaven and to follow his commandments so that we may know him and his infinite joy.

There are many who question what it means to be a follower of Christ. Ministers and priests take to the pulpit to tell their listeners what it means. But there truly is only one answer.

Living in his commands can be simple if we grasp this one thought. If we love God, we’re going to love what he loves. Jesus, in loving the Father, loved the Father’s will. Likewise, if we truly love the Lord and remain in his love, we will love what he loves and seek to do what he, out of love, wills for us and others.

It’s that simple.

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 – 5/10/2023

Sacred Scripture

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. (John 15: 1-8)

Reflection

We live in a world of competing values as well as those calling for our allegiance. It’s tempting to lose our focus as followers of Christ. Yet, Jesus Christ speaks to us again and again about our relationship with Him and, in that relationship, we learn about His love and its implications for our life.

It starts with, continues through, and ends with His love. We are reminded that we were created in love so that we could become bearers of that love. God created us to love, He created us so that we might all love each other with only one heart, one soul.

Our baptism is the first recalling of that love, promised to us in care and protection for this life and into eternity.  It joins us to the community of love received and love shared. But it is also a call to follow in that love . . . to take on the characteristics of care, love and compassion for others. That is what Jesus did over and over again. That is what we are called to do over and over again.

That takes on an even greater need in today’s world. You and I are called to bear fruit. You and I are called to take part in making the world a better place for all to live. It must be you and me. Our culture is sickened by violence. Our society seems to enshrine divisiveness, bitterness, and verbal clashes.

WHERE IS THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST IN ALL OF THIS?

The love of Christ never changed, never went away. But not enough of us are living that love. Yes, of course, most of all live that love in our small bubble of family and dear friends.

But that love of Christ must be extended by us to all that we see and interact with – not just our family and close friends.

Ah, but you say, I am weary of trying or I have too many other burdens to carry, or I am empty, I must retreat.

We can’t let that be the excuse. We must stand together with all the other lovers of Christ. How do we do that?

We center ourselves on Christ.

Just as we show love to another by spending quality time with that person, we can receive the love of Jesus by spending quality time with Jesus. If we don’t spend quality time with Jesus, how can Jesus spend quality time with us to give us his love?

But through prayer and studying His word in scripture, something happens gradually. As we pour out our thoughts to God and think about the words of the Lord to us in the Bible, we gradually soak up the words of God to us and they become part of us. We discover that the words of the Bible are a love letter from God to us. As we spend quality time with Jesus to allow him spend quality time with us, we get new insights into life and into our lives and the world around us. We also become happier and that time in prayer with Jesus every day is the happiest part of the day.

Jesus has chosen you and me to be His bearers of the message. It is a good and joyful thing. 

We can be that if we allow ourselves to be open to the power of His call.  God is calling you and me to do to make a positive change in the world around you.  We must respond because the Lord says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.”

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit and make me fruitful in your love, mercy, kindness, and compassion. May there be nothing in my life which keeps me from your love and joy.”

Daily Note

While the grace of God given as a gift in Jesus is first, our reception of that gift is as important if the act of giving is to be completed. We show that we have received this gift when we, like Jesus, also dare to reach out in love. When we speak an enhancing word, perform a loving action, behave a little less selfishly, and a little more selflessly, then the gift is given and received, again and again.

Daily Reflection – 5/9/2023

Sacred Scripture

“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

Can you imagine how the apostles felt when Jesus talked to them about leaving them?

Anxiety, fear, disappointment, trepidation? All of these and more. Their Master, their Lord was leaving them. It was beyond their comprehension or at least beyond what they wanted to believe. Knowing this, Jesus tries to assuage their emotions. He tells them of His gift of peace.

At that moment, it’s highly possible that they did not understand because they needed to learn about this peace, and they needed to adjust their lives to accommodate it. And so do we.

What kind of peace does he offer? The peace of Christ is more than the absence of trouble. It includes everything which makes for our highest good.

The world’s approach to peace is avoidance of trouble and a refusal to face unpleasant things. Jesus offers the peace which conquers our fears and anxieties. Nothing can take us from the peace and joy of Jesus Christ. No sorrow or grief, no danger, no suffering can make it less.

Is the peace of Christ real? Ask the hundreds of thousands who have embraced it, some embraced the death of martyrs and were filled with it. Others used it as an inner inspiration that motivated their lives to not only follow His way but to bring His way to others. The fact is that they all had to learn it.

So, what is this learning? Augustine of Hippo has a beautiful description of peace. He wrote that the first is “serenity of the mind,” that is, allowing Jesus to take control of our thoughts, our fears and our worries. The second is “simplicity of the heart” that is, being contented with what we have and what we have received as gifts from God, and finally, the third is “tranquility of the soul” that is, being fully reconciled with God and others.

Serenity of the mind, simplicity of the heart and tranquility of the soul. If that sounds as if it is life-long learning, for some it is. For others, it is an easy process. But it is a process.

Peace resides in the hearts of those who are not disturbed by any conflict outside. Peace is not just the result of precarious balance but also it is the outcome of justice. And the most important element of justice is to give God what is due to Him, that is, there can be no true peace unless we are reconciled with our Creator. People who pray for peace are not automatically peaceful people, but they are those who reconcile with God and with one another.

It begins with giving ourselves over to God. Allowing him to be our Master. It moves us to recognize that our heart is at its most joyful when it is filled with the simple joys of life – a warm breeze, the kiss of a child, the embrace from a loved one, the eyes of love from someone close to us. It includes, by definition, asking Him for forgiveness and forgiving those who have caused us harm.

How can we attain the peace which the Lord Jesus offers his followers? Through the gift and work of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, 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.

Is that real? Yes. In ministry, I have often sat with those that are passing over. In every case, I saw and felt their peace in these last moments. They remembered those parts of life that brought them smiles, they understood that the portal which they were entering gave no credence to things of this world and they glimpsed that His love meant His forgiveness and that necessitated their forgiveness.

THAT is His peace.

Pray God that we grasp that in this moment.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord, may your peace be always with me.  May no circumstance, trouble, or vexation 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 your word and by doing your will.”

Daily Note

Jesus is the way.  When we focus on Him, He draws us to Himself.  He draws us away from the distractions, away from the noise.  The One who loved us to death, now loves us to life.  He loves us so much that He draws us to His Life if only we let Him into our lives.

Daily Reflection – 5/8/2023

Sacred Scripture

“Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, [then] what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you.”( John 14:21-26)

Reflection

In Jesus’ last supper discourse he speaks of the love he has for his disciples and of his Father’s love. He prepares his disciples for his imminent departure to by exhorting them to prove their love for him through their loyalty and obedience to his word. He promises them the abiding instruction and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Augustine of Hippo wrote that the Lord loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love. God’s love for each of us is as real and tangible as the love of a mother for her child and the love of a lover who gives all for his beloved. God made us in love for love – to know him personally and to grow in the knowledge of his great love for us and to love him in return.

That is a love that surpasses all understanding.

Even though this wonderful light has come into the world and wants to shine upon us all, we can be reluctant to step into that light, and allow it to shine upon us. This is the mysterious capacity of human freedom to reject the light, to turn away from a faultless love and a boundless mercy. Yet, our coming to the light is often a gradual process; it can happen slowly, at our own pace. The Lord is always prepared to wait on us; he waits for our free response. We are not used to a love that is as generous, as merciful, as rich in grace and goodness as God’s love; it takes us time to receive it, to believe in it, to embrace it. Receiving God’s love and then living out of that gift is the calling and task of a lifetime.

We all long for that kind of light, a light that is strong and enduring, a light that can be found at the heart of darkness and that is more resilient than darkness. We have all experienced darkness in one shape or form. It may be the darkness of sickness, or of the death of a loved one or the darkness of failure. Life is too difficult to handle alone.  We need help.  All of us.  He doesn’t want us to be in grief. He wants to heal us with His Love.  We have Him.  We need to trust in Him.  Through it all God will take control.

 When we are convinced that we can’t handle things by ourselves and call upon God for help, we are at our strongest.  Now we appreciate our need for Him in our lives.  When we put all in His hands and act according to our consciences, even though this may be difficult and painful, then in our weakness we are strong.

 God is in control.  We must tell ourselves that over and over.  If only we would allow him to be our strength, then nothing can defeat us.  Not even the worst cross we could imagine can destroy his love in our lives.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord, in love you created me, and you drew me to yourself. May I never lose sight of you nor forget your steadfast love and faithfulness. And may I daily dwell upon your word and give you praise in the sanctuary of my heart, You who are my All.”

Daily Note

Are we walking in the Light of God? Are we walking in the darkness? Are we walking half and half, one foot in the Light and one foot in the darkness? Our eternal life and salvation depend entirely on our living faith that calls us to look up to Jesus on the Holy Cross. Our salvation and eternal happiness require that we give ourselves entirely to Christ, having both feet in the Light.

Daily Reflection – 5/5/2023

Sacred Scripture

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”(John 14:1-6)

Reflection

The night before His crucifixion Jesus slowly stripped away the veneer of a utopia from his most trusted disciples. In its place He gave them a greater revelation of Himself.

He did not suggest in any way that we would reach a spiritual plateau in which all trouble would disappear, and we would live the rest of our lives in perfect serenity and peace. Jesus never suggested that if we followed Him, we would never again experience trouble, disappointment, or trials. A little later that night He said just the opposite. “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus did not promise them their troubles were going away. He told them He would be with them in the midst of their troubles. He would be their stabilizing force and strength. He did not tell them some make-believe philosophy that their pain, suffering, evil and sin didn’t exist.

Stop for a moment. What is flooding your troubled heart today? What does Jesus see going on in His presence right now? The hurt of those disciples that night was no different from the hurt you experience today. Jesus was telling those disciples to give Him those “troubles” that were boiling over and flooding their hearts. His death was no make-believe; it was real. They felt the trauma of it before them. Jesus recognized what they were experiencing and gave them comfort.

A little later Jesus will say, “He that has seen Me has seen the Father” The force of this statement was: Have you never yet understood who I am?

Jesus reveals to us that our life has a supernatural dimension. We cannot reduce it to something mundane and passing. We cannot afford to get lost in the crosscurrents of the world. It is not enough that we accumulate more of what this earth can offer. If our striving on this earth is only to make our life here more and more comfortable, we have lost our way!

Whatever we do we must always be conscious of not losing sight of our goal. Our goal is our Father’s house. Once we reach our destination, we will find true happiness. It is then that every longing, every effort and pursuit of our lives here will find its fulfillment. As with Jesus, the Father’s House is where we come from and where we must go to.

Whatever we decide, wherever we go, whomever we talk to, every moment, every event and every deed and desire of our lives should be such that we are on this path that leads to the Father. Anything that sidetracks us can have no place in our life. Keeping to this way should be our goal at every moment.

Prayer of The Day

“Lord, I come to offer my life to You. I come from You. It is to You that I go. When I am united with You, my heart finds its peace – for I know my life is secure. I seek no lasting city in this world. Here I am a pilgrim! In this passing world with its deceptive offers, You O Lord, are my only true refuge and wealth. “

Daily Note

Life is difficult. But Jesus has gone ahead of us to show the way and to be the way for us. With Him my life acquires a very clear direction and a sure goal.

Daily Reflection – 5/4/2023

Sacred Scripture

“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it. I am not speaking of all of you. I know those whom I have chosen. But so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.’ From now on I am telling you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I AM. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (John 13:16-20)

Reflection

Can you imagine that evening when Jesus knelt to wash their feet? Here was the Master doing the work of a slave. In those days, it was customary for a slave to wash the feet of visitors. To not provide this kindness would be considered uncivilized and inhospitable.

As incredible as this scene is, Jesus was also washing the feet of the very man who would, later that same evening, betray Him to His enemies.

Now one of the greatest lessons Jesus taught is unveiled.

It’s all about Selflessness and Forgiveness.

The Son of God kneels before his disciples and signals that each of us must recognize that all humanity is considered sacred. He signals that we must serve each other. He signals that He forgives as we must forgive.

In these days of constant finger pointing and hurling of diatribes at each other, we must step away. We need to internalize that each of us is a child of God. We can’t hate one another. That is not in keeping with the words of Jesus Christ.

Wait. There is another component of the great commandment of love. We must give of ourselves to others. We are called to a life of service. There is no excuse. No matter what our situation, we must find ways to not only one another but to serve one another in His name.

Wait again. There is still another component of that great commandment. As He forgave the man who was to betray Him, we too must learn to forgive, regardless of the hurt!

That’s a tall order for us. It is difficult to forgive some hurts. But we can’t have peace in our soul unless we do. How can we experience the fullness of His love if our soul is still in darkness.

How do we know the joy of being selfless and of forgiving another?

Think of it this way.

God is love and his love is best expressed by His Word: Jesus Christ! God’s tolerance towards man is best described by one act: His crucifixion. Instead of condemning the world, he died for it! Instead of blasting and cursing to smithereens sinners, the Lord embraced them, welcomed them, and healed them. 

Jesus’ act of love, manifested symbolically in the washing of the feet and sharing of bread, presents everyone who sits at his table with a choice: One can embrace Jesus’ gift to us, or one can turn one’s back on Jesus’ gift of love.

But always carry this in your heart. His love for you will never end! You may reject every attempt of Jesus to call you unto Himself, but rest assured that no matter how many times you rebuff His efforts, you will never be able to turn off His love for you and for your soul. In fact, He has already humbled Himself on your behalf, when He went to the cross and died for you!

Prayer of The Day

“Lord Jesus, your love conquers all and never fails. Help me to love others freely, with heart-felt compassion, kindness and goodness. Where there is injury, may I sow peace rather than strife.”

Daily Note

We profess Christianity much more profoundly in our deeds than with our words.  Do we listen to the Word of God “Sabbath after Sabbath,” then leave its lessons in the pew when we leave the church?  Do our words encourage or dispirit?  Have we “washed the feet” of the poor, the hungry, the sick, the imprisoned in our service to them?  Do we blindly ignore our own faults while criticizing others’ foibles? Do we crucify others on the cross of our expectations?

If we truly want to keep the love of Jesus ever in our hearts, we need to pick up that basin and towel!