A LAMP TO MY FEET. A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.

TODAY’S WORD…

We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands. Whoever says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys His Word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him: whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.

– 1 John 2:3-6

REFLECTION…

Knowing God is not a merely intellectual exercise, and the immensity of God cannot be grasped by our limited understanding. It refers to something much simpler and more important: knowing God means being united to Him by faith and love – by grace.

If we keep His Commandments and obey His Word; if we love Him with all our heart, mind and strength; and if we love one another like He loves us – God’s love is perfected in us.

Above all, our life must identify with that of Christ. We must seek with all our hearts to live and act as He did; to imitate Jesus in all things. We should follow in Jesus’ footsteps and seek walk in humility, patience, and love…as He walked.

PRAYER…

My Lord Jesus, my God, my Saviour,

I want to make You the centre of my life.

I want to walk with You by my side.

I want to listen to Your voice

and to follow Your teachings and example.

I want to live like You did.

Lord Jesus, hold my hand and guide me

– I want to love like You love.

Amen.

TODAY’S WORD…

Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the One who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

– John 12:44,46

REFLECTION…

If we do not believe in the Son, then we do not believe in the Father who sent Him. A true Christian believes in Christ, acknowledges Him as the Son of God, trusts totally in Him, gladly accepts His Word, and obeys His teachings and His commands.

Christ is the Light of the world, and through His glorious resurrection the darkness was dispersed. However, it is only those who gladly allow Christ to open their eyes who receive the life-giving rays of His glorious light.

When we believe in Christ and call upon Him in faith, that is when we will begin to see and to understand the Truth.

QUOTE…

“…I am not attempting, O Lord, to penetrate Your loftiness, for I cannot begin to match my understanding with it, but I desire in some measure to understand Your truth, which my heart believes and loves. For I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this too I believe, that unless I believe, I shall not understand.”    – St. Anselm of Canterbury

PRAYER…

I believe in You, my Lord, You know I believe.

Lord, open the eyes of my heart and fill me with Your Spirit

that I may see and live in the light of Your truth.

Lord, come and take over my intellect,

that I may understand, embrace, obey and rejoice in Your truth.

Amen.

TODAY’S WORD…

You must remove the old yeast of sin so that you will be entirely pure… For our Passover Festival is ready, now that Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Let us celebrate our Passover, then, not with bread having the old yeast of sin and wickedness, but with the bread that has no yeast, the bread of purity and truth.

– 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

REFLECTION…

Jesus Christ, our Passover, our paschal lamb, “has been sacrificed”. The paschal lamb of the Jewish Passover Festival, was a prophetic symbol, a promise, of the True Lamb that was still to come: Jesus Christ. Our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross has an everlasting value, and it is renewed every time Mass is said…in remembrance of Him.

We Christians truly celebrate Christ, when we ”remove the old yeast” (which symbolises our impurity and sinfulness) and replace it with “purity and truth.”

QUOTES…

“Christians, what wonders have you not received from God? For your sakes, Jesus Christ has become man; He has freed you from eternal damnation, to call you to take possession of His Kingdom. With this thought in mind, how can you not be in continuous festival right through your life on earth?

Poverty, sickness or the persecution which oppresses us – these should not discourage us: this present life, the Apostle tells us, is a life of rejoicing.”   –  St John Chrysostom

“Christ is the True Lamb who took away the sins of the world; by dying He destroyed our death; by rising He restored our life.”   – The “Roman Missal” – first Easter Preface.

PRAYER…

Cleanse and purify me, my Saviour,

and help me only seek the bread of purity and truth.

Lord, I want to rejoice in You!

TODAY’S WORD…

For He will command His angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways.

– Psalm 91:11

A TEACHING ON THE LORD’S ANGELS…

“How greatly should these words draw you to respect…the presence of your good angel! … What great confidence they ought to inspire in you – since it is God who is taking care of you.

Pay great attention to all you do since the angels are present to all your affairs as God has commanded them. Wherever you go, in whatever nook or cranny you may find yourself, always show great devotion to your good angel…

Do you question whether this unseen spirit is present to all you do? What great respect you would show if you understood, touched and felt him beside you!  Take good note that it isn’t only by seeing that we become convinced that something is present – not all present, corporeal things can be grasped by sight.  How much more, then, are spiritual things outside the grasp of our senses and cannot be sought or found except by spiritual means?

So if you examine your faith, doesn’t it assure you that your good angel is always with you? Yes indeed, faith gives you its proof because…‘faith grants proof and conviction of realities we do not see.’ (Heb 11,1)

Be assured, then, that our good angels are always there, not just with us but on our side. They are close to us to protect and serve us.”    – Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

PRAYER…

My Lord and my God, thank You for my Guardian Angel!

TODAY’S WORD…

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!

– Psalm 34:8

REFLECTION…

You cannot know of the goodness of the Lord unless you taste for yourself. Don’t hold back, try Him, go to Him with an open heart, learn all about Him, and listen to what He has to say. He is the author of all good. He is essentially, infinitely, perfectly, unchangeably, and exclusively good in Himself.

The Father is good; He has good plans for us, His people; He provided good things for us, made good promises to us, and bestows good gifts on us. The Son is good; the Good Shepherd who has laid down His life for His sheep; He is the fountain of all grace and goodness; He so lovingly undertook the good work of redemption; and He speaks a good word on our behalf in the Courts of Heaven. The Spirit is good; His consolation uplifts us and works good things in our hearts; He counsels goodness; and He reveals good things to us.

If we welcome the Lord, our God, into our life, we will then truly taste and discern how good He is. If we are stubborn and unrepentant, our taste is impaired and we will remain unchanged, preferring the taste of our selfish pleasures.

PRAYER…

How sweet Your words taste to me, O Lord,

they are sweeter than honey.

How nourishing, how refreshing are Your words, O Lord!

How good is Your love, O Lord,

in You I find shelter and joy.

You are just in all Your ways and loving in all Your deeds.

Lord, now that I have found You and tasted Your goodness,

I know that I will never be the same.

I pray, O Lord, my Joy,

that with the help of Your loving grace, I shall never let You go.

Amen.

TODAY’S WORD…

Commit everything you do to the Lord.

Trust Him, and He will help you.

– Psalm 37:5

PRAYER…

Thy way, not mine, O Lord,

however dark it be;

lead me by Thine own hand,

choose out the Path for me.

Smooth let it be, or rough,

it will be still the best;

winding or straight, it leads

right onward to Thy rest.

I dare not choose my lot;

I would not, if I might;

choose Thou for me, my God,

so I shall walk aright.

The Kingdom that I seek

is Thine; so let the way

that leads to it be Thine,

else I must surely stray.

Take Thou my cup, and it

with joy or sorrow fill,

as best to Thee may seem;

choose Thou my good and ill.

Choose Thou for me my friends,

my sickness or my health;

choose Thou my cares for me

my poverty or wealth.

Not mine, not mine the choice

in things or great or small;

be Thou my Guide, my Strength

my Wisdom and my All.

[*] Today’s prayer is the beautiful prayer/hymn by Horatius Bonar, (1808-1889) – “Thy way, not mine, O Lord.”

To listen to the beautiful words of this Hymn, as you repeat this prayer, please go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP6x0KfLqZM&feature=youtu.be

TODAY’S WORD…

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth…

– Colossians 3:1-2

REFLECTION…

Through Baptism, we Christians have been raised to a new kind of life, a supernatural life, whereby we share, even while on earth, in the glorious life of the risen Jesus. This life with the Lord, is at present spiritual and hidden, but when our Lord comes again in glory, it will become gloriously clear. As baptised persons, therefore, and as believers, we should seek the things that are above, that is, the things of God, with the supernatural purpose of walking and living with Christ.

The Gospels are God’s gift to us, a gift that helps us carry out our Christian duties of loving and protecting, and working and giving, always with our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus.

By going through life’s many challenges, and through all its ups and downs; by living in the way Jesus taught us, all the while keeping our eyes fixed on Heaven, we can look forward to everlasting, glorious life!

PRAYER…

Lord Jesus, You are my God, my Saviour, my Teacher.

Lord, I so much want to live in accordance with Your teachings;

I so much want to follow Your glorious and loving example.

My Lord, my God, my Loving Mentor,

help me keep my eyes fixed firmly on You as I walk with You now.

Lord, I want to be more like You.

Lord Jesus, let me be like You in all things.

Make me one with You, so I can be with You – forever!

TODAY’S WORD…

The LORD is my strength and my song;

He has become my salvation.

Shouts of joy and victory

resound in the tents of the righteous:

“The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!

The LORD’s right hand is lifted high;

the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”

I will not die but live,

and will proclaim what the LORD has done.

– Psalm 118:14-17

REFLECTION…

We believe that Christ, came and died for us on the Cross – to save us. He is our salvation, our strength, and our hearts sing out with joy. We believe that Jesus has done mighty things. He was lifted high on the Cross, was resurrected and He ascended to heaven – to His place at the right hand of the Father. The heart of a believer, who seeks to follow God’s Commandments and who strives to act in an upright manner, shouts out with joy at Christ’s victory over death!

As believers, we joyfully proclaim what the LORD has done because we know that, with God’s grace, we can now look forward to life everlasting in God’s heavenly Kingdom. Amen. Alleluia!

QUOTES…

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life,

and have it to the full.” – John 10:10)

“Hear me, that your soul may live.” – Isaiah 55:3.

“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.” – 1 John 4:9

“It is now no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!” – Galatians 2:20

PRAYER…

My Lord and my God,

I want to climb to the rooftops

and shout out with joy and proclaim Your greatness.

You have given me life; You are my strength and my joy,

You are the Resurrection and the Life!

How great You are, Lord!

Thank You, Lord, I love You.

TODAY’S WORD…

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;

His love endures forever.

This is the gate of the LORD

through which the righteous may enter.

I will give You thanks, for You answered me;

You have become my salvation.

– Psalm 118:1, 20-21

REFLECTION…

A true believer never stops giving thanks to God.

A true believer bows down before the Creator and faithfully says “Thy will be done.”

A true believer is full of faith, and trust, and hope.

A true believer acknowledges the many blessings which have come down from God.

A true believer knows that God faithfully listens and lovingly cares.

A true believer acknowledges Jesus as Saviour; as the One Gate of Salvation.

QUOTE…

“Many are the open doors, but the one of righteousness is in Christ. Blessed are all those who enter therein and direct their path in holiness and righteousness, doing everything tranquilly.”  – St. Clement of Rome

PRAYER…

I give You thanks, O Lord,

for You are good,

and Your love endures forever.

.

Thank You for loving me;

for sending Your Son – the Way, the Truth, and the Life –

to become the Gate of my salvation.

Fill my heart with Your glory

that I may give You thanks

and praise and worship You all the days of my life.

TODAY’S WORD…

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,

for His steadfast love endures for ever.

O give thanks to the God of gods,

for His steadfast love endures for ever.

O give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for His steadfast love endures for ever.

– Psalm 136:1-3

TEACHING…by ST. AUGUSTINE…

“Try to praise God with all your being; you should praise the Lord not only with your tongue and with your words, but also with your spirit, with your life and your deeds.

We praise him here and now when we gather in the church, and when we go home again, it may seem that our praise comes to an end, but if we do not fail to live well and if we do good works, we will never cease to give Him praise. You cease to praise God when you abandon the path of righteousness and do what is not pleasing to Him.

If you never swerve from the right path, though your tongue fall silent, your actions will speak for you; God listens closely to your heart. For as our ears hear the sound of our own voices, so God can hear our thoughts.”

PRAYER…

Lord, my soul knows You,

and my spirit knows you,

– they yearn for You;

they exult at the sound of Your name;

they reach out for You, O Lord.

Lord, the world seeks to suppress my soul and my spirit

but with Your grace I shall give them free rein,

for them to praise and thank You and give You glory.

You are worthy, Lord, and You are great!

Your steadfast love endures forever.

My God, there is no one else like You!

Amen.