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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“I AM WHO I AM.”

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– Exodus 3:14

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REFLECTION…

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“I AM” is beyond time, always present.

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“I AM” promises rest through Jesus

for those who suffer and are burdened.

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Jesus said,

“I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!”

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Jesus IS LORD,

Jesus IS the ALPHA and the OMEGA,

Jesus IS GOD,

Jesus IS the great “I AM”

who gives rest to the weary;

hope to all Christians;

and pours out His abundant grace over us all.

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And He does this today

– not in some distant time and place,

but here and now!

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A POEM…for reflection…

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I was regretting the past and fearing the future.
Suddenly my Lord was speaking:
“My name is I Am,” He paused. I waited. He continued.
“When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard.
I am not there.
My name is not I Was.
When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard.
I am not there.
My name is not I Will Be.
When you live in this moment, it is not hard.
I am here.
My name is I Am.”

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– Helen Mallicoat

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, my God, please help me to live fully

and always in the present, with You by my side.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent,

and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

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Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.

Do what it says.

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– James 1:21-22 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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Let us read it again:

Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent,

and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.

Do what it says.

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We truly must, each and every one of us,

take a close look at ourselves (not at others – but at ourselves!),

make an examination of conscience,

and if we find that we are harbouring filth and vice

in whatever form, even if it is thought alone,

then we must get rid of it – completely and decisively.

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We must turn our back on all that is evil

and cleanse the mind and body from all vice

because it is only then that we are able to live in a truly worthy manner

as persons who belong to Christ

and who gladly receive His word of salvation.

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To receive the word of God, we must listen docilely to it

and we need to do all we can to keep evil inclinations at bay.

Otherwise, pride – deceiving itself with all sorts of false reasons –

rebels against the word of God,

because it sees it as a continuous reproach

for a habit of sin that our egoistic self is unwilling to give up.

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Finally, we must also do what the word tells us to do,

and we must seek to do so with consistency.

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QUOTE…

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"A Christian should always be genuine,

should never be content with words alone.

The mission he has received is a delicate one:

he should be leaven in society, light of the world, salt of the earth.

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As time goes by,

the Christian becomes more and more aware of his commitment,

and the difficulties it entails:

he discovers he has to swim against the tide,

he has to bear witness to truths which are absolute, yet invisible;

he has to lose his earthly life in order to gain eternity;

he needs to feel responsible not just for himself

but also for his neighbour

– for whom he should light the way, and edify and save.

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However, he realises that he is not alone in all this […].

The Christian knows that not only did Jesus Christ, the Word of God,

become man to reveal saving truth and redeem mankind;

He has also chosen to stay with us on earth,

mysteriously renewing the sacrifice of the Cross by means of the Eucharist

and becoming spiritual food for the soul

and accompanying it on its journey through life"

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– Pope St. John Paul II

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Give me the strength, O Lord, and the determination

to put You at the centre of my life

and to humbly live Your word.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Save me, O God, for the waters

have risen to my neck.

I have sunk into the mud of the deep,

where there is no foothold.

I have entered the waters of the deep,

where the flood overwhelms me.

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But I pray to You, O Lord,

for a time of Your favour.

In Your great mercy, answer me, O God,

with Your salvation that never fails.

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As for me in my poverty and pain,

let Your salvation, O God, raise me up.

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Then I will praise God’s name with a song;

I will glorify Him with thanksgiving:

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– Psalm 69:2-3,14,30-31 (Revised Grail Psalms)

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REFLECTION…

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Believer may experience trials and tensions in their lives,

yet their faith never wanes

and they beseech God to help them,

knowing that He loves them

and that He is always there with them till the end.

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QUOTE…

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“Beloved brothers and sisters!

If this mission may sometimes seem difficult,

call to mind the words of the risen Lord:

"I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Mat 28:20).

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Certain of His presence,

you shall fear no difficulty and no obstacle.

His word will enlighten you;

His Body and His Blood will nourish you

and sustain you on your daily journey to eternity.

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At the side of each of you there will always be Mary,

as she was present among the apostles,

who were frightened and confused at the time of trial.

And with her faith she will show you,

beyond the night of the world,

the glorious dawn of the resurrection. Amen.”

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– Pope St. John Paul II

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, I seek You, I love You, I need You.

Help me, Lord. Save me. Revive my heart.

Thank You, Lord.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth!

I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

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‘I have come to set a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Your enemies will be right in your own household!’

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If you love your father or mother more than you love me,

you are not worthy of being mine;

or if you love your son or daughter more than me,

you are not worthy of being mine.

If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me,

you are not worthy of being mine.

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If you cling to your life, you will lose it;

but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”

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– Matthew 10:34-39 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Our Lord has not come to bring a false and earthly peace

– certainly not the sort of tranquillity that the self-seeking person strives for.

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Tranquility and peace at any cost?

No, not unless we are prepared to lose our soul in the process.

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Jesus is clearly telling us

that even where, on the surface, what appears to motivate us is love for others,

we must be extremely wary of our innate selfishness

which can result in self-centered reasoning.

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The sword that Jesus mentions is the Word of God,

which is what can lead to the examples of divisions that Jesus gives us.

Even within families,

the Word of God can lead to those who embrace the faith

being regarded as traitors and enemies by relatives who resist the word of truth

and who choose to misinterpret, disregard or disobey God’s commandments.

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This is why our Lord goes on to say

that nothing should come between Him and His follower

– not even father, mother, son or daughter.

With God there must be no compromise,

and any and every obstacle must be avoided.

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But even our own parents?

Even our own sons and daughters?

Yes, because our love for our parents and for our children

should not come before our love for God,

who we should love with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.

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Following Christ and doing what He asks,

means risking this present life to gain eternal life.

If there should be any clashes with our parents, with our children

or with other relatives, friends and colleagues

because we are intent on obeying the Lord,

then we should be quite clear in mind and in heart

that we must always put God first

and to let Him have His way.

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A true follower of Christ

must always handle such situations in a spirit of gentleness and love,

even when this is returned with hurtful mockery and even hate.

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Clearly, Christian life is based on self-denial,

and there is no Christianity without the Cross.

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QUOTE…

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“People who are constantly concerned with themselves,

who act above all for their own satisfaction,

endanger their eternal salvation

and cannot avoid being unhappy even in this life.

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Only if a person forgets himself

and gives himself to God and to others,

in marriage as well as in any other aspect of life,

can he be happy on this earth,

with a happiness that is a preparation for, and a foretaste of,

the joy of Heaven”

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, make me strong in faith – I want to give up my life for You!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

"It is written,

‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’"

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– Matthew 4:4 (RSV)

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REFLECTIONS…by three Holy Fathers…

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“The Lord, using the Word of God, reminds us above all

that "man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God";

and this gives us strength,

it sustains us in the struggle against the worldly mentality

that lowers man to the level of basic needs,

causing him to lose the hunger for what is true, good and beautiful,

the hunger for God and His love.”

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– Pope Francis

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“There is nothing that is genuinely human

that does not find in the Eucharist the right way to live it in fullness:

hence, daily life becomes the place of spiritual worship,

to live the primacy of God in all circumstances,

within a relationship with Christ and as an offering to the Father.

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Yes, "man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God":

We live from obedience to this Word, which is Living Bread,

to the point of entrusting ourselves, like Peter, with the intelligence of love:

"Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life;

and we have believed, and have come to know,

that you are the Holy One of God" (Jn 6:68-69).”

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– Pope Benedict XVI

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“Another fundamental need of life is used here as a symbol of communion with God:

Hunger is satiated when the divine Word is heard

and the Lord is found.

In fact, "man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

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And at this point the thoughts of the Christian turn to that banquet

that Christ prepared the last evening of His earthly life,

whose profound value He had already explained in his discourse at Capernaum:

"My flesh is food indeed,

and my blood is drink indeed.

He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me,

and I in him" (Jn 6:55-56).”

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– Pope St. John Paul II

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, satiate my hunger – feed my soul with all that is true, good and beautiful.

Lord, fill me with Your love!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Those who declare publicly that they belong to me,

I will do the same for them before my Father in heaven.

But those who reject me publicly,

I will reject before my Father in heaven."

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– Matthew 10:32-33 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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The Lord calls each of us personally

asking us to declare ourselves for Him.

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As Christians

we should live our lives

in accordance with His teachings

and in manner that serves to bear witness to our faith.

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Jesus assures us our eternal salvation

if we publically maintain our faith – whatever the consequences –

through our behaviour and attitude,

through our words and our deeds.

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At the time of judgement,

Christ will welcome those

who have given testimony of their faith.

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But those whose viewpoint and lifestyle

will have indicated a rejection of Christ and His teachings,

the Lord will be similarly reject.

”At harvest time I will tell the reapers,

‘First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned,

but then gather the wheat into my barn.’” (Mat 13:30)

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As a Christian,

I must not be ashamed to imitate Jesus’ humility and example;

I must not be ashamed of following the precepts of the Gospel

for fear of displeasing the world or worldly people.

By doing so I will be failing to confess – by my life –

the faith which I claim to hold.

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I should never be ashamed of the Gospel;

I should never let myself be drawn away by the worldliness around me;

rather I should exercise a decisive and loving Christian influence on those around me,

always counting on the help of God’s grace.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, fill me with Your Spirit,

that I may live to serve You and radiate Your love.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves;

so be wise as serpents

and innocent as doves.”

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– Matthew 10:16 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves”

In spite of those wolves around us

who seek to eradicate the Word of God,

we will not be outdone

– not if we resolutely seek to imitate Christ

and be meek and humble of heart.

He is our mentor, our example

– He is the Lamb of God.

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“Be wise as serpents

and innocent as doves.”

Christ places the serpent and the dove

together in the same sentence

when He gives us this instruction.

He wants to clearly illustrate

how we Christians – His followers – should act,

and how we should not.

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Snakes are wise but can also be dangerous;

doves are harmless, but naive.

Christ, of course, wants us to adopt

only the positive characteristics of both.

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Our actions and words

must therefore always be

the fruit of wisdom and knowledge

depending on the particular circumstance

which we find ourselves in,

It is snakes that have this admirable trait.

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Moreover, our manner and behaviour

must always reflect peace, gentleness and purity

which are qualities signified by the dove.

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QUOTE…

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“One aspect of the light which guides us in the journey of faith is holy ‘cunning’,

that spiritual shrewdness which enables us to recognise danger and avoid it

…as Jesus told His disciples, ‘Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.’”

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– Pope Francis

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Guide me through life, O Lord,

that I may do Your will and not fall to the ways of the world.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.

Now do not be upset or blame yourselves because you sold me here.

It was really God who sent me ahead of you

to save people’s lives.”

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– Genesis 45:4-5 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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We all know the story of Jacob’s sons

and, in particular, that of Joseph

whose ten brothers so envied him

that they eventually got rid of him by selling him off to some merchants

who then took him far away to Egypt.

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“Why Lord?” Joseph must have asked out loud

when he was sold into slavery

by his own brothers.

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“Why Lord, why?” must have been Jacob’s desperate cry,

when he was told by his other sons

that his beloved Joseph had been set upon and killed by a wild beast.

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Twenty years later the brothers are reunited,

and Joseph lovingly explains to his brothers

that everything was part of God’s plan and explains: ..

“It was really God who sent me ahead of you

to save people’s lives.”

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Life, for the faithful believer, is not about good or bad coincidence

– it is about God’s will

and Joseph’s story encourages us to live more serenely

and to cope better

by trusting in God

and accepting His will,

in all circumstances, even in the most difficult.

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Why Lord, why?

Why me? Why us?

Why now?

What have I done to deserve this?

No, these questions should not be asked solely by those in some dire situation,

they are appropriate also to be expressed by those whose life seems to be particularly blessed.

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Ask the Lord, by all means,

never stop seeking His guidance

…and He will answer,

He will speak to your heart,

He will reassure you

and He will ask you to trust in Him.

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If we never stop acknowledging God’s love for us

as we live through life’s circumstances, good or bad;

if we faithfully cling on to Him

and trustingly accept and do His will,

then our life and all that we do

will be the most wonderful sacrifice we can offer to our Maker.

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Serenity is living your life to the full…for the Lord!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Here I am, Lord, I want to live my life to the full…for You!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Live in peace with each other.

We encourage you, brothers and sisters,

to instruct those who are not living right,

cheer up those who are discouraged,

help the weak,

and be patient with everyone.

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Make sure

that no one ever pays back one wrong with another wrong.

Instead,

always try to do what is good for each other and everyone else.

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Always be joyful.

Never stop praying.

Whatever happens, give thanks,

because it is God’s will in Christ Jesus that you do this.

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Don’t put out the Spirit’s fire.

Don’t despise what God has revealed.

Instead, test everything.

Hold on to what is good.

Keep away from every kind of evil…

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May the God who gives peace

make you holy in every way.

May He keep your whole being

— spirit, soul, and body — blameless

when our Lord Jesus Christ comes.

The One who calls you is faithful,

and He will do this

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– 1 Thessalonians 5:13-24 (GW)

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QUOTES…

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"Being children of God, how can we be sad?

Sadness is the end product of selfishness.

If we truly want to live for God,

we will never lack cheerfulness,

even when we discover our errors and wretchedness.

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Cheerfulness finds its way into our life of prayer,

so much so that we cannot help singing for joy.

For we are in love,

and singing is a thing that lovers do"

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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"A true Christian

is always ready to appear before God.

Because, if he is fighting to live as a man of Christ,

he is ready at every moment to fulfil his duty"

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, how can I be sad, knowing that You love me so!

I too love You, Lord!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in You.

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I say to the Lord, “You are the Lord,

my only source of well-being.”

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– Psalm 16:1-2 (NET)

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REFLECTION…

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When, for whatever reason, I distance myself from God,

the goodness in me loses its divine protection

and I become openly susceptible to worldly corruption.

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We can ill afford to remove ourselves from the Lord’s protection.

Without Him, we are nothing;

away from Him, our weaknesses can easily take over;

apart from Him, we have no good

and we make ourselves easy prey for the devil,

who is always there “prowling around like a roaring lion

looking for someone to devour.” (cf. 1 Pet 5:8)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in You.

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