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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“Lord,” the leper said,

“if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean.”

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– Matthew 8:2 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Leprosy is a vivid image of sin:

it is ugly, disgusting, very contagious and difficult to cure.

We are all sinners

and we are all in need of God’s forgiveness and grace.

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The leper in the Gospel knelt down before Jesus,

in all humility and trust,

begging to be made clean.

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If we can go before our Saviour with that kind of faith,

we can be sure than He will cure the wretchedness of our souls.

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In that quiet room, let us prostrate ourselves before Christ

and, with a humble and contrite heart,

utter this short prayer, borrowed from the leper:

“Lord, if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean.”

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, if You are willing, You can heal me and make me clean.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them

will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house,

but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.

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And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them

will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house,

and it fell—and great was its fall!’

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– Matthew 7:24-27 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Those of us who try to put Christ’s teaching into practice,

even if we experience personal difficulties

or live during times of upheaval in the life of the Church

or are surrounded by error,

will stay firm in the faith,

just like the wise man who builds his house on rock.

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Also, if we are to stay strong in times of difficulty,

we need, when things are calm and peaceful,

to accept little contradictions with a good grace;

to be very refined in our relationship with God and with others;

and to perform the duties of our state in life in a spirit of loyalty and abandonment to God’s will.

By acting in this way we are laying down a good foundation,

maintaining the edifice of our spiritual life

and repairing any cracks which make their appearance.

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If we listen to Christ’s teachings and build on them,

the Lord will fill our heart and life

with trustful confidence for the present

and great hope for tomorrow:

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QUOTE…

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“Building your house on rock means…

to stake your life and hopes on that which “thieves cannot steal nor rust corrode” (Mat 6:20),

on that which does not pass away.

“Heaven and earth will pass away,” Jesus said,

“but my words shall not pass away.” (Mat 24:35)

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Building your house on rock means quite simply building on God.

He is the rock.”

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– Father Raniero Cantalamessa

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“In contemporary society

we live in a situation that is, in a sense, precarious,

characterized by insecurity and fragmentation of choices.

Often there are no valid points of reference to guide our lives.

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It becomes, therefore, ever more important

to build our lives and the complex of our social relations

on the stable rock of the Word of God…”,

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– Pope Benedict XVI

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, thank You for giving me solid ground to stand on.

Jesus, You are my Rock on whom I build my hope.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord;

praise the Name of the Lord.

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Blessed be the Name of the Lord

from this time on and for evermore.

From the rising of the sun to its setting

the Name of the Lord is to be praised.

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– Psalm 113:1-3 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Doesn’t your heart beats faster

at the thought that He is there listening to you

whenever you call out His Name?

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He is your Lord.

His Name is above all names.

His Name is Holy!

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Believer, sing His praise

with every breath that you take;

with your every action;

with your every thought.

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His Name is worthy to be praised

– may His Name be exalted forever!

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QUOTE…

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“Among all the words of Revelation,

there is one which is unique:

the revealed name of God.

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God confides His name

to those who believe in Him;

He reveals Himself to them

in His personal mystery.

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The gift of a name

belongs to the order of trust and intimacy.

"The Lord’s name is holy."

For this reason man must not abuse it.

He must keep it in mind in silent, loving adoration.

He will not introduce it into his own speech

except to bless, praise, and glorify it.

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God is merciful

and He deserves eternal praise.”

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– Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC2143)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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With every beat of my heart, O Lord;

with every breath that I take,

I want to praise and bless Your Holy Name!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate.

The road that leads to destruction is broad,

and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.

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But the gateway to life is very narrow

and the road is difficult,

and only a few ever find it.”

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– Matthew 7:13-14 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Following the way of a generous and sincere Christian life is very demanding

– here Jesus speaks of a narrow gate and a difficult road –

but it leads to Life, to eternal salvation.

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We must always keep in mind

that the way of sin is momentarily pleasant and calls for no effort,

but it leads to eternal perdition.

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The Christian way involves carrying the cross,

a determination to obey God’s Law,

sacrifice,

humility,

selfless generosity

– all out of love for God.

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It can be uncomfortable walking along the narrow road;

it might even be tempting to turn around

and to wander off some other path that looks easier.

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It can be lonely walking along the narrow road;

it might even be tempting to turn back and take the broad road

just because so many others seem to doing it.

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But we must always trust in the Lord

and plead with Him to grant us the grace

and help us determinedly stick to the road

which ultimately leads to His Heavenly Kingdom.

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QUOTES…

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“Life is found in following Christ on the "narrow road";

whereas, whoever chooses the "wide" and comfortable road,

exchanges life for short-lived satisfactions,

contemptuous of his own dignity and that of others.”

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– St. John Paul II

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"Jesus wants us to flourish.

He is telling us that we must be patient.

[…] Even though this way is “narrow,”

it is immensely fertile

and opens to ever-expanding realisations of life.

On the other hand,

the way that is wide and easy

continually narrows until it reaches a dead end.

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Jesus offers us a great paradox:

the narrow gate opens to a wide and satisfying life;

the wide gate narrows to the point of despair.

We are wise to abandon our fear of anything narrow, simply because it is narrow,

and follow His instruction.”

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– Dr. Donald DeMarco

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, You are the only Way.

Lord, grant me the grace and determination to follow You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye,

but do not notice the log in your own eye?

Or how can you say to your brother,

‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’,

while the log is in your own eye?”

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– Matthew 7:3-4 (NRSV)

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PRAYER REFLECTION…

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Lord,

help me look at myself

and into myself.

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Give me the grace

to look for,

to recognise,

and to acknowledge,

my own failings, vices and weaknesses,

which my pride can stop me from seeing.

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Give me the grace

to look for,

to recognise,

and to acknowledge,

the virtues that others have

– which conceit can stop me from admitting.

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Lord Jesus,

help me remove the log from my own eye,

that which also stops me from focusing on You.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Search me, O God, and help me see the truth about myself.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.

But Jesus was sleeping.

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The disciples went and woke Him, saying,

‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’

He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’

Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves,

and it was completely calm.

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– Matthew 8:24-26 (NIV)

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A REFLECTION…BY ST. AUGUSTINE

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"As a vessel on the sea is exposed to a thousand dangers

– pirates, quicksands, hidden rocks, tempests –

so man in this life, is encompassed with perils,

arising from the temptations of Hell,

from the occasions of sin,

from the scandals or bad counsels of men,

from human respect,

and, above all from the passions of corrupt nature […].

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This should not cause us to lose confidence.

Rather […] when you find yourself assaulted by a violent passion […]

take whatever steps you can to avoid the occasions [of sin]

and place your reliance on God […]:

when the tempest is violent, the pilot never takes his eyes from the light which guides him to port.

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In like manner, we should keep our eyes always turned to God,

who alone can deliver us from the many dangers to which we are exposed".

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‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’…

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Then they cried to the LORD in their need,
and He rescued them from their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.

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They rejoiced because of the calm,
and He led them to the haven they desired.
Let them thank the LORD for His mercy,
His wonders for the children of men.

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– Psalm 107:28-31 (RGP)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O Lord, who stills the storms of my life and rescues me from my distress, increase my faith!

Thank You, my Lord and my God. I love You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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In order to keep me from becoming conceited,

I was given a thorn in my flesh,

a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

About this thing, I have pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me,

but He has said,

‘My grace is enough for you:

my power is at its best in weakness.’

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– 2 Corinthians 12:7-8 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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This “thorn” refers to that flaw, that problem, that weakness

which God permits – though not approves of –

so as to ensure that our spiritual gifts do not make us proud

since that would stop God’s grace from flowing through us.

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Which, or what, or who is your “thorn”?

If you do not think you have one,

please think again

and look very closely at yourself,

because it is only the Saints in heaven who do not.

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If you are a practicing Christian

and yet you struggle to identify your “thorn”,

then perhaps you should check your pride

– it could be your “thorn”!

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When you are aware of your “thorn”,

entrust it humbly and faithfully to God

and His grace will be enough

to enable you to cope with the difficulty and pain.

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God strengthens the resolve of those who love and trust in Him,

and gives them the strength to battle the traps and taunts of the evil one,

who never stops seeking to put obstacles in our way

so as to frustrate our spiritual progress

and capture our soul.

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If we let God take over when we are weak,

He will not necessarily remove our weakness,

but He will make us strong

to the extent that obstacles become our salvation.

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The faithful Christian,

who believes in God’s unconditional love

and in God’s grace,

will come out humbler and stronger from such situations,

and more determined than ever

to seek to do God’s will

and to build His Kingdom!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, help me, forgive me, strengthen me, use me.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“The eye is the lamp of the body.

So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light;

but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.

If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

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– Matthew 6:22-23 (NRSV)

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QUOTES FOR REFLECTION…

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"The eye refers to motive.

When a person wants to do something, he first forms an intention:

thus, if your intention is sound – simple and clear –

that is to say, if it is directed towards God,

your whole body, that is, all your actions,

will be sound, sincerely directed towards good."

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– St. Thomas Aquinas

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"The eye Jesus speaks of

is not the external but the internal eye.

The light is the understanding,

through which the soul sees God.

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He whose heart is turned to God,

has an eye full of light;

that is, his understanding is pure,

not distorted by the influence of worldly lusts.

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The darkness in us is our bodily senses,

which always desire the things that pertain to darkness."

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– St. John Chrysostom

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"’If then the light in you is darkness, how dark it will be!’

that is, if the senses which are the soul’s light

be darkened by vice,

in how great darkness do you suppose the darkness itself will be wrapped?"

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– St. Jerome

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, Light of the world, be the Light of my soul!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Parents, do not treat your children in such a way as to make them angry.

Instead, raise them with Christian discipline and instruction.

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– Ephesians 6:4 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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Parents, are called to be understanding with their children,

and to educate them in a truly Christian way:

discipline and instruction should always be motivated by a desire for their good.

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However, parents must not abuse their authority

nor should their children obey them if asked to do anything that is against the moral law.

Therefore, parents may not make unreasonable demands.

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Christian education,

must always be based on charity,

on affection,

and on parents’ sensitive respect of their children’s freedom.

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from the Declaration on Christian Education, "Gravissimum Educationis" – VATICAN II…

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"As it is the parents who have given life to their children,

on them lies the gravest obligation of educating their family.

They must therefore be recognized as being primarily and principally responsible for their education.

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The role of parents in education is of such importance

that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute.

It is therefore the duty of parents

to create a family atmosphere inspired by love and devotion to God and their fellow-men

which will promote an integrated, personal and social education of their children […].

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It is therefore above all in the Christian family,

enriched by the grace and the responsibility of the sacrament of matrimony,

that children should be taught to know and worship God

and to love their neighbour,

in accordance with the faith which they have received in earliest infancy in the sacrament of Baptism.”

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QUOTE…

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“The parents

are the main persons responsible for the education of their children,

in human as well as in spiritual matters.

They should be conscious of the extent of their responsibility.

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To fulfil it, they need prudence,

understanding,

a capacity for teaching and loving

and a concern for giving good example.

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Imposing things by force, in an authoritarian manner,

is not the right way to teach.

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The ideal attitude of parents lies more in becoming their children’s friends

– friends who will be willing to share their anxieties,

who will listen to their problems,

who will help them in an effective and agreeable way.”

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Father in Heaven, instruct me and teach me,

that my love for my children will reflect Your love for me.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

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– 2 Corinthians 9:7b (NLT)

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TODAY’S WORD IN CONTEXT…from 2 Corinthians 9:6-10…

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Remember this

— a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop.

But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

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You must each decide in your heart how much to give.

And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.

“For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

And God will generously provide all you need.

Then you will always have everything you need

and plenty left over to share with others.

As the Scriptures say,

“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” [Psalm 112:9]

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For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer

and then bread to eat.

In the same way, He will provide and increase your resources

and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

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QUOTE…

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“Give, and you will receive.

Your gift will return to you in full

– pressed down,

shaken together to make room for more,

running over,

and poured into your lap.

The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

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– Our Lord Jesus Christ (Jn 13:34)

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FROM A COMMENTARY BY ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM…

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“For if even to those who sow the earth

and to those who are concerned about the needs of the body,

God gives in great abundance,

much more will He give to those who till the soil of heaven

and apply themselves to the salvation of their souls,

for He wills that we should spare no sacrifice in that regard. […]

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Two principles:

in temporal things one should limit oneself to what is necessary;

but in spiritual things one should seek as much as possible.

Therefore…we should not simply give alms,

but give alms generously […]

Just as corn cast into the ground produces a crop,

so generous alms produces righteousness and abundant harvest.”

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, fill me with the spirit of generosity,

that I may always give freely and lovingly,

and in the same way I want to give myself to You!

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