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

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town

when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance:

he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man.

He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was,

but he was too short and could not see Him for the crowd.

So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree

to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way.

.

When Jesus reached the spot

He looked up and spoke to him:

“Zacchaeus, come down.

Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.”

And he hurried down and welcomed Jesus joyfully.

.

– Luke 19:1-6 (JB)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

Zacchaeus was a well-to-do tax collector,

despised by the people

because he was seen as being guilty of abuses

and a collaborator of the despised Roman authorities.

.

In spite of all this, Zacchaeus,

who was curious about Jesus who was due to pass through town

and very keen to see Him,

shed his pride and any fear of ridicule

and he climbed up a tree to get a better view.

.

Now I may feel far removed from Zacchaeus,

and that I am an upright Christian,

but am I honestly prepared

to publically show my feelings and excitement for Jesus,

who I profess to be the Son of God?

.

We should never let false shame or fear of criticism

prevent us from using the resources and situations available to us

to meet our Lord,

and to acknowledge our love for Him.

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

Lord Jesus,

forgive me for those occasions

where I felt Your Spirit prompting me

to proclaim my love for You

…but I cowardly shied away,

for fear of ridicule, criticism or repercussion.

.

How can I, Lord,

acknowledge You as the Son of God,

without feeling elated

and wishing to proclaim You

– by word and deed?

.

Jesus, please give me strength of character.

Send Your Holy Spirit, Lord,

and fill me with a strong and ardent desire for You.

.

Amen.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Lord, fill me with a strong and ardent desire for You..

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

The Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12) respond to the natural desire for happiness.

This desire is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart

in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it:

.

We all want to live happily;

in the whole human race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition,

even before it is fully articulated.1

.

How is it, then, that I seek You, Lord?

Since in seeking You, my God, I seek a happy life,

let me seek You so that my soul may live,

for my body draws life from my soul

and my soul draws life from You.2

.

God alone satisfies.3

.

[CCC 1718]

. .

1 St. Augustine
2 St. Augustine
3 St. Thomas Aquinas

[CCC]

.

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

Righteous people are protected by God

and will never suffer torment.

.

It is a foolish mistake to think that righteous people die

and that their death is a terrible evil.

They leave us, but it is not a disaster.

In fact, the righteous are at peace.

.

It might appear that they have suffered punishment,

but they have the confident hope of immortality.

Their sufferings were minor

compared with the blessings they will receive.

.

God has tested them, like gold in a furnace,

and found them worthy to be with Him.

He has accepted them,

just as He accepts the sacrifices which His worshipers burn on the altar.

.

Those who have put their trust in God

will come to understand the truth of His ways.

Those who have been faithful

will live with Him in His love,

for He is kind and merciful to the ones whom He has chosen.

.

– Wisdom 3:1-6,9 (GNT)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

Righteous people are protected by God

and will never suffer torment.

…the righteous are at peace

…they have the confident hope of immortality

…those who have been faithful, will live with Him in His love

.

and they “shall see God as He is” (1 Jn 3:2)

and they “will be with the Lord for ever.” (1 Thess 4:17)

.

.

.

.

QUOTE…

.

“Two possibilities are laid open to us at the same time:

life and death

– and each person will come to the end that befits him.

.

Life and death are like two types of coin,

one belongs to God

and the other to this world,

each with its own hallmark:

unbelievers deal in the currency of this world,

and those who have remained faithful through love

carry the coin of God the Father,

which is marked with Jesus Christ.

.

If we are not ready to die for Him

or to imitate His passion,

we will not have His life within us.”

.

– St. Ignatius of Antioch

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

Lord, let me see Your face in prayer,

in the Eucharist

and in my neighbour.

.

Be my way, my truth and my life.

Be my model,

my point of reference

and my strength.

Without you I can do nothing;

with you I can do all things.

.

Help me, my God,

as I strive and pray to be made worthy,

so that, one day, I shall see You as You are

and to be with You for ever.

.

Amen.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Help me, my God,

as I strive and pray to be made worthy..

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

[…]

“How great will your glory and happiness be,

to be allowed to see God,

to be honoured with sharing the joy of salvation and eternal light

with Christ your Lord and God,

…to delight in the joy of immortality in the Kingdom of heaven

with the righteous and God’s friends.”(St. Cyprian)

.

[CCC 1028]

.

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

See how very much our Father loves us,

for He calls us His children,

and that is what we are!

.

But the people who belong to this world

don’t recognise that we are God’s children

because they don’t know Him.

.

Dear friends, we are already God’s children,

but He has not yet shown us

what we will be like when Christ appears.

But we do know that we will be like Him,

for we will see Him as He really is.

.

And all who have this eager expectation

will keep themselves pure,

just as He is pure.

.

– 1 John 3:1-3 (NLT)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

As believers, we know that we are called by God.

We are children of God

and we accept this greatest of honours;

this supernatural dignity;

this marvellous intimacy;

with boundless joy.

.

A believer wants to reject sin in any shape or form,

and strives to embrace Christian love and live it to the full.

.

If we live like Jesus told us to live,

then “we will see Him as He really is.

And all who have this eager expectation

will keep themselves pure,

just as He is pure.”

.

– AMEN!

.

.

.

QUOTE…

.

"We have to learn from Him,

from Jesus, who is our only model.

If you want to go forward without stumbling or wandering off the path,

then all you have to do is walk the road He walked,

placing your feet in His footprints

and entering into His humble and patient Heart,

there to drink from the wellsprings of His commandments

and of His love.

.

In a word, you must identify yourself with Jesus Christ

and try to become really and truly another Christ among your fellow men."

.

– St. Josemaria Escriva

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

My Lord Jesus, I pray,

be merciful as You are

and reach out to me.

Heal me,

cleanse me from my sinfulness,

help me in my struggles

as I seek to walk along Your path.

.

O Lord, fill me with that indescribable joy

which comes from being emptied

of all that stains my soul and my being,

and from being filled with the purity of Your Spirit

…and Your love.

.

Lord, help me be more like You!

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Lord, help me keep myself pure,

just as You are pure.

.

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

The "pure in heart"

are promised that they will see God face to face

and be like Him.

.

Purity of heart is the precondition of the vision of God.

Even now it enables us to see according to God,

to accept others as "neighbours";

it lets us perceive the human body – ours and our neighbour’s –

as a temple of the Holy Spirit,

a manifestation of divine beauty.

.

[CCC 2519]

.

.

Purity of heart will enable us to see God:

it enables us even now to see things according to God.

.

[CCC 2531]

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

With God on our side

who can be against us?

.

– Romans 8:31 (TJB)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

God is with us,

and He is on our side

when we are on the side of goodness and love!

This is the confident and optimistic cry of the believer.

.

If we believe in Him

and follow His Commandments,

we will emerge unscathed

and victorious from all attacks,

dangers and sufferings we undergo

or which threaten us;

from the worst that might befall us.

.

Nothing

and nobody

– no created thing –

is stronger than God’s love for us.

.

.

.

QUOTE…

.

This is the attitude

which enables us to live as children of God,

who fear neither life nor death:

.

"Our Lord wants us to be in the world

and to love the world but without being worldly.

Our Lord wants us to remain in this world

(which is now so mixed up

and where the clamour of lust and disobedience and purposeless rebellion

can be heard)

to teach people to live with joy. […]

.

Don’t be afraid of the paganised world:

our Lord has in fact chosen us

to be leaven, salt and light in this world.

.

Don’t be worried.

The world won’t harm you

unless you want it to.

No enemy of our soul

can do anything if we don’t consent.

.

And we won’t consent,

with the grace of God

and the protection of our Mother in heaven."

.

– Salvador Bernal

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

Lord, there is none like You,

And it is You I seek.

It is Your divine help

that I need and desire

to accompany me through this valley,

and to bring me safely home.

.

I know, Lord, with all my heart,

that You will not withhold all the graces I need

to obtain this happy outcome.

.

I know, Lord,

that with You on my side,

as I follow Your path and entrust myself to You,

nothing and no one can overcome me.

.

Make me faithful, Lord.

.

Amen.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Make me faithful, Lord!

.

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

[…]

The Lord who has taken away your sin and pardoned your faults

also protects you and keeps you from the wiles of your adversary the devil,

so that the enemy, who is accustomed to leading into sin,

may not surprise you.

.

One who entrusts himself to God does not dread the devil.

"If God is for us, who is against us?"(St. Ambrose)

.

[CCC 2852]

.

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

Someone asked Jesus,

“Lord, will only a few be saved?”

.

He replied,

“Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom,

for many will try to enter but will fail.”

.

– Luke 13:23-24 (NLT)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

Everyone is called to form part of the Kingdom of God,

for He “desires all men to be saved” (1 Tim 2:4).

.

But only those who make a serious effort can reach the goal of salvation.

.

.

.

QUOTE…

.

“A Christian’s struggle must be unceasing,

for interior life consists in beginning and beginning again.

This prevents us from proudly thinking that we are perfect already.

.

It is inevitable that we should meet difficulties on our way.

If we did not come up against obstacles,

we would not be creatures of flesh and blood.

.

We will always have passions that pull us downwards;

we will always have to defend ourselves against…self-defeating urges”

.

– St. Josemaria Escriva

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

Holy Spirit,

make me faithful to Your Word

and give me self-control.

Help me defend myself

against self-defeating urges and passions;

help me obey Your commands.

Holy Spirit,

make me faithful to Your Word

and give me self-control.

Help me discard my self-centered attitude

and my selfishness

which can combine to ultimately deprive me

from passing through that glorious door

which leads into the loving arms of my Maker.

.

Amen.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Holy Spirit, make me faithful and give me self-control.

.

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

By [the] power of the Spirit, God’s children can bear much fruit.

He who has grafted us onto the true vine

will make us bear “the fruit of the Spirit: …love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal 5:22-23)

.

“We live by the Spirit”;

the more we renounce ourselves, the more we “walk by the Spirit.” (Gal 5:25)

.

Through the Holy Spirit

we are restored to paradise,

led back to the Kingdom of heaven, and adopted as children,

given confidence to call God “Father”

and to share in Christ’s grace, called children of light

and given a share in eternal glory. [St. Basil]

[CCC 736]

.

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

“What we suffer now is nothing

compared to the glory He will reveal to us later.”

.

– Romans 8:18 (NLT)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

The Holy Spirit leads us to look at Jesus

and consider His extraordinary and benevolent gesture

of suffering and death on the cross,

and see and understand it with the eyes of faith.

.

Our Lord’s life

and His glorious resurrection

have a clear message for all men and women of good will:

that if we seek to do as God commands

and entrust ourselves to His will,

what we suffer now is nothing

compared to the glory He will reveal to us later.

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

Time and time again, Lord,

You have shown me how,

when I let myself go into Your loving care

and entrust my burdens to You,

every situation becomes manageable.

.

Time and time again,

when I am close to giving up,

I look at You on that cross

and Your Spirit lifts me up

and fills me with determination and hope.

.

Time and time again,

I am brought to realise

that I am only on a journey which, with the help of Your loving grace,

will bring me to meet You face to face.

.

My prayer, dear Jesus,

is that I will always allow Your Spirit to dwell in me

– renewing and refreshing my hope in You,

and reinforcing my love for You.

.

Continue to overwhelm me, Lord,

and lead me to Your glory!.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Overwhelm me Lord, and lead me to Your glory!

.

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

Liberation and salvation.

By His glorious Cross, Christ has won salvation for all men.

He redeemed them from the sin that held them in bondage.

"For freedom Christ has set us free."(Gal 5:1)

In Him we have communion with the "truth that makes us free."

.

The Holy Spirit has been given to us and, as the Apostle [Paul] teaches, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Cor 17)

Already we glory in the "liberty of the children of God." (Rom 8:21)

.

[CCC 1741]

.

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

O God, You are my God,

for You I long;

for You my soul is thirsting.

My body pines for You

like a dry weary land without water.

.

– Psalm 63:1 (TJB)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

Being with the Lord is like this

– there are times

when we feel like a tree

growing on the bank of a glorious, flowing river;

then there are times

when we feel like there’s not a drop of water in sight.

.

Both can be beautiful moments.

.

Yes, whenever we thirst for the Lord,

we must recognise such moments

as significant instances of spiritual truth

and of grace,

which help us realise how much we love God

…and how much we need Him in our life.

.

Indeed, such moments should be treasured.

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

My Lord and my God,

today I just want to stop and thank You

for the grace You gave me of knowing how life is,

both with You and without You.

.

Today I know that with You in my heart,

even the darkest of moments are filled with grace

because as I yearn for You,

I realise just how much I need You.

.

O God, You are my God,

for You I long;

for You my soul is thirsting.

My body pines for You

like a dry weary land without water..

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

My soul thirsts for You, O God.

.

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

2557 […] Thirst for God is quenched by the water of eternal life.

.

[CCC 2557]

.

.

"If you only knew the gift God has for you!" (Jn 4:10)

The wonder of prayer

is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water:

there, Christ comes to meet every human being.

.

It is He who first seeks us and asks us for a drink.

Jesus thirsts;

His asking arises from the depths of God’s desire for us.

.

Whether we realise it or not,

prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours.

God thirsts that we may thirst for Him.

.

[CCC 2560]

.

.

.

.

Today’s Word…

.

“God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

.

– Luke 18:13 (NIV)

.

.

.

Reflection…

.

This is a short but very full prayer,

it is a humble confession

that comes from the very depths of the heart.

…..

This prayer is a humble petition,

seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness.

…..

Prayer, in addition to being persevering and full of faith,

must flow from the heart,

from the heart that recognises its errant nature

and truly repents of its sins.

…..

Go, therefore, humble and repentant before God,

and plead, with sincerity, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner”

– and the Lord,

who recognises and never spurns a meek and truly contrite heart,

will generously pour out His loving and forgiving grace on you.

.

.

.

Prayer…

.

God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

.

.

.

Repetitive Prayer for Today…

.

God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

.

.

.

.

Today’s Word…

.

“God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

.

– Luke 18:13 (NIV)

.

.

.

Reflection…

.

This is a short but very full prayer,

it is a humble confession

that comes from the very depths of the heart.

…..

This prayer is a humble petition,

seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness.

…..

Prayer, in addition to being persevering and full of faith,

must flow from the heart,

from the heart that recognises its errant nature

and truly repents of its sins.

…..

Go, therefore, humble and repentant before God,

and plead, with sincerity, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner”

– and the Lord,

who recognises and never spurns a meek and truly contrite heart,

will generously pour out His loving and forgiving grace on you.

.

.

.

Prayer…

.

God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

.

.

.

Repetitive Prayer for Today…

.

God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

.

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

Those who live as their human nature tells them to,

have their minds controlled by what human nature wants.

.

Those who live as the Spirit tells them to,

have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants.

.

To be controlled by human nature results in death;

to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace.

.

And so people become enemies of God

when they are controlled by their human nature;

for they do not obey God’s law,

and in fact they cannot obey it.

Those who obey their human nature

cannot please God.

.

– Romans 8:5-8 (GNT)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

Am I living as my human nature tells me to,

or am I living as the Spirit tells me to?

In fact, have I allowed God’s Spirit to live in me?

.

If we do not have the Spirit of Christ,

then we do not belong to Him.

It is only if we willingly allow Christ to live in us,

that we shall truly be alive – in both body and in spirit.

.

We also need to remember that there is no in-between way.

This is what Christ tells us in Revelations Chapter 3, vs 15 to 16:

“I know that you are neither cold nor hot.

How I wish you were either one or the other!

But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold,

I am going to spit you out of my mouth!”

.

Spiritual lukewarmness

is definitely not the route Christian life should take.

.

One last question, therefore:

am I trying to reach some form of compromise with God?

.

.

.

QUOTE…

.

“There are only two possible ways of living on this earth:

either we live a supernatural life,

or we live an animal life.”

.

– St. Josemaria Escriva

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

O Lord, my God,

You are welcome in my heart.

Come, take it over

and set it on fire with love for You.

.

O Lord, my God,

I am nothing without You – I am dead.

But with You in my heart, I live!

.

Thank You for coming into my life, O God.

Thank You for Your Holy Spirit

who consoles and counsels me so lovingly,

who strengthens my resolve,

and who directs me along the way

that ultimately leads to You, my Creator.

.

Stay with me, Lord.

Take over, Lord.

.

Amen.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

O Lord, my God, come and take over my heart.

.

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

The necessity of faith

.

Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent Him for our salvation

is necessary for obtaining that salvation.

.

…without faith it is impossible to please [God]

…without faith no one has ever attained justification,

nor will anyone obtain eternal life but he who endures to the end.

.

[CCC 161]

.

.

.