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

TODAY’S WORD…

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God

– 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

REFLECTION…

This is the language of a heart that shows entire confidence in God; that is full of joy; and bursts forth with gratitude in view of God’s mercy. When we willingly place ourselves in God’s hands we can have elevated joy in the midst of deep affliction. When we experience God’s great consolation, our love for Him will abound, and we will bless Him and give Him praise.

God is the Father, the author, the source of mercy and compassion, He is the source of all comfort and consolation. His Word fills us with comfort during our trials and supports us with His promises. His Holy Spirit, consoles, counsels, encourages and inspires us. His beloved Son, our Teacher, our Redeemer, fills us with love and with the hope of eternal life.

Having experienced His love, mercy and consolation, and through the same joy which sustained us, we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

PRAYER…

My Lord, my God, Father in Heaven,

Father of compassion and God of all comfort,

I give You praise and thanks and glory

as I thank You for comforting me in all my troubles.

Lord, fill me with Your Spirit

so that I will gladly pass on the joy that You give me

and the comfort that I receive from You,

to others who are in need.

Thank You Lord.  Use me, Lord.

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TODAY’S WORD…

“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”

– John 10:27

REFLECTION…

In Biblical times, in the ancient Near East, ‘shepherd’ was also a political title. The title implied total concern for and dedication to others, and denoted the obligation of kings to provide for their subjects.

Set against the background of the desert, the protector of the sheep – the shepherd – was also the protector of the desert traveller, offering hospitality and safety from enemies. This ideal image of the shepherd finds its fulfilment in Jesus Christ.

There is a reciprocal knowledge between the sheep and the shepherd.  “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”  The sheep remained for many years in the company of the shepherd, who knew the character of each one and gave them individual affectionate names.

This is how it is with Jesus and His followers: He knows each one of us intimately. Jesus loves me with a personal love; He treats me as if I was the only one who existed for Him.

PRAYER…

My Lord and my Shepherd,

I thank You with all my heart

for having come in search of me when I was lost.

Thank You for giving me the grace to believe in You

and to be saved by You.

Now, as I walk with You,

I rejoice at the sound of Your gentle voice.

I love You, O kind Shepherd of my soul,

thank You for Your unfailing love!

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TODAY’S WORD…

The ways of God are perfect;

the word of the Lord, purest gold.

He indeed is the shield

of all who make Him their refuge.

– Psalm 18:30 (The Grail Psalms – Ps 17:31)

REFLECTION…

Every day, go into that room, to that quiet place and spend time with the Lord…even if you think you don’t have the time. Just stop…for a few minutes and focus on Him. Forget yourself, your worldly responsibilities, your belongings, your status, your worries, your cares…just focus on Him.

Allow your heart to acknowledge its Maker and to bow down in His presence. Let it beat faster as it senses His nearness and His love. In the same way that God knows our heart, our heart knows God. It is only when we do not allow our heart to approach Him, that it feels heavy and empty.

If we permit our heart to reach out to the Master daily, so that it can freely delight in God’s presence, then our sentiment and our understanding will one day become as one and will resolutely proclaim, in complete unity, that the ways of God are perfect; and that the Word of the Lord is purest gold; and that He indeed is the shield of all who make Him their refuge.

PRAYER…

O Lord, my God, take over.

Draw me close to You

that I may glory in Your presence.

Your ways, O Lord, are perfect;

Your Word – purest gold.

You are my Shield.

You are my Refuge.

TODAY’S WORD…

He will act like a refiner and a purifier of silver.

– Malachi 3:3

REFLECTION…

The reflection on today’s verse comes in the form of a short story:

During a Bible Study on the Book of Malachi, a couple came across the verse, which says: “He will act like a refiner and a purifier of silver…” They reflected and wondered what this statement really meant regarding the character and nature of God. So they decided to find out more about the process of refining silver.

The couple called upon a silversmith and expressed an interest in his craft and he gladly invited them to see for themselves. They watched the silversmith as he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. The silversmith explained that when refining silver, he had to hold the silver in the middle of the fire – where the flames are hottest – so as to burn away all impurities.

The couple looked at one another realising what they were both thinking of: that God, like the silversmith, would sometimes hold us in such a hot spot.

The silversmith went on to explain that he would sit there in front of the fire and keep his eyes on the silver for the whole time it was being refined, because if the silver was left for even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The couple went silent for a moment, then asked “How do you know when the silver has been fully purified?” The silversmith smiled at them and answered, “Oh, that’s the easy part – it’s when I can see my image reflected in it.”

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God always has His eyes on you and will keep His hand on you and watch over you …until He sees His image…in you.

PRAYER…

O Living God, Consuming Fire, purify me!

Purify my heart, my mind, my soul,

from all that is not from You.

I surrender myself to You, Lord,

take my life into Your hands;

let Your refining fire burn;

and remove my many impurities.

Make me more like You, O Lord, make me more like You.

TODAY’S WORD…

David said to the Lord, “I have committed a grave sin. But now, Lord, I beg You to forgive Your servant for this fault. I have been very foolish.’

– 2 Samuel 24:10

REFLECTION…by St. Augustine…

“Let us never assume that if we live good lives we will be without sin; our lives should be praised only when we continue to beg for pardon. But men are hopeless creatures, and the less they concentrate on their own sins, the more interested they become in the sins of others. They seek to criticise, not to correct. Unable to excuse themselves, they are ready to accuse others.

This was not the way that David showed us how to pray and make amends to God. […] He did not concentrate on others’ sins; he turned his thoughts on himself. He did not merely stroke the surface, but he plunged inside and went deep down within himself. […]This is how we should be – displeased with ourselves when we commit sin, and this because we know that sin is displeasing to God.

Sinful though we are, let us at least be like God in this, that we are displeased at what displeases Him. In some measure then, you will be in harmony with God’s will, because you find displeasing in yourself what is abhorrent to your Creator.”

PRAYER…an Act of Contrition…

O my God, I am sorry

and beg pardon for all my sins,

and detest them above all things,

because they deserve Your dreadful punishments;

because they have crucified my loving Saviour Jesus Christ;

and, most of all, because they offend Your infinite goodness.

And I firmly resolve, by the help of Your grace,

never to offend You again,

and to carefully avoid the occasions of sin.

O my God, I am sorry.

Forgive me, Lord, and create in me a clean heart. Amen.

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TODAY’S WORD…

“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us! Lord, we want to see!”

– Matthew 20:31,33

REFLECTION…

“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” This is what two blind men, repeatedly and insistently, shouted in Jesus’ direction, in spite of a crowd trying to shut them up. Jesus heard them, asked what they wanted from Him, and they replied, “Lord, we want to see!” And Jesus felt sorry for them, touched their eyes and they could see!

These blind men give us a lesson in the kind of boldness and persistence with which we should implore God to listen to us; to hear our prayer; to explain to us those circumstances in our lives which we cannot understand. The crowd, on the other hand, is like the world, which seems intent on stopping us from reaching out to God, and scoffs at our faith in Him.

But the Spirit encourages us and, like St. Paul, says to us, “Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  (Phil 4:6-7)

PRAYER…

Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!

Lord, I want to see!

Lord, You know my prayer, my needs,

my pains, my sufferings, my spiritual blindness

– help me see, help me understand,

help me accept that Your will be done;

help me to accept to always seek to do Your will.

Lord, strengthen my faith and hope in You,

so that, whatever You grant, I will gratefully accept,

reassured by the one thing that truly matters – Your love for me.

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TODAY’S WORD…

…and the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

– Mark 5:17

REFLECTION…

Why would people plead with Jesus to go away and to leave them alone? Foolish self-centeredness – that’s what made these people, these swine breeders, act as they did. Their pigs had thrown themselves over a cliff just after they were taken over by the demons that Jesus had ordered out of a possessed man.

Jesus had permitted the loss of some material goods (a herd of swine), because these were of infinitely less value than the spiritual good which came out of the cure of a possessed man. These people had our Lord near them, they saw His divine powers, but they were very self-centered: all they thought about was the material damage they had suffered through the loss of the herd. They did not realise or care about the marvel Jesus had worked, nor about its significance.

Christ was inviting them and offering them His grace, but instead of responding they rejected Him. How many times has Christ invited us and offered us His grace, and we refused…and rejected Him?

PRAYER…

Lord Jesus, help me always acknowledge You

over anything and anyone else.

Lord, do not permit me

to ever reject Your loving grace and Your presence in my heart,

for the sake of hanging on to my material possessions

and to earthly whims and cravings. 

Lord, come into my heart, and stay with me.

Clean me, Lord,

You are all I need.

TODAY’S WORD…

Come, ring out our joy to the Lord;

hail the Rock who saves us.

Let us come before Him, giving thanks,

with songs let us hail the Lord.

– Psalm 95:1-2

REFLECTION…

How can we start each day in the right frame of mind? How can we prepare ourselves so as to go through the day ahead of us with serenity in our hearts, come what may?

Nothing is better for our spiritual health than to start each day with the soul-nourishing ‘breakfast’ that the Holy Spirit so faithfully provides to those who ask for it. We can, and should, every day help ourselves to His abundant portions of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23) and we should then go and share all He gives us with others.

Starting our day in such a manner can only lead us to sing out our joy to the Lord and to hail the rock who saves us as we gladly offer ourselves to Him.

PRAYER…

My Lord, You are my delight!

Fill me, O Lord, today and every day,

with love, joy and peace,

with patience and kindness and generosity,

with faithfulness and gentleness, and with self-control,

so that I will always sing out my joy to You

and give You thanks through whatever I do and say throughout the day.

You are my nourishment, the One who feeds me.

You are my Rock, the One who saves me.

My generous Lord, I give You praise, and thanks, and glory.

My Lord, You are my delight; You are my nourishment; You are my Rock! Amen.

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TODAY’S WORD…

“Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?”

– Mark 4:40

REFLECTION…

The episode of the calming of the storm, the memory of which must have often helped the Apostles regain their serenity in the midst of struggles and difficulties, also helps us as we face the storms of life.

The Apostles had called out to Christ for help – so they did have some faith, but only a little, for they were still afraid even though Jesus was in the boat with them. Faith dispels fear, but only in proportion to its strength.

The more intimate our relationship with Jesus; the more quality time we spend with Him; the more we experience and recognise His saving grace in our lives – the greater grows our trust in Him, and the stronger our faith.

QUOTE…

“As a vessel on the sea is exposed to a thousand dangers – pirates, quicksand, hidden rocks, tempests – so man in this life, is encompassed with perils […]. We should keep our eyes always turned to God, who alone can deliver us from the many dangers to which we are exposed” – St. Augustine

PRAYER…

My Lord Jesus, where would I be without You today?

Perhaps drowning in my own sorrows,

without hope, desperate and alone.

But I have You by my side,

and in those desperate moments I shall cling on to You, Lord,

for You are my Saviour.

Strengthen my faith and trust in You, Lord,

and prepare me for the storms of life which may be yet to come.

Stay by my side, O Lord, and increase my faith.

TODAY’S WORD…

The Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” […] For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

– 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

REFLECTION…

Christians who focus on Jesus and on His teachings and who listen out for His promptings through the Holy Spirit, gain wisdom, humility and strength.

Wisdom is when we recognise our own weaknesses, and have the ability to distinguish them from that which we have no control over.

Humility is when we humbly admit the weaknesses we see in ourselves, and when, in submissiveness to the Lord, we meekly accept suffering which comes our way.

Strength is what the Spirit builds up in us, to help us overcome temptations, pride and self-centeredness. It helps us carry those difficulties, which God permits in order to help us realise that we cannot stand firm by our own efforts alone.

QUOTES…

“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” – St Paul, in his letter to the Romans (8:28)

“We have to glory in the knowledge of our own weakness in order to acquire the strength of Jesus Christ, which is holy humility, without giving in to lack of confidence, as the devil wants, and falling into more serious sins.” – St. Alphonsus

PRAYER…

Lord, I need You by my side,

to comfort me and to give me counsel;

to guide me; to forgive me.

Lord, give me the humility to keep my strengths in check,

for they can become my weaknesses.

Lord give me the wisdom to recognise my weaknesses,

for in doing so, I will be strengthened.

Lord, Your grace is sufficient for me.

Thank You Lord Jesus Christ, my God and my Saviour.