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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Since you have been raised to new life with Christ,

set your sights on the realities of heaven,

where Christ sits in the place of honour at God’s right hand.

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Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

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So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.

Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy,

for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

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But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behaviour, slander, and dirty language.

Don’t lie to each other,

for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.

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Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.

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…Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.

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– Colossians 3:1-2,5,8-11 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Those who try to seek holiness by imitating Jesus

…will be people full of hope;

they will be optimistic and happy people;

and after their death they will share in the glory of the Lord:

they will hear Jesus’ praise,

“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little;

I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your Master.” (Mat 25:21)

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PRAYER…

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Almighty and merciful God,
in Your goodness take away from me all that is harmful,
so that, made ready both in mind and body,
I may freely accomplish Your will.

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For this I pray in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My God, take away from me all that is harmful.

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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Freedom and grace.

The grace of Christ is not in the slightest way a rival of our freedom

when this freedom accords with the sense of the true

and the good that God has put in the human heart.

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On the contrary, as Christian experience attests especially in prayer,

the more docile we are to the promptings of grace,

the more we grow in inner freedom and confidence during trials,

such as those we face in the pressures and constraints of the outer world.

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By the working of grace, the Holy Spirit educates us in spiritual freedom

in order to make us free collaborators in His work in the Church and in the world…

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[CCC 1742]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Have mercy on me, O God,
because of Your unfailing love.
Because of Your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
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Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.

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– Psalm 51:1-2 (NLT)

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PRAYER…

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Have mercy on me, O God,
because of Your unfailing love.
Because of Your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
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Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.

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Create in me a clean heart, O God.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Wash me clean from my guilt, O God,

and create in me a clean heart.

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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"God created us without us: but He did not will to save us without us."(St. Augustine)

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To receive His mercy, we must admit our faults.

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just,

and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(1 Jn 8:9)

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[CCC 1847]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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I love You, O Lord, my strength.

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In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From His temple He heard my voice,
and my cry to Him reached His ears.

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– Psalm 18:1,6 (NRSV)

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PRAYER…

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I love You, O Lord, my strength,

but Your love for me exceeds all.

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I need You, O Lord, my helper,

for without You I am lost.

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I long for You, O Lord, my saviour,

and I hold Your promises in my heart.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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I love You, O Lord, my strength.

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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Having passed from this world to the Father,

Christ gives us in the Eucharist the pledge of glory with Him.

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Participation in the Holy Sacrifice identifies us with His Heart,

sustains our strength along the pilgrimage of this life,

makes us long for eternal life,

and unites us even now to the Church in heaven,

the Blessed Virgin Mary,

and all the saints.

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[CCC 1419]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls;

when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns

and buys it.”

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– Matthew 13:45-46 (JB)

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QUOTE…

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“Anyone who understands the Kingdom which Christ proposes

realises that it is worth staking everything to obtain it […].

The Kingdom of Heaven is difficult to win.

No one can be sure of achieving it,

but the humble cry of a repentant man can open wide its doors.”

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– St. Josemaria Escriva.

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PRAYER…

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O Lord, my God,

my greatest Treasure!

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There is none like You.

Nothing compares to You

and to the value of Your love for me.

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Nothing and no one can ever give me

the inner joy and peace that You do.

Lord, nothing compares to Your promise.

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Lord Jesus, I accept Your invitation.

Lead me, as I trustfully put all else aside,

and help me along the way, as I pursue Your Kingdom.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord Jesus, You are my Treasure!

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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[…] The Kingdom of God lies ahead of us.

It is brought near in the Word incarnate,

it is proclaimed throughout the whole Gospel,

and it has come in Christ’s death and Resurrection.

The Kingdom of God has been coming since the Last Supper

and, in the Eucharist, it is in our midst.

The kingdom will come in glory when Christ hands it over to His Father:

It may even be…that the Kingdom of God means Christ Himself,

whom we daily desire to come,

and whose coming we wish to be manifested quickly to us.

For as He is our resurrection, since in Him we rise,

so He can also be understood as the Kingdom of God,

for in Him we shall reign. (St. Cyprian)

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[CCC 2816]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

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– Psalm 103:8 (NRSV)

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PRAYER…

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Faithful God,

faithful God,

all-sufficient One, I worship You.

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Shalom, my peace,

my strong deliverer,

I lift You up, faithful God.

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Amen.

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[Today’s simple, but deep and meaningful prayer consists of the lyrics of the Christian song of worship, “FAITHFUL GOD”, by Chris Bowater.

To listen and pray, please click here >> “FAITHFUL GOD”.]

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Faithful God, I worship You.

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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God’s love is everlasting:

“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,

but my steadfast love shall not depart from you.” (Isa 54:8)

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Through Jeremiah, God declares to His people,

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;

therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” (Jer 31:3)

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[CCC 220]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“I am the resurrection and the life.

Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,

and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?”

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– John 11:25-26 (NRSV)

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PRAYER…

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Lord Jesus, Son of the Living God,

You are the Resurrection and the Life.

Yes Lord, and I believe this with all my heart!

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Ever since letting You into my heart,

You have constantly revived and renewed me

and changed the way I look at life.

Jesus, You are my life!

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My Lord and my God,

keep my faith strong,

and let me always do Your will,

for with You in my heart

I know I shall live in Your love…forever!

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, You are my life!

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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By His death and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has “opened” heaven to us.

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The life of the blessed consists in the full and perfect possession of the fruits of the redemption accomplished by Christ.

He makes partners in His heavenly glorification

those who have believed in Him and remained faithful to His will.

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Heaven is the blessed community of all who are perfectly incorporated into Christ.

[CCC 1026]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Ask, and it will be given to you;

search, and you will find;

knock, and the door will be opened to you.

For the one who asks always receives;

the one who searches always finds;

the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him.”

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– Luke 11:9-10 (JB)

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QUOTE…

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“Do you see the effectiveness of prayer when it is done properly?

Are you not convinced like me that, if we do not obtain what we ask God for,

it is because we are not praying with faith,

with a heart pure enough,

with enough confidence,

or that we are not persevering in prayer the way we should?

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God has never refused nor will ever refuse anything

to those who ask for His graces in the way they should.

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Prayer is the great recourse available to us to get out of sin,

to persevere in grace,

to move God’s heart

and to draw upon us all kinds of blessing from Heaven,

whether for the soul or to meet our temporal needs”

– St. John Mary Vianney.

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PRAYER…

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O Lord, my God,

O Giver of Life,

I kneel before You

and seek Your grace.

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Give me faith, Lord,

and a pure heart.

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Remove, O Lord, all my selfishness and pride,

my doubts, my hesitation, my anxieties.

Fill me instead

with love and joy,

with perseverance,

and above all with a perfect trust in You, my God.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O God, give me a perfect trust in You.

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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Once committed to conversion, the heart learns to pray in faith.

Faith is a filial adherence to God beyond what we feel and understand.

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It is possible because the beloved Son gives us access to the Father.

He can ask us to “seek” and to “knock,” since He Himself is the door and the way.

[CCC 2609]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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God says,

“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”

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Indeed, the “right time” is now.

Today is the day of salvation.

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– 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT)

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QUOTE…

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“We receive the grace of God in vain

when we receive it at the gate of our heart, without allowing it to enter:

we receive it without receiving it;

we receive it without fruit,

since there is no use in feeling the inspiration if one does not consent unto it.

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And just as the sick man who has the medicine in his hands,

if he takes only part of it, will only partially benefit from it,

so too, when God sends a great and mighty inspiration to move us to embrace His love,

if we do not avail of it in its entirety,

we shall benefit from it only partially”

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– St. Francis de Sales

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PRAYER…

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O most loving God,

generous beyond compare,

why am I so unappreciative of Your gifts?

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Why do I, so often, put Your bountiful grace aside,

choosing instead the world’s false promises?

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Today, my God, I have decided

– I have decided to say “Yes” to You.

Help me embrace Your truth

– in faith and with determination.

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My God, I want to be healed

…I want to be saved!

Stay with me, Lord!

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Yes, Lord. Save me, Lord!

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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Our salvation flows from God’s initiative of love for us,

because “He loved us and sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins” (1 Jn 4:10).

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (2 Cor 5:19).

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[CCC 620]

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TODAY’S WORD…

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God said,

“You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God,

for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses His name.”

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– Exodus 20:7 (NRSV)

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PRAYER…

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Forgive us, O God,

for demeaning Your Holy Name;

for misusing it,

for reducing it to a mere expression

and, worst of all, for our blasphemy.

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How can we claim, O Lord,

that to us You are above all,

when we are irreverent towards Your Name,

abusing it, desecrating it,

and treating it with contempt?

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Please forgive us, O God;

remove this scourge from our ungrateful and insolent culture.

Bring us back to our knees

to worship and adore You.

Change us,

convert us,

and use us to rebuild Your Kingdom.

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Amen.

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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Among all the words of Revelation, there is one which is unique:

the revealed name of God.

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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[CCC 2143]

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Blasphemy is directly opposed to the second commandment.

It consists in uttering against God – inwardly or outwardly – words of hatred, reproach, or defiance;

in speaking ill of God;

in failing in respect toward Him in one’s speech;

in misusing God’s name. […]

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Blasphemy is contrary to the respect due God and His holy name.

It is in itself a grave sin.

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[CCC 2148]

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TODAY’S WORD…and PRAYER

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O God, You are my God, I seek You,
my soul thirsts for You;
my flesh faints for You,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary,
beholding Your power and glory.
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Because Your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands and call on Your name.

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My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,

and my mouth praises You with joyful lips
when I think of You on my bed,
and meditate on You in the watches of the night;
for You have been my help,
and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
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My soul clings to you;
Your right hand upholds me.

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Amen.

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– Psalm 63:1-8 (NRSV)

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YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

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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:

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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

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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

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God alone satisfies.3

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[CCC 1718]

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