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

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

where He gives me repose.

Near restful waters He leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit.

.

He guides me along the right path;

He is true to His name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

no evil would I fear.

.

You are there with Your crook and Your staff;

with these You give me comfort.

.

– Psalm 23:1-4 (JB)

.

.

.

QUOTE…

.

“Do everything calmly and peacefully.

Do as much as you can as well as you can.

Strive to see God in all things without exception,

and consent to His will joyously.

.

Do everything for God,

uniting yourself to Him in word and deed.

Walk very simply with the Cross of the Lord

and be at peace with yourself.”

.

– St. Francis de Sales

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

Thank You for the comfort that You give me.

Thank You for the peace that You fill me with.

.

Lord, without You I am nothing,

but with You by my side and in my heart,

I realise what I truly am:

a living being,

created in Your image and likeness,

and filled with Your Spirit.

.

Guide me, Lord,

fill me with hope.

Love me, Lord,

fill me with joy.

Comfort me, Lord,

fill me with peace.

.

I love You, Lord.

.

Amen.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Thank You for Your peace, O Lord!

. .

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

“This Kingdom shines out before men in the word, in the works and in the presence of Christ.”(LumenGentium)

To welcome Jesus’ word is to welcome the Kingdom itself.

.

The seed and beginning of the Kingdom

are the “little flock” of those whom Jesus came to gather around Him,

the flock whose shepherd He is.

They form Jesus’ true family.

.

To those whom He thus gathered around Him,

He taught a new way of acting and a prayer of their own..

[CCC 764]

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

This is what the Lord says:

“Call to me, and I will answer you;

I will tell you wonderful and marvellous things

that you know nothing about.”

.

– Jeremiah 33:3 (GNT)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

“Jeremiah 333”

is often referred to as God’s telephone number!

.

This is how our loving God is,

He invites us to call Him

and promises that He will answer.

.

But when we call,

and after greeting Him with loving words and thankfulness,

and sharing our thoughts and feelings with Him,

we must stop

…and listen to what He has to say.

.

Sometimes, He may not tell us what we want to hear,

but then we must remember that He is God

and only He knows what is truly good for us.

.

If we listen to Him attentively

and with faith, love and hope,

then, whatever He may say to us

will be great and marvellous and uplifting,

…and He will shine a light in our heart.

.

Let us call “Jeremiah 333” every day!

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

Almighty God,

how great You are!

.

Almighty God,

how generous You are!

.

Thank You for making Yourself so available,

and for being there, every time,

to answer my call.

.

Thank You for Your patience,

and for bearing with my complaints

and constant requests for favours.

.

Grant, O LORD, that whenever I call You,

I will listen attentively to Your voice

and learn from You,

and always welcome Your divine consolation and guidance,

and all the wonderful and marvellous things only You can tell me.

.

Amen.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Speak to me, Lord, Your servant is listening!

. .

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

God, who "dwells in unapproachable light",

wants to communicate His own divine life to the men He freely created,

in order to adopt them as His sons in His only-begotten Son.

.

By revealing Himself, God wishes to make them capable of responding to Him,

and of knowing Him and of loving Him far beyond their own natural capacity.

.

[CCC 52]

.

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…TODAY’S REFLECTION…TODAY’S PRAYER…

.

To You, O Lord, I offer my prayer;

.

Teach me Your ways, O Lord;
make them known to me.
Teach me to live according to Your truth,
for You are my God, who saves me.
I always trust in You.

.

Remember, O Lord, Your kindness and constant love
which You have shown from long ago.
Forgive the sins and errors of my youth.
In your constant love and goodness,
remember me, Lord!

.

– Psalm 25:1;4-7 (GNT)

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Teach me Your ways, O Lord; I always trust in You.
. .

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

"Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice."(Ps 105:3)

Although man can forget God or reject Him,

He never ceases to call every man to seek Him, so as to find life and happiness.

.

But this search for God demands of man every effort of intellect,

a sound will, "an upright heart",

as well as the witness of others who teach him to seek God. […]

.

[CCC 30]

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

The word of God is alive and active,

sharper than any double-edged sword.

It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet,

to where joints and marrow come together.

It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart.

.

– Hebrews 4:12 (GNT)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

God’s word is consoling and life-giving

to the open and humble heart

that listens out intently for God’s voice

as it seeks to be led by Him.

.

God’s word, serves us

as strength for our faith,

food for our soul

and a pure and lasting source of spiritual life.

.

But God’s word also inspires dread and panic

in those whose way of life and thinking it warns against.

.

Those who foolishly persist with their self-centeredness,

appear to ignore the direction that God gives them,

or else they consciously misinterpret Scripture to suit their selfish ways.

However, deep inside it still bothers them,

and that is why they often angrily over-react to the word.

.

"The word of His truth is hotter and brighter than the sun,

and pierces the very depths of hearts and minds"

.

– St Justin

.

.

We must remember that

the depths of a person’s heart,

his deepest thoughts, attitudes and intentions

– all lie open to God’s all-seeing eye.

.

"What a person does or thinks is expressed in his actions,

but one can never be sure of what motivates his actions.

That, however, is never hidden from God"

.

– St Thomas

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

My Lord and my God,

Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light for my path.

.

Thank You, O loving Father,

for showing me the way,

for giving me direction and advice.

.

Grant, O Lord,

that I will always listen out for You;

that I will embrace Your word;

that I will entrust myself completely to You.

.

For this I pray in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Lord, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

. .

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

The Church forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful

…to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ,

by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures.

“Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” (St Jerome)

.

[CCC 133]

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

Light shines in the darkness for the godly.
They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.

.

– Psalm 112:4 (NLT)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

Even in difficult and troubled times,

God’s light shines on those who love Him and trust in Him,

and their attitude unwaveringly reflects the Lord’s,

for they are always generous, compassionate and righteous.

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

Lord, make me good.

Lord, make me more like You.

.

Lord, I want to love You more.

I want to trust in You totally,

always,

in good times

and in bad.

.

Lord, help me be generous, compassionate and righteous

at all times,

and let my manner and my actions

always reflect You…in me.

.

Amen.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Lord, make me more like You.

. .

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

"You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mat 5:48);

"Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful"(Lk 6:36);

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another,

even as I have loved you, that you also love one another."(Jn 13:34)

.

It is impossible to keep the Lord’s commandment by imitating the divine model from outside;

there has to be a vital participation, coming from the depths of the heart,

in the holiness and the mercy and the love of our God.

.

Only the Spirit by whom we live can make ours the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. […]

.

[CCC2842]

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings,

or of God?

Or am I trying to please people?

.

If I were still trying to please people,

I would not be a servant of Christ.

.

– Galatians 1:10 (NIV)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

The world appears to be intent on

getting us to adopt lifestyles and attitudes

which exalt the self,

idolise the body,

and encourage self-gratification at any cost.

.

But it does not stop at the self,

because vanity is also about showing off

and about winning the approval of others.

.

The world seems to be continuously feeding

our lower passions, desires, pride

and all our amoral inclinations,

as it justifies self-indulgence and unrestraint.

.

But we can battle…and beat…this ideology,

and set about pleasing God rather than the world.

We can do this

by putting on Christ;

by living how He teaches us to live;

by being humble;

and by loving unselfishly like He loves.

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

Lord Jesus,

I so want to be like You.

.

Help me stop focusing on myself

and remove from me all desires that are not from You.

Lord, it is Your approval that I seek;

it is You I want to please

and not the world.

.

Lord, protect me from the vanity that lurks within me,

and from my self-centeredness.

.

Lead me, Lord,

in ways that are pleasing to You

and help me always desire to be like You

and to do Your will.

.

Amen.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Lord, it is only You I want to please!

. .

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

The Lord leads all persons by paths and in ways pleasing to Him,

and each believer responds according to his heart’s resolve

and the personal expressions of his prayer.

.

However, Christian Tradition has retained three major expressions of prayer:

vocal, meditative, and contemplative.

They have one basic trait in common: composure of heart.

.

This vigilance in keeping the Word and dwelling in the presence of God

makes these three expressions intense times in the life of prayer.

.

[CCC 2699]

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

I am determined to put [Wisdom] into practice,

I have earnestly pursued what is good,

I will not be put to shame.

.

– Sirach 51:18 (JB)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

Dictionary definitions of “wisdom” include

– the quality of having knowledge and good judgement;

– the ability to discern;

– good sense;

– a wise attitude

.

In the Christian context, Wisdom means

always acting according to the spirit of the Commandments

and not looking for an ambiguity or omission

which we can use to evade their true intent

and to justify our actions.

.

Wisdom means

understanding the consequences of our life choices, actions and words

before we decide, act or speak.

.

Wisdom means

having the knowledge and understanding to recognise the right course of action

and having the will and courage to follow it.

.

Following the ways of Wisdom

helps bring us in harmony with God

because these ways are in accordance with His will, as revealed in the Bible,

and are pleasing to Him.

.

The ways of Wisdom

also bring us in harmony with other persons

because respect for others is the very essence of the Commandments.

.

Acting with Wisdom

brings us in harmony with ourselves,

giving us a sense of self-worth and inner peace.

This is because Wisdom helps us avoid the shame and guilt

that come from following our baser instincts.

.

We often fail in our daily struggle to act with wisdom

– it does not come easily or naturally.

Although it is easier to follow our less-than-wise impulses,

the reward for acting with wisdom and living in God’s grace

is great

…and it is eternal!

.

A quick look around us today,

will quickly show us how much true wisdom we lack.

How sad.

.

[*]

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

O God of love and goodness

guide me in Your gentle mercy,

for left to myself

I struggle to do Your will.

.

Father, direct my mind and body,

and make me good and holy

for You.

.

May everything that I say and do

begin with Your inspiration

and continue with Your saving help.

.

O Lord, fill our minds with Your wisdom,

and guide us to follow Your ways.

Help us know what is right

and to be eager to do Your will

and to reject all that is contrary to Your Word.

.

For this I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Lord, help me earnestly pursue what is good.

. .

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

With creation, God does not abandon His creatures to themselves.

He not only gives them being and existence,

but also, and at every moment, upholds and sustains them in being,

enables them to act

and brings them to their final end.

.

Recognizing this utter dependence with respect to the Creator

is a source of wisdom and freedom,

of joy and confidence…

[*] today’s reflection owes a lot to an article at christianbiblereference.org

.

[CCC 301]

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

Do not let your love be a pretence,

but sincerely prefer good to evil.

.

– Romans 12:9 (JB)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

That which is evil…

Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife,

jealousy, fits of anger,

rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

envy, drunkenness, orgies,

and things like these. (Gal 5:19-21)

.

That which is good…

Love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)

.

The choice is ours.

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

My Lord, my God, my Jesus,

You are Good.

.

Lord, I have chosen You.

I want to be with You.

I want to be like You.

I want to be one with You.

.

Send Your Holy Spirit, Lord,

to fill me with Your love,

and to change me,

to console me,

to counsel me,

and to strengthen my resolve

to always choose good over evil.

.

Lord, this is my desire

– to always live in Your glorious light.

.

Amen

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Lord Jesus, help me be more like You.

. .

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

A morally good act requires the goodness of the object, of the end, and of the circumstances together.

An evil end corrupts the action, even if the object is good in itself (such as praying and fasting "in order to be seen by men").

.

The object of the choice can by itself vitiate an act in its entirety.

There are some concrete acts – such as fornication – that it is always wrong to choose,

because choosing them entails a disorder of the will, that is, a moral evil.

.

[CCC 1755]

.

.

[…] One may not do evil so that good may result from it.

.

[CCC 1761]

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

When Bartimaeus [a blind beggar] heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby,

he began to shout,

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

.

“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder,

“Son of David, have mercy on me!”

.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“My rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”

And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.”

Instantly the man could see,

and he followed Jesus on the way.

.

– Mark 10:47-48;51-52 (NLT)

.

.

.

QUOTE…

.

“’Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’

Don’t you feel the same urge to cry out?

You who are also waiting at the side of the way,

of this highway of life that is so very short?

.

You who need more light,

you who need more grace to make up your mind to seek holiness?

Don’t you feel an urgent need to cry out,

‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’

What a beautiful aspiration for you to repeat again and again! […]

.

Our Lord, who had heard [the blind man] right from the beginning,

let him persevere in his prayer.

He does the same with you.

.

Jesus hears our cries from the very first, but He waits.

He wants us to be convinced that we need Him.

He wants us to beseech Him,

to persist,

like the blind man…”

.

– St. Josemaria Escriva

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

. .

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

A particular gift of the Holy Spirit. The first grace of this sacrament [the Anointing of the Sick] is one of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age.

.

This grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit, who renews trust and faith in God and strengthens against the temptations of the evil one, the temptation to discouragement and anguish in the face of death.

.

This assistance from the Lord by the power of his Spirit is meant to lead the sick person to healing of the soul, but also of the body if such is God’s will. Furthermore, “if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

.

[CCC 1520]

.

.

.

TODAY’S WORD…

.

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,

do everything for the glory of God.

.

– 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NRSV)

.

.

Whatever you do, in word or deed,

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

.

– Colossians 3:17 (NRSV)

.

.

.

REFLECTION…

.

In everything we do

– even in apparently unimportant things, like eating and drinking –

we Christians should seek the glory of God,

by always acting with the best of intentions.

In the case of meals, of course,

the practice of saying grace before and after

helps us to be mindful of God

and thankful to Him in that situation.

.

All genuinely human things that we do,

can and should be made holy

by being done perfectly and for love of God.

.

.

.

PRAYER…

.

You deserve the glory, O God,

and the honour,

and I lift my hands in worship

and I bless Your Holy Name.

.

You deserve the glory, O God,

and the honour,

and I lift my work,

and all that I say and do,

to You,

as a token of my love for You.

.

Lord, I thank You for Your great love for me,

and I give You all that I am,

in Jesus’ name.

and for Your glory.

.

Amen.

.

.

.

REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

.

Lord, all I am, and all I say or do, is for Your glory.

. .

.

.

YEAR OF FAITH 2012-2013

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH…

.

[…]

.

”I ask you to consider that our Lord Jesus Christ is your true head,

and that you are one of His members.

.

He belongs to you as the head belongs to its members;

all that is His is yours:

His spirit, His heart, His body and soul, and all His faculties.

You must make use of all these as of your own,

to serve, praise, love, and glorify God.

.

You belong to Him, as members belong to their head.

And so He longs for you

to use all that is in you, as if it were His own,

for the service and glory of the Father.” (St. John Eudes)

.

[…]

.

[CCC 1698]

.

.