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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“If you love me, you will obey my commandments.”

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– John 14:15 (GNT)

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“My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you.”

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– John 15:12 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…from a treatise on Charity by St Maximus the Confessor

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Charity is a right attitude of mind which prefers nothing to the knowledge of God.

Those who possess any strong attachment to the things of this earth cannot possess true charity,

for those who really love God have their focus and the longing of their mind always on Him.

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The Lord Himself reminds us:

“If you love me, you will obey my commandments…

My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you.”

So if we do not love our neighbour, we do not obey God’s command.

And if we do not obey God’s command, then we cannot love Him.

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We are blessed if we can love all men equally.

Moreover, if we truly love God, we must love our neighbour absolutely.

If this is how we are, then we cannot hoard our wealth

and, like God himself, we give generously from our own resources to others according to their needs.

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Because we seek to imitate God’s generosity,

the only distinction we draw is the person’s need.

We do not distinguish between a good person and a bad one,

or a just person and one who is unjust.

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A charitable mind is not displayed simply in giving money;

it is manifested still more by personal service

as well as by the communication of God’s word to others.

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In fact, if our service toward others is genuine and if we really renounce worldly concerns,

we are freed from selfish desires

for we now share in God’s own knowledge and love.

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When we truly possess God’s love,

we does not experience weariness as we follow the Lord our God.

Rather, we withstand every type of criticism and hardship

without even harbouring an evil thought toward anyone.

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Finally, without love and without sharing love, everything is in vain

and we therefore must never think or say: “Faith alone in our Lord Jesus Christ can save me”,

because by itself faith accomplishes nothing. For even the devils believe!

No, faith must be joined to an active love of God, which is expressed in good works.

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PRAYER…

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Lord, I want to truly love You.

Teach me, my Jesus, how to love and show me how to care for others.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Happy is the husband of a good wife;

the number of his days will be doubled.

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A loyal wife brings joy to her husband,

and he will complete his years in peace.

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A good wife is a great blessing;

she will be granted among the blessings of the man who fears the Lord.

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Whether rich or poor, his heart is content,

and at all times his face is cheerful.

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A wife’s charm delights her husband,

and her skill puts flesh on his bones.

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A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,

and nothing is so precious as her self-discipline.

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A modest wife adds charm to charm,

and no scales can weigh the value of her chastity.

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– Sirach 26:2-4,13-15 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…from an address by Pope Pius XII

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The family is illuminated by its own radiant sun, which is the wife.

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The wife and mother is indeed like the sun shining in the family.

She shines by her generosity and the way she gives herself to others.

She shines by her alertness and watchfulness

and by her wise and gentle providing of all that can give joy to her husband and children.

She radiates light and warmth.

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A marriage will prosper if each partner goes into it not for his or her own happiness but the other’s happiness

– but although it belongs to both partners, this emotion, this goal is particularly a quality of the woman.

Her very nature as a mother entails it.

Her wisdom and prudence mean that even if she encounters troubles she will respond to them with joy;

if she is belittled, she will respond with unaltered dignity and respect.

She is like the sun that brightens a cloudy morning with the dawn;

the sun that illuminates the shower-clouds at dusk.

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The wife is like the sun shining in the family with the brightness of her glance and the ardour of her speech.

Her looks and words enter into the souls of her family,

softening them, touching them, raising them up from the tumult of emotion.

They recall her husband to joy in good things and delight in family life […].

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The wife is like the sun shining in the family by her unforced, transparent sincerity,

by her simple dignity, by her decent Christian behaviour;

by her inward thoughts and her upright heart;

and also by the appropriateness of her dress and bearing,

adorned by her open and honest way of life.

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Subtle signs of feeling, shades of expression, silences and unmalicious smiles, little nods of approval

– all these give her the grace of an exquisite but simple flower opening its petals to reflect the colours of sunlight.

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If only you could know the full depth of the feelings of love and gratitude

that such a perfect wife and mother inspires in her husband and children!

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PRAYER…

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Lord, Your Word is a Lamp to our feet, a Light for our path.

Help us always listen humbly to Your Word

and be guided by Your unfailing wisdom.

Lord, give us the grace to be ever-thankful for Your blessings. Amen.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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To be controlled by human nature results in death;

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

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– Romans 8:6 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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Man is pulled in two different directions:

we either seek God above all things

and contend, with God’s grace, against our inclination to be drawn towards strong, selfish and lustful desires;

or else we let ourselves be overwhelmed by our chaotic and egocentric passions.

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The former lifestyle is “life in the Spirit”,

the latter is life according to our inclinations

– inclinations which are being fuelled by a world which appears determined to brainwash us into believing

that all that glitters is, in fact, gold;

that the grass on the other side of the fence is in fact greener and, therefore, more desirable;

that we should feed and fully satisfy our inclinations and desires, rather than control them.

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Life controlled by the Spirit means

a living-according-to-God which influences everything a Christian does.

True Christians never stop trying to bring their thoughts, yearnings, desires and actions into line with what God is asking of them;

in everything they do they try to follow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.

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QUOTE…

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

either we live a supernatural life, or we live an animal life”

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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PRAYER…

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Beloved Father, fill my mind and heart, and animate my body with Your Spirit

so that all that I desire and all that I say or do

not only brings You glory, but also reflects Your character and grace

– for only what comes from You brings true love, joy and peace.

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Come Holy Spirit, and control me. Come.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true Word.

And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession.

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– James 1:18 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Christians have been recreated by God by His true Word, Jesus.

Our Lord Jesus is the Gospel of God, the Mercy of God, the liberation of God

and as believers and as Christians – true Christians – we should be a sign of hope for all mankind and for the whole of Creation.

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This begs the question, Who or what is a true Christian?

and, Am I a true Christian?

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Jesus has left us a very simple yardstick with which to discern the answer to the above:

“You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act” He said (Mt 7:16),

adding that

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” (Mt 7:21).

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Having been renewed by Jesus and given a new life,

and by the Holy Spirit also,

we must now ensure that, whatever our circumstance, we apply ourselves to God’s service,

that we may be worthy of being called His prized possession.

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QUOTE…

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“Notice that to be a good Christian

it is not enough just to pray and fast and hear Mass;

God must find you faithful, like another Job or Abraham,

in times of tribulation.”

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– Fray Luis de Leon – “Guide for Sinners”

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PRAYER…

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Holy Spirit,

help me believe that I am God’s prized possession;

help me embrace that incredible truth.

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I cling to You and beg You, in Your compassion,

to watch over me in my weakness

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Guide me, eternal Spirit of God,

make me faithful in my every thought,

and grant that I may always listen to Your voice,

watch for Your light,

and follow Your gracious inspirations.

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Amen.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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How can I repay the Lord for His goodness to me?

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– Psalm 116:12 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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How can I repay the Lord for His goodness to me?

How can I ever give thanks to God for the life He has given me, for saving and redeeming me?

What can be an adequate return for love like that

– for mercies so great, so undeserved?

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Even on those days when I feel overwhelmed by worries and anxieties,

I should stop and think of God’s love for me

and of all the good things,

of all the wonderful moments in my life,

and thank God for them

and yes, even ask how I can repay Him for His goodness.

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When we pray, it is important to combat self-centeredness,

to stop focusing on our ills, on what is wrong in our life

and, instead, acknowledge and be thankful for what is right,

for all those mercies large and small.

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Our suffering, our worries, we can offer to the Lord as a sacrifice of love.

If offered to God, our sorrow and distress can become our gateway to joy.

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Joy is not the absence of suffering, but the presence of God.

Having this special joy in my heart

– which is a sign of faith and abandonment to God’s will –

is one way of repaying the Lord for His love and for His goodness to me..

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PRAYER…

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O Lord, my God, how can I ever repay You for Your goodness to me?

Lord, I want to give You my heart and my soul – I want to live for You alone!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Unload all your worries on to God, since He is looking after you.

Be calm but vigilant,

because your enemy the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Stand up to him, strong in faith.

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– 1 Peter 5:7-9 (RSV)

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REFLECTION…

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When you firmly resolve to follow Jesus, as the Lord your God,

you can count on Satan to restlessly seek to distract and confuse you.

However, you can count on God to be with you always,

leading you along the path which leads to Him.

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Abandonment in God does not mean irresponsibility,

so we are warned that there is always need to be vigilant

and watchful against the assaults of the devil,

who will pounce on us as soon as we lower our guard.

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As Christians "strong in faith", we will resist the attacks of the devil.

The trials we suffer serve to strengthen and purify us

as we move towards the glory that God has promised us.

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QUOTE…

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"He moves round each one of us,

like an enemy who has us surrounded and is checking the walls

to see if there is some weak, unsecured part, where he can get in”

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– St. Cyprian

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PRAYER…

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Holy God and loving Father,

I consciously place my fears, worries, anxieties, and burdens in Your hands.

Forgive me for letting my concerns become idols that rob You of my full trust.

Strengthen and empower me Lord, to trust you more.

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Please be near, Lord.

Strengthen my faith, my will power, and my self-control over my weaknesses,

and help me help myself.

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Amen..

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Then the devil went away,

and angels came and took care of Jesus.

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– Matthew 4:11 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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…and angels came and took care of Jesus.

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Christian tradition describes the guardian angels as powerful friends,

placed by God alongside each one of us, to accompany us on our way.

Our heavenly Father invites us to welcome these angels, who had a divine role in Jesus’ life,

to make friends with them,

and to seek their help.
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It is common doctrine

that each and every person, baptised or not, has a guardian angel.

The angel’s mission begins with the conception of a person

and continues up to the moment of the person’s death.

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St John Chrysostom affirms that

“all the guardian angels will gather together at the universal judgement

in order to bear witness themselves

to the ministry that they exercised through God’s command for the salvation of each person.”

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We need to have faith in the intervention of the holy angels,

we need to have trust in them,

and we can do so by getting to know them in a natural and confident way.

We will be amazed at the help they give us in our struggle against the evil one!

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St. Pope John Paul II encourages us:

“We receive valuable help from the good angels, messengers of God’s love.

We have been taught by the tradition of the Church to direct our prayer to them:

‘Angel of God, you are my guardian,

enlighten my mind, guard me, direct me and govern me,

for I have been entrusted to your celestial care. Amen.’”

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PRAYER…

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Angel of God, you are my guardian,

enlighten my mind,

guard me, direct me and govern me,

for I have been entrusted to your celestial care. Amen.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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He has placed fire and water before you;

reach out and take whichever you want.

You have a choice between life and death;

you will get whichever you choose.

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The Lord’s wisdom and power are great

and He sees everything.

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– Sirach 15:16-18 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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The choice is mine.

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How do I know I’m making the right choice?

Fundamental choices have remained the same over time,

and so has the question:

do we seek God or do we give into the allures of the world?

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At times, the choice can be clear-cut;

at times, the choice can be murky.

If we seek God’s will,

the advice of the wise

and the peace of conscience

over the passions of desire,

we can be assured that we made the best choice we possibly could.

And, in most cases, we will have made the right choice.

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PRAYER…

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Lord, help me do Your will

and say a determined “no” to my passionate desires.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?
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But I, the Lord, search all hearts
and examine secret motives.
I give all people their due rewards,
according to what their actions deserve.”

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– Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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God cannot be deceived;

He sees right into the heart of each and every one of us,

judging us individually on our merits.

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Think about your real self,

turn to those deep recesses of your being where God who probes the heart awaits you,

and where you yourself decide your own destiny in the sight of God.

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How am I truly now, in the eyes of the Lord?

Are my heart and conscience clean?

Are my thoughts pure?

Are my motives genuine and loving?

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PRAYER…

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Here I am Lord, search me.

Shine Your light on my soul and revive it.

Shine Your light in my heart and renew it.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

“Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?”

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I answered, “Here I am, send me.”.

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– Isaiah 6:8 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Not many of us would think of ourselves as being called to be God’s “messengers”,

but in fact, we are.

It’s part of our carrying on the work of Jesus.

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Christians are all called to take God’s message – the Good News, the Truth –

into the world,

into the human family,

into the lives of those to whom God sends us.

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More often than not, God wants us to proclaim His Word not necessarily in words.

His desire, for most of us, most of the time,

is that we proclaim His way of love

simply by the way we ourselves live out His Word, in private and in public,

honouring Him and obeying His commandments,

and by the manner in which we love our neighbour.

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God is, therefore, ceaselessly calling us to be His messengers of love, joy, peace and truth,

and our reply should be a generous and trusting response:

“Here I am, send me.”

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PRAYER…

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Lord, here I am, send me!

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