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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus went out into the hills to pray;

and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

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– Luke 6:12 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Before formally appointing His twelve Apostles,

and because He wanted to ensure that He did His Father’s will,

Jesus spent the whole night in prayer to the Father,

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Christ is continually teaching us that we need to pray…always…

and here He shows us that we should pray with great faith, humility and intensity

especially at those important moments in our lives.

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So, how do I pray?

How often do I persevere with deep prayer?

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Jesus’ prayer is one of perfect praise to the Father;

it is prayer of petition for Himself and for us;

and it serves as a model for His Apostles, His disciples, and for us to follow.

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Our Lord wants to give us an example

of the kind of attitude a Christian should adopt when praying.

He wishes us to address the Father as loving sons and daughters would.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Heavenly Father, increase my love for You, and my faith and trust in You.

Father God, I need You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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You bless righteous people, O Lord.

Like a large shield, You surround them with Your favour.

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– Psalm 5:12 (GW)

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REFLECTION…

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There are many kinds of shields:

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– the shield of faith against the misinterpretation of the Truth;

– the shield of patience against suffering brought on by the spiteful acts of others;

– the shield against greed and materialism;

– the shield of the memory of Christ’s passion, which protects against the weaknesses of the flesh;

– the shield of the example of the saints against inner suggestions of pride and self-importance;

– the shield of Sacred Scripture against those who fight the truth;

– the shield of the word of God against all attempts to corrupt human morals.

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[today’s reflection is inspired by St. Albert the Great’s commentary on Psalm 5]

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QUOTE…

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“Every word of God has proven to be true.

He is a shield to those who come to Him for protection.”

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– Proverbs 30:5

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, You are my Shield.

Lord, keep me in Your love!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“Those of you who do not give up everything you have

cannot be my disciples.”

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– Luke 14:33 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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Our Lord emphatically requires us

to be completely detached from possessions.

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We are foolish if we think we can follow our Lord without renouncing all our possessions.

This renunciation should really bite:

our heart has to be unencumbered by anything material if we are able to follow in our Lord’s footsteps.

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Our Lord asks everyone

to practice genuine detachment and generosity in the use of material things.

If we Christians have to be ready to give up even life itself,

then, with all the more reason should we resolutely renounce possessions.

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Besides, for a soul to become filled with God

it must first be emptied of everything that could be an obstacle to God’s indwelling.

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PRAYER…

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Lord, increase my faith.

I want to place You above everything and everyone,

and to be ready to renounce all for Your sake.

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Lord, protect me

from anyone and anything that comes in the way of my personal relationship with You.

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Lord, protect me from my greed,

from my selfishness

and from my short-sighted ego.

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Lord, protect me from myself,

as I gladly offer all I have up to You.

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Amen.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, I want to give up everything I have for Your sake

and gladly offer it all back to You.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah,

a descendant of David and of Abraham:

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Abraham was the father of Isaac.

Isaac was the father of Jacob.

Jacob was the father of … …

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– Matthew 1:1-2 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Abraham was the father of Isaac…

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The first in line of Jesus’ ancestors was Abraham,

the man who was prepared to kill his beloved son Isaac because that is what God had asked of him.

God was testing Abraham’s faith.

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God’s demand from who was to become Christ’s first ancestor,

and Abraham’s trust in God’s will

raise a fundamental question for us all:

are we prepared to do God’s will at any cost?

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That God did not allow Abraham to proceed with the sacrifice of his son, is, also, a sign for us:

life, and the world, often make us pass through great trials

which can very much put our faith to the test.

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However, if we trust in God and are prepared to only do His will – without compromise –

He will intervene and He will see us through, in one way or another,

and only good will come out of such situations

– good which sometimes materializes during our own lifetime,

or else becomes evident only to later generations.

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QUOTE…

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Total obedience to God’s will brings wisdom, joy and hope.

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Whoever follows Jesus takes the path of obedience, which means lowering, emptying and humbling oneself like Jesus.

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– Pope Francis

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Your will be done, O Lord!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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The commandments of the Lord are right,

bringing joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are clear,

giving insight for living.

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Reverence for the Lord is pure,

lasting forever.

The laws of the Lord are true;

each one is fair.

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– Psalm 19:8-9 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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God’s Commandments

lead us into the right and straight paths of truth and holiness

and, as we stand in awe of the Lord who cleanses our soul from all that blemishes it,

their effect is greatjoy in our heart.

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They are not felt as stern commands,

but as gracious intimations of what God desires us to do for our own good.

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God’s laws have been written for our instruction and for our salvation.

By following His commandments, we are revering Him.

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The opposite is also true and so are the consequences,

which we bring upon ourselves if we choose to move along our own selfish paths.

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God’s laws direct us along the right way

and lead us to eternal glory and happiness.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Your commandments bring joy, O Lord – they are life.

Preserve my soul, Lord, in accordance with Your love!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Commit everything you do to the Lord.

Trust Him, and He will help you.

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– Psalm 37:5 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Commit everything you do to the Lord

– yes, everything!

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Trust Him, and He will help you

– yes, He will!

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PRAYER…

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Your way, not mine, O Lord,

however dark it be.

Lead me by Your own hand.

Choose out the path for me.

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Smooth let it be, or rough,

it will be still the best.

Winding or straight,

it leads right onwards to Your rest.

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I dare not choose my lot.

How could I think I might?

Lord, guide these stumbling feet;

then I will walk aright.

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The kingdom that I seek is Yours,

so let the way

that leads to it be Yours,

else I must surely stray.

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Lord, take my cup,

and it with joy or sorrow fill,

as best to You may seem.

Lord, choose my good or ill.

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Choose, Lord, for me my friends,

my sickness or my health.

Choose, Lord, my cares for me,

my poverty or wealth.

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Not mine, not mine the choice,

in great things or in small.

Lord, be my guide, my strength,

my wisdom and my all.

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Amen.

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[The above prayer is an adaption from an early-19^th Century hymn by Horatius Bonar]

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Your way, not mine, O Lord, please guide my stumbling feet.

Lord, be my guide, my strength, my wisdom and my all.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Make no mistake about it:

if any one of you thinks of himself as wise, in the ordinary sense of the word,

then he must learn to be a fool before he really can be wise.

Why?

Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.

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– 1 Corinthians 3:18-19 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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The worst kind of foolishness

is that of thinking one is wise when one in fact is not;

of not admitting one’s human frailty.

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An exclusively human approach is always doomed to failure.

They are real fools those who believe that they know it all and keep God out of the equation

– they are taking the road to nowhere.

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True wisdom

is when our desires and ambitions come in line with the plan God has for each one of us;

when we refer all to God before we act;

when we discern His will

and follow it gladly.

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QUOTE…

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"We must learn to acquire the divine measure of things,

never losing our supernatural outlook,

and realising that Jesus makes use also of our weaknesses

to reveal His glory.

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So, whenever your conscience feels the stirrings of self-love,

of weariness, of discouragement, or the weight of your passions,

you must react immediately and listen to the Master,

without letting the sad truth about our lives frighten us,

because as long as we live

our personal failings will always be with us"

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– St. Josemaria Escriva

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Watch over me, Lord, correct me when I’m wrong and carry me when I stumble and fall.

Lord, You know my thoughts and desires – please guide me to do only Your will.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and shield.

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Our heart is glad in Him,

because we trust in His Holy Name.

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– Psalm 33:20-21 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Our soul knows its Maker

and yearns to be reunited with Him.

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That is why when we move away from God for our own selfish reasons,

and lead our soul astray,

we create an emptiness which we end up disguising with misplaced pride,

and filling with short-lived foolishness and self-centeredness.

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But when we approach God

and humbly seek to get closer to Him and to get to know Him,

our soul is glad.

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The closer we get to God,

the more we place our trust in Him,

and the more we are filled with hope

as we experience and acknowledge His help and protection.

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And our patiently waiting soul rejoices!

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QUOTE…

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"There exists but one God…

He is the Father, God, the Creator,

the Author, the Giver of Order.

He made all things by Himself,

that is, by His Word, and by His Wisdom,

by the Son and the Spirit

who, so to speak, are His hands.”

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– St. Irenaeus

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My God, my soul waits lovingly, as my heart rejoices in You!

Where would I be without You, O Lord?

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Your faith should not depend on human philosophy

but on the power of God.

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– 1 Corinthians 2:5 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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Human wisdom alone cannot attain knowledge of God

because it either demands external signs,

or because it accepts only rational arguments.

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It is by the power of God,

that we are brought to believe,

and it is through the Holy Spirit

that Jesus Christ becomes absolutely central

in everything that we do and believe.

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It is the power of God

that stirs up in us a wisdom that is not of this world

– a deep wisdom that acknowledges and embraces the Truth!

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PRAYER…

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My Lord and my God,

You touch my heart in ways I cannot define.

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You open my eyes

and help me see what only my heart can describe.

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You fill my soul

and lift my spirit in a manner which is beyond simple words.

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You, O Lord,

are the true meaning of my life.

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Yours, Lord Jesus, is the power

that fills me with life and expectant faith.

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Only You, Lord, only You!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord Jesus, You are the true meaning of my life!

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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus said,

“For all who exalt themselves will be humbled,

and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

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– Luke 14:11 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Humility is so necessary for our salvation

that throughout His life on Earth, Jesus took every opportunity to stress the importance of humility.

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He implored us to be humble.

He preached and taught about humility.

He showed us how to be humble – all the way to the Cross – by doing it all for us.

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QUOTES…

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“True humility is not thinking less of yourself;

it is thinking of yourself less.”

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– C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

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“These are the few ways we can practice humility:

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To speak as little as possible of one’s self.

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To mind one’s own business.

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Not to want to manage other people’s affairs.

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To avoid curiosity.

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To accept contradictions and correction cheerfully.

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To pass over the mistakes of others.

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To accept insults and injuries.

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To accept being slighted, forgotten and disliked.

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To be kind and gentle even under provocation.

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Never to stand on one’s dignity.

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To choose always the hardest.”

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– Mother Teresa, The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord Jesus, help me learn from You and help me be more like You,

that I may be blessed and exalted – not by others, but by You. Amen.

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