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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His love endures forever.

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This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
I will give You thanks, for You answered me;
You have become my salvation.

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– Psalm 118:1, 20-21 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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A true believer

never stops giving thanks to God.

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A true believer

bows down before the Creator

and faithfully says “Thy will be done.”

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A true believer

is full of faith,

and trust,

and hope.

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A true believer

acknowledges the many blessings

which have come down from God.

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A true believer

knows that God faithfully listens

and lovingly cares.

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A true believer

acknowledges Jesus as Saviour,

as the One Gate of Salvation.

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QUOTE…

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“Many are the open doors,

but the one of righteousness is in Christ.

Blessed are all those who enter therein

and direct their path in holiness and righteousness,

doing everything tranquilly.”

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– St. Clement of Rome

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, You are my salvation!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“It is the Lord!”

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– John 21:7 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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The risen Christ had gone in search of His disciples.

He finds them on the sea of Galilee,

and the disciple John,

who was fishing with Simon Peter and other disciples,

excitedly shouts out “It is the Lord!” when he suddenly recognises Jesus.

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What a blessing it is to be able to recognise Jesus

even in extraordinary circumstances.

How wonderful it is

to joyfully point Jesus out to others

who may…or may not…be acquainted with Him,

especially in those instances when He could be the last person on their mind,

yet the One who they need most.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that You are here;

that You see me,

that You hear me.

I adore You,

I love You.

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Help me, Lord Jesus.

Thank You, Lord Jesus.

Forgive me, Lord Jesus.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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We believe in Him

who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

Jesus who was put to death for our sins

and raised to life to justify us.

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– Romans 4:24-25 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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What we believe in – our faith –

includes among its basic truths the redemptive Death of Christ

and His Resurrection:

two events which are inseparably linked;

two ways in which God’s justice and mercy are manifested.

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Why are the Cross and the Empty Tomb so important?

Because everything important and truly lasting in life depends upon them;

they fill us with hope

and are the key to the gate

that leads to everlasting life with Christ!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, do not allow my faith to stop at the Cross,

but make my soul delight at the sight of the Empty Tomb,

and let the joy of Your salvation renew and strengthen my spirit.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Bless the Lord, my soul!

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Lord, my God, how great You are!

You are robed in majesty and splendour;

You are wrapped in light as in a cloak.

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– Psalm 104:1-2 (Grail Psalms)

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REFLECTION…

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The soul, set free, yearns to bless and praise the Lord,

who it passionately recognises as its Maker.

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It is good to grant our soul its instinctive desire to express joy in the Lord,

but we seem to want to muzzle it sometimes, if not all the time.

We need to ask ourselves ‘why?’

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It is also good to feed the soul with the solid food of God’s Word

– food which nourishes and strengthens

and which protects against corruption.

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As we feed our soul and satisfy its spiritual yearnings,

the eyes of our heart will open

and our entirety will see and proclaim

how truly great the Lord is!

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Alleluia!

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Bless the Lord, my soul! Alleluia!

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“Mary!” Jesus said [to Mary Magdalene].

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She turned to Him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

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– John 20:16 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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“Mary!”

Jesus calls out to Mary in that caring tone of voice

with which He calls out every name – ours too!

His voice is so unique and unmistakable whenever He calls us by our name.

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Jesus’ voice has not changed over the last two thousand years.

The Risen Christ continues to have all the features of the Jesus who suffered;

the tone of His voice,

His manner of breaking bread,

the marks of the nails in His hands and feet

– nothing has changed in Jesus:

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb 13:8)

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She turned to Him and cried out, “Rabboni!”

As soon as Mary Magdalene saw the Lord, she threw herself at His feet

and cried out “Rabboni!”

Her tears pour out like a river that has burst its banks

– they are tears of great joy and happiness.

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Jesus’ friends affectionately called Him Rabboni

also because to them He was not just a teacher,

but The Teacher.

He is the only one capable of teaching the true meaning of life,

the only one who has the words of eternal life.

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Jesus is very close to each and every one of us

and He often calls out to us by name

in His unmistakable tone of voice.

May external circumstances,

such as pain, sorrow, deception, failure, or discouragement,

never prevent us from seeing the Jesus who calls us;

from hearing His voice calling out our name.

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May we always throw ourselves at our Divine Teacher’s feet

whenever we hear Him call.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, my Teacher, You have the words of eternal life.

Speak to me, Lord, Your servant is listening.

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… … … … … … … … … … … …… …

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Note: The main source of today’s REFLECTION is the seven-volume work

“In Conversation with God” by Padre Francisco Fernández Carvajal.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much,

that even though we were dead because of our sins,

He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.

(It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

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For He raised us from the dead along with Christ

and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms

because we are united with Christ Jesus.

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– Ephesians 2:4-6 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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God’s mercy is the greatest expression of His love

because it shows how totally gratuitous God’s love is towards us,

whereby instead of punishing us for our wrongdoings,

He forgives us and gives us life.

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Christ’s sacrifice, the supreme expression of the love of God,

is stronger than death and sin.

Just as dead persons are unable to bring themselves back to life,

so those who are dead through sin cannot obtain grace, supernatural life, by their own effort.

Only Christ, by means of the Redemption, offers us that new life,

which begins with justification

and ends with resurrection and eternal happiness in heaven.

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That new life – that new life of grace –

is our future resurrection and glorification with Christ in heaven.

The Redemption has already been accomplished,

and we have available to us all the grace we need for salvation.

The gates of heaven are open wide

and it is now the responsibility of every one of us

to make room for grace in our soul,

and to avail of Our Lord’s generous grace to respond to His call.

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For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.

And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures.

We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,

while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day

when the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. (Titus 2:11-13)

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, thank You for Your grace and mercy,

for loving me, for redeeming me and for offering me new life.
Lord, help me respond in faith and truth to Your call.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“The Lord has really risen!”

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– Luke 24:34 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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He has risen!

Jesus has risen: He is not in the tomb.

Life has overcome death!

Christ’s Resurrection is the great light for the world:

I am the Light,1 Jesus had said;

for the world,

for all ages of history,

for every society,

for each man and woman.

May the light of Christ, rising in glory,

dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds. 2

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, my Risen Lord, Light of my soul,

You are my resurrection and my life!

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… … … … … … … … … … … …… …

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Note: The main source of today’s REFLECTION is the seven-volume work

“In Conversation with God” by Padre Francisco Fernández Carvajal.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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The place of crucifixion was near a garden,

where there was a new tomb, never used before.

And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover

and since the tomb was close at hand,

they laid Jesus there.

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– John 19:41-42 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus lies in the tomb.

Imagine His Apostles, hovering around, disorientated and confused:

aimless, distraught, filled with sadness.

But then they turn to Our Lady,

just like weeping children rush to their mother.

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With her faith, her hope and her love,

Mary protected the newly emerging Church established by her Son,

as a mother would a new-born child, still weak and startled.

This was the Church born under the mantle of Mary.

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From the very beginning, Mary has been the Comforter of the afflicted,

of those under pressure.

What great comfort Mary’s faith must have been

to the Apostles in their grief and gloom.

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This Saturday, however, was not a sad day for Our Lady:

true that she had endured great and unimaginable sorrow during the previous days

when she had experienced her Divine Son’s indescribable suffering and horrifying death,

but now her Son was at rest

and she was serenely awaiting the moment of His Resurrection.

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We ought always to have immediate resort

to that endlessly burning light in our lives, which is the Blessed Virgin,

more so, if we go through occasions where

having left Christ,

and having abandoned sacrifice and the Cross

we find ourselves desperately lost.

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She will bring hope back to us.

Beside her we are able to live the immense joy of the Resurrection.

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QUOTE…

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“Our Lady is rest for those who work,

consolation for those who weep,

medicine for the sick,

a harbour for those assailed by tempests,

pardon for sinners,

sweet relief for the sad,

succour for those who implore.”

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– St. John Damascene

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Holy Mary, Mother of Mercy, Holy Mother of God pray for us,

that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

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… … … … … … … … … … … …… …

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Note: The main source of today’s REFLECTION is the seven-volume work

“In Conversation with God” by Padre Francisco Fernández Carvajal.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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And they crucified Him.

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– Mark 15:24 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus is nailed to the Cross.

And the liturgy sings: Sweet nails, sweet tree where life begins. 1

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The whole of Jesus’ life is directed towards this supreme moment.

He has barely managed, gasping and exhausted,

to get to the top of that hillock called ‘the place of skulls’.

The executioners stretch Him out on the ground and begin nailing Him to the wood.

They place the nails first into His palms, piercing His torn flesh.

Then He is hoisted up until He hangs straight

from the vertical shaft of wood which has been fixed into the ground.

The feet are then nailed.

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Mary, His Mother, contemplates the scene.

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The Lord is firmly nailed to the cross.

He has waited for this for many years,

and this day He is to fulfil His desire to redeem all men …

What until now has been an instrument of infamy and dishonour,

has been converted into the tree of life and the stairway of glory.

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A deep joy fills Him as He extends His arms on the cross,

for all those sinners who will approach Him with a humble and contrite heart

will now know that He will welcome them with open arms

and they shall be redeemed.

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He saw — and this filled Him with joy — how the cross was to be loved and to be adored,

because He was going to die on it.

He saw the witnessing saints

who for love and in defence of the truth were to suffer a similar martyrdom.

He saw the tears of love of those friends at the foot of the cross.

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He saw the triumph and the victories Christians would achieve under the standard of the cross,

He saw the great miracles which, with the sign of the Cross,

would be performed throughout the world.

He saw so very many men who, with their lives, were going to be saints,

because they would know how to die like Him,

overcoming sin. 2

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He reflected on the many occasions we would kiss the Crucifix;

on our beginning again so often…

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Jesus is raised on the Cross.

Around Him is a distressing scene.

Some pass by, and jeer;

the chief priests, more scathing and sarcastic, scoff at Him;

others, indifferent, are mere spectators.

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There is no reproach in Jesus’ eyes — only pity and compassion.

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Why so much suffering? asks St Augustine.

And he replies: Everything He suffered was the price of our ransom.

He was not content to suffer a little;

He wished to drink the chalice to the dregs without leaving a single drop behind,

so that we might learn the greatness of His love

and the baseness of sin,

so that we may be generous in self-giving,

in sacrifice,

and in the service of others.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My Lord Jesus crucified, I come humbly before You,

O Everlasting Fountain of Healing and Life,

Powerful Source of our Resurrection,

Food for my soul in the Holy Eucharist,

Eternal Refuge of Divine Light,

Gate to the Majesty and Glory of the Father.

Lord, You are my only hope and salvation.

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… … … … … … … … … … … …… …

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Note: The main source of today’s REFLECTION is the seven-volume work

“In Conversation with God” by Padre Francisco Fernández Carvajal.

1 Hymn, Crux fidelis, Adoration of the Cross

2 L. de la Palma. The Passion of the Lord.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it.

Then He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying,

“This is my body, which is given for you.

Do this in remembrance of me.”

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– Luke 22:19 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus gives Himself to us in the Eucharist

to strengthen us in our weakness,

to accompany us in our loneliness,

and as a foretaste of Heaven itself.

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Just before His Passion and Death,

Jesus ordains things in such a way

that this Bread will never be lacking until the end of the world.

For Jesus, on that memorable evening,

when He said “Do this in remembrance of me”,

gave His Apostles and their successors, the bishops and the priests,

the power to renew this marvel until the end of time.

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The Holy Eucharist has to last until the end of time

because every time you eat this Bread and drink this Cup,

you are announcing the Lord’s death until He comes again. (1 Cor 11:26)

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Jesus will always remain

really, truly, and substantially present with us in the Blessed Eucharist.

The Jesus of the Cenacle – the upper room where He held His last supper –

is the same Jesus who is in the Tabernacle.

Just as much as His disciples enjoyed His physical presence that night of the last supper,

so too can we when we go before the Tabernacle to adore Him.

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Jesus always awaits us.

He sees us and recognises us.

We can speak to Him as the Apostles did,

and recount to Him what concerns us and what gives us great joy.

We can thank Him for being amongst us

and we can spend time with Him while recalling His generous self-giving…for us.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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My Lord Jesus Christ, full of mercy and love,

always awaiting, inviting and receiving me when I come before Your true Presence, I adore you and thank you for all Your graces.

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… … … … … … … … … … … …… …

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Note: The main source of today’s REFLECTION is the seven-volume work

“In Conversation with God” by Padre Francisco Fernández Carvajal.