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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.”

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– Mark 5:28 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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“If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.”

These words are of a woman who had long suffered from a long illness.

Her faith is enriched by her expression of humility

since she is clearly conscious of being unworthy to touch our Lord,

yet she touched the hem of His garment,

she approached Him in a spirit of faith,

she believed,

and she realized that she was cured…

So we too, if we wish to be saved,

should reach out in faith to touch the garment of Christ. (St. Ambrose)

Such is the faith that Christ wishes to see in us.

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Jesus is the one who can heal us.

He can cure our whole life

if only, when we reach out to Him,

we do so with such determined faith.

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We need to have contact with Christ each day,

because we are full of weaknesses

and always in need of healing.

We have been given no other means under Heaven by which to be saved.

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It is especially when we receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist

that this encounter with Him, hidden in the sacramental species, takes place.

We obtain this physical contact through the sacramental species,

and that is when we receive a torrent of grace

that inundates us with joy

and gives us the firmness to carry on.

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The Holy Eucharist is the hidden stream

from which the soul receives indescribable benefits,

which last beyond our existence on this earth.

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If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.

If I enliven my faith in Jesus,

He will come to remedy my need

with His love and reassurance.

He will respond promptly to my cry for help

with His guiding light and healing grace.

He will lead me to my salvation.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, You are my Healer!

Jesus, You are my Lord and Saviour!

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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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Jesus said,

“Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”

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– Mark 5:8-9 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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Our Lord and Saviour once asked,

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world,

yet forfeit their soul?”

That is why He always introduces Himself into our lives

by freeing us from our oppressions,

from what can cause the loss of our soul.

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If we are to stay close to Him

we need to effectively detach ourselves

from our many weaknesses that make us sin;

from impure actions and thoughts that ensnare us;

from those material things that threaten to take over our lives;

from what is nothing but short-lived self-satisfaction;

from all that removes our focus from Jesus

and places it on ourselves and on our immediate needs and cravings

rather than on our eternal life.

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Today, ask Jesus to free you from the many impure spirits that reside in you;

ask Him to renew you and to give you a clean heart.

Today, ask Christ to be your Saviour.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, my Lord, free me from all takes me away from You.

Jesus, my Saviour, forgive and remove my transgressions, renew me and give me a clean heart.

I love You, Jesus.

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TODAY’S WORD…

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Whoever does not love does not know God,

for God is love.

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– 1 John 4:8 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Whoever does not love does not know God,

for God is love.

Charity, which is love of God and of our neighbour for God’s sake,

is the one virtue that prepares and disposes us to understand God and all that refers to Him,

as far as it is humanly possible.

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Our Lord gave a new and incomparably deeper meaning to love for our neighbour.

He established it as a New Commandment

and as a sign by which Christians will be known.

Divine love – “As I have loved you” (Jn 13:34) – is the measure of love that we must have for other people;

it is therefore a supernatural love which God Himself places in our hearts.

At the same time it is a deeply human love,

which is enriched and strengthened by grace.

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The supernatural virtue of charity

brings us closer to our neighbour in a very meaningful way,

and it is not mere humanitarianism.

Our love is not to be confused with sentimentality or mere good fellowship,

nor with that somewhat questionable zeal to help others in order to convince ourselves of our superiority.

Rather, it means living in peace with our neighbour,

venerating the image of God that is found in each and every person

and doing all we can

to get them in their turn to contemplate that image,

so that they may learn how to turn to Christ. (St. Josemaria Escriva)

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Do I live the virtue of charity each day?

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Do I perform little acts of service for the people around me?

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Do I try to be pleasant to others?

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Do I say and show that I am sorry when I hurt people?

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Do I spread a feeling of peace and joy?

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Do I help others on their way towards God

or am I, on the contrary, indifferent to them?

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Do I practice the works of mercy by visiting the poor and the sick,

so as to live Christian solidarity with those who suffer?

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Do I care for the needs of the elderly

and am I concerned about people who find themselves on the margin of society?

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In a word, is my normal relationship with God shown in deeds of loving understanding and service to others around me?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, sweet Love Divine, teach me how to love others,

that I may truly love You.

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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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Gently instruct those who oppose the truth.

Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts,

and they will learn the truth.

Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap.

For they have been held captive by him

to do whatever he wants.

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– 2 Timothy 2:25-26 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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One of the greatest benefits we can bestow on the people we love most,

and indeed on everybody,

is the sometimes heroic help of giving caring fraternal correction.

Correcting is not and must not be judging or condemning,

because when it is done in a Christ-like manner

it becomes a work of charity, an act of love.

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In everyday life we realise that our relatives, friends or acquaintances – just like ourselves –

can form bad habits which are not worthy of a good Christian,

and which separate them from God.

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They may be habitual faults such as:

failing to put effort in their work,

leaving work poorly finished,

lack of punctuality,

ways of speaking that verge on the spreading of scandal or defamation,

rudeness,

impatience…

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They could be faults against justice

in relationships at work,

giving bad example by living in an unrestrained manner

– ostentatious spending, for example,

and drunkenness, lust, greed…

The fault could be the maintaining of certain relationships

that can be or become a risk to matrimonial fidelity or to chastity.

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It is easy to understand that when fraternal correction,

filled with charity and understanding,

is given to the person concerned in private and at the right moment,

it can avert many evils

– a scandal perhaps,

or harm caused to the family,

with the likelihood of it being difficult to put right afterwards…

or it might serve as a stimulus to somebody to correct his or her defect

and come closer to God.

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This spiritual help flows from charity,

and is one of the principal manifestations of the great virtue.

We should often ask ourselves how much we really love

and how much we truly help those who are closest to us.

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Parents, for example, are duty bound to correct their children

– a clear and natural example of parental love and care.

But there are instances, unfortunately many,

when parents do not correct their sons or daughters (young or old),

or claim to find it hard to do so,

with the excuse that “doing so could cause angry reactions,

which would cause great upset

and result in the peace of the family being ruined.”

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Should parents protect family tranquillity at any cost,

and can such fear of losing the peace ever justify lack of correction?

Do such parents really love their children,

or do they love themselves more?

Often it is the latter.

Sadly, it is often selfishness and short-sightedness

that causes some parents to cling obsessively to the apparent peace

rather than to dutifully and lovingly correct their children.

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Making Christian loving correction is always hard – everyone knows this.

Moreover, receiving such correction hurts,

because it is hard to humble oneself, at least to begin with.

But, after prayer and good example,

such caring and sincere correction is the best way we can help others

and demonstrate our love for them.

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Do I pray for those I love?

Do I insist on giving them good example?

Do I practise Christian loving correction when necessary?

Is my love for others a love backed by deeds?

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Do I look at Jesus and ask Him to guide me

and to help me demonstrate my love for others as He did?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Show me Your ways, Lord.
Guide me in Your truth.

Teach me, and make me more like You.

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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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Jesus said,

“The Kingdom of God is like this:

A man scatters seed in his field.

He sleeps at night, is up and about during the day,

and all the while the seeds are sprouting and growing.

Yet he does not know how it happens.”

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– Mark 4:26-27 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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How wonderfully encouraging this little parable of Our Lord’s is!

Jesus tells us how a seed grows when it is planted in the ground.

Once it is sown

it grows independently of whether the owner of the field is asleep or keeps watch over it,

or of whether he knows what causes growth.

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The seed of grace which is sown in our souls is just like this.

If we do not place any obstacles in its way,

if we allow it to grow,

it will not fail to bear fruit.

It does not depend on the person who does the sowing or the reaping:

God makes the seed grow. (1 Cor 3:7)

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In our own interior life, it can fill us with hope

to know that God’s grace – as long as we do not put obstacles in its way –

brings about a deep transformation in our souls whether we are asleep or awake.

It constantly causes us to make resolutions to be faithful,

to give ourselves more fully

and to co-operate more fervently, with generosity and docility, with God’s grace.

Perhaps it is acting on us now, at this very moment, as we read this…as we pray.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Come, Holy Spirit, and water the seeds of grace in me,

that I may grow in faith and love.

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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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Jesus said,

“Pay close attention to what you hear.

The closer you listen,

the more understanding you will be given

– and you will receive even more.

To those who listen to my teaching,

more understanding will be given.

But for those who are not listening,

even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”

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– Mark 4:24-25 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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To those who are diligent and fervent

will be given all the things that depend on God;

but to those who have no love or fervour and who do not do what depends on them,

what belongs to God will not be given them

for ‘even what they think they have will be taken away’(Lk 8:18) says the Lord,

not because God takes it away from them,

but because they are incapable of receiving fresh graces. (St. John Chrysostom)

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To those who listen to my teaching,

more understanding will be given.

This is a basic teaching for the interior life of every Christian.

To those who correspond with grace, more grace will be given,

so that they will have even more grace.

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But those

who fail to make the inspirations, motions and help of the Holy Spirit bear fruit

– they will become even poorer.

The interior life always demands progress, prayer,

being ready to receive new graces.

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If you don’t look forward, you go backwards

and we need to be aware of any pride and selfishness on our part,

because they cause us to refuse God’s grace.

St. Augustine warns us: “If you say ‘enough’, you are already dead.”

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The difficulties, temptations, internal and external obstacles we come up against

– they cause us to grow.

The greater the difficulty, the more grace we receive.

If God permits us to experience great temptations or setbacks,

the Lord will give us still greater help to overcome them.

Then all these things that seem to retard our struggle for holiness,

or even make succeeding in it seem impossible,

will become the cause of spiritual progress.

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It is a lack of love, nothing less than lukewarmness,

that causes the soul’s life to fall sick or die.

Only a bad will, a lack of generosity towards God,

can delay or prevent our union with Him.

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Jesus Christ is an inexhaustible source of help, of love, of understanding.

With what intensity and longing do I approach Him?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O Lord, my God, make me thirst for You more and more.

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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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“Listen!

A farmer went out to sow his seed.

As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path…

Some fell on rocky places…

Other seed fell among thorns…

Still other seed fell on good soil…”

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Then Jesus said,

”Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

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– Mark 4:3-9 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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God sends us out to sow generously

without letting any opportunity to sow the seed of faith pass us by:

work, leisure, home, travel, sickness, chance meetings…wherever and whenever…

all can be an opportunity to sow in somebody

the seed that later will come to fruition.

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God sends us out to sow generously,

but we need to remember that we are only instruments

which God makes use of for the salvation of souls

and that, as instruments, we should make sure that we are in a good state of repair

so that God can use us!

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In the parable that Jesus tells us,

the sower’s seed fell everywhere and not just in the good soil of the field.

It also fell on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns.

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What reason could he have for sowing seed among thorns or on stones or on the much trampled ground?

If it had been a matter of seed and of good earth,

he would have no reason, because it is not possible for stone to become productive soil,

or that the path should cease to be a path,

or that the thorns should stop being what they are.

With souls it is otherwise.

Here is possible for stone to be transformed into rich loam,

and for the path no longer to be trodden on

or to remain an open thoroughfare to all those who pass by,

and for all of these to become a fertile field instead.

It is possible for the thorns to disappear

and for seed to bear fruit on that ground. (St. John Chrysostom)

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For God,

there is no ground which is too hard

or that has previously been too poorly cultivated.

If we are humble and patient,

through prayer, fasting and the sacraments,

we can keep ourselves in “a good state of repair”

and obtain for God the grace that is needed

to transform the interior dispositions of the souls we want to bring closer to Him.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Here I am, Lord, listening.

Mould me, change me, fill me

and make me an instrument of Your love and peace and joy.

Here I am, Lord, use me!

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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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Jesus said,

“Whoever does the will of God

is my brother and sister and mother.”

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– Mark 3:35 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus came to establish the great family of the children of God,.

and it fills us with immense joy to hear Our Lord Himself tells us

that “Whoever does the will of God

is my brother and sister and mother.”

We feel elated at knowing that we are able to belong to Christ’s family,

and also mindful that this depends on the extent to which we carry out God’s will.

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Every member of the faithful who does the will of God

is a brother or sister of Christ,

because he or she becomes like Him

who always did the will of the Father.

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Do I always have a desire to do what God wants of me.

in big things and in small;

in what I like

and in what I dislike?

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Irrespective of how we answer the question,

we can reach out to Mother Mary

to teach us to love this Holy Will in all circumstances,

even when we find it hard to understand or to adequately interpret.

This mind-set, this deep yearning to do God’s will come what may,

indicates that we already belong to Christ’s family.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Holy Mary, Mother of God,

teach me how to accept and love and always do God’s will.

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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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With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father,

and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.

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– James 3:9 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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For love of God and of our neighbour,

for love of justice,

in a world where so much abuse is the result of idle words,

we Christians must be just in what we say.

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Often, an unbridled tongue,

thoughtlessness in action, speech, writing,

or in any other means of dissemination, including mass media and ‘social media’,

is a manifestation of a sad lack of the presence of God in one’s heart.

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How many injustices can be committed

by pronouncing irresponsible judgements on the behaviour of others;

by spreading deprecating gossip.

The same applies when we echo and give publicity to such words and biting statements,

whether spoken privately or otherwise.

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Calumny, slander, malicious gossip…all constitute seriously unjust assaults on our neighbour,

and the most frequent cause of defamation, of negative criticism and slander, is envy.

Envy cannot tolerate the good qualities of others;

of their prestige; of their success.

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“If you can’t praise, say nothing.”

In the environment in which I live – family, work, friends and so on –

am I known as a person who never speaks badly of anyone?

Do I really live at all times

in accordance with that wise piece of advice expressed by St Gregory of Nyssa:

“If you can’t praise, say nothing”?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, help me control my tongue;
help me be careful about what I say.
Take away my desire to do evil
or to join others in doing wrong. #

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#Psalm 141:3-4 (NCV)

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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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Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion…

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Ezra opened the book.

All the people could see him because he was standing above them;

and as he opened it, the people all stood up.

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Ezra praised the Lord, the great God;

and all the people lifted their hands and responded, ‘Amen! Amen!’

Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

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– Nehemiah 8:4-6 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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When we gather together to take part in the Holy Mass

we stand, in an attitude of watchfulness,

to hear the Good News that the Gospel always brings us.

We have to listen to it

with a disposition which is at once attentive, humble and grateful

because we know that it is God who is speaking to each one of us in particular.

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We can only love someone we know.

In order to get to know Christ,

we need to dedicate some minutes each day to reading and meditating on the Gospels;

we need to regularly go and visit Him and gladly listen to what He has to say to us.

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This practice leads us by the hand, as it were,

to the knowledge and contemplation of Jesus Christ.

This practice teaches us to see Jesus as the Apostles saw Him,

to observe His reactions,

to watch the way He behaved

and to listen to His words which were always filled with wisdom and authority.

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The Gospels show Him to us

on some occasions moved with compassion at the plight of people in misery.

At other times they show Him full of understanding for sinners,

or firm with the Pharisees who are presenting a false image of their religion.

We see Jesus full of patience

with those disciples who so often fail to grasp the meaning of His words.

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It would be very difficult to love Jesus, to get to know Him really well,

if we did not frequently hear the Word of God,

if we did not regularly go to visit Him and respectfully listen to Him during Holy Mass,

if we did not attentively read part of the Gospel each day.

All of this serves as spiritual nourishment.

All of this increases our piety

and our love for Jesus.

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QUOTES…

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“Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ!”

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– St. Jerome

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“We should hear the Gospel as if Our Lord were present and speaking to us.”

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– St. Augustine

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, thank You for always there, waiting for me in Your sanctuary,

to speak to me, to teach me.

Lord, You have the words of eternal 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.