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

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TODAY’S WORD…

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“Your hearts will rejoice,

and no one will take your joy from you.”

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– John 16:22 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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True joy, the joy that lasts in spite of all contradiction and pain,

is the joy of those who encounter God in all sorts of different circumstances

and then find it in them to follow Him.

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Joy is the immediate consequence of a certain fullness of life,

which for us human beings, above all, consists of knowledge and love.

Through His infinite mercy,

God has made us His children in Jesus Christ,

and sharers in His nature,

which is exactly that – fullness of life: infinite knowledge, immense love.

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We cannot imagine any greater joy

than that which is based on being children of God through grace,

a joy capable of being retained,

and of persisting in spite of illness and failure.

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Your hearts will rejoice,Our Lord promised at the Last Supper,

and no one will take your joy from you.

The closer we are to God,

the greater our share in His love and His life.

The more we grow in divine filiation,

the greater and more appreciable will our joy be.

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Is the way I usually behave a cheerful one?

Is it positive and optimistic?

Do I easily lose my cheerfulness when setbacks and disappointments occur?

Do I often give in to gloomy thoughts?

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How different this true gladness is

from a happiness dependent on material well-being,

on health (how fragile it is!),

on our moods (which change so easily!),

on temporarily not having any difficulties or lacking in the things we need (or think we need!).

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We are children of God

and nothing should trouble us, not even death itself.

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“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” (Phil 4:4)

What is so admirable and striking about this command that Saint Paul gives us

is the fact that when he wrote these words he was shut up in a prison.

If our joy is authentic,

the circumstances that surround us are never immutable or conclusive,

because our joy is founded on faithfulness to God in carrying out our duty,

and in embracing the Cross.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Living Bread, Bread of Heaven, divine Eucharist,
O sacred Mystery that Love has brought forth…
Come live in my heart, Jesus, my white Host, 1
and fill me with Your Joy.

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1St. Therese of Lisieux

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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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“You did not choose me, but I chose you…”

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– John 15:16 (NIV)

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“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

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– Mark 2:17 (NIV)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus passes by, sometimes when least expected.

He picks us out from the crowd and calls out to us

but still He leaves us free to choose whether to follow Him or not.

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Our Lord calls us

not because we are deserving in any way;

not because of our good behaviour or our personal qualities.

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When He calls out to us to follow Him along His path,

He is showing us a very special love.

If only all of us would – always – respond to His call with faith and generosity!

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Our weaknesses should not discourage us,

rather they should prompt us to realise and to admit how much we need the Master.

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Our Lord and Saviour rejoices every time someone responds to His call;

every time someone humbly bows his or her head

and addresses a heartfelt prayer of contrition and thanks

before joyfully following Him.

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Is the Lord, calling you at this very moment?.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Here I am, Lord.

Thank You for choosing to call out to me…again.

Thank You for never giving up on me, a sinner.

Here I am, Lord. Lead me, Lord.

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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,

“Go into all the world

and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation.”

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– Mark 16:15 (NRSV)

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Have reverence for Christ in your hearts,

and honour Him as Lord.

Be ready at all times

to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you.

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– 1 Peter 3:15 (GNT)

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REFLECTION…

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St. Pope John Paul II tells us

that as Christians we cannot remain unresponsive

to so much ignorance and so many errors

about Christ, His Church…the most fundamental truths,

for God has constituted us “the salt of the earth” (Matt 5:13) and “the light of the world.” (Matt 5:14)

Every Christian has to share in the task of Christian formation.

He has to feel the urgency of evangelising…

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Nobody can opt out of this urgent task. .

The task of a Christian is to drown evil in an abundance of good.

It is not a question of negative campaigns, or of being ‘anti’ anything.

On the contrary, we should live positively, full of optimism,

with youthfulness, joy and peace.

We should be understanding with everybody,

with the followers of Christ and with those who abandon Him,

or with those who have never known Him at all.

Understanding does not mean holding back, or remaining indifferent, but being active. (St. Josemaria Escriva)

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We need to have initiative,

to want everyone to see the lovable face of Christ,

and we ourselves need to beg the Lord to help us believe in Him and to love Him more and more.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, I need to believe in You and love You more and more.

Teach me to make You known,

and help me not to waste a single opportunity.

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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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It is no longer I who live,

but it is Christ who lives in me.

And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,

who loved me and gave Himself for me.

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– Galatians 2:20 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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Faith is something we have to practise.

It should shape all our decision, big or small

and we need to live our faith to put it into practice.

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A life of faith should be both the fruit and the manifestation of what we believe.

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God asks us to serve Him

with the whole of our life,

with deeds,

with body and soul,

and faith is something that is related to life, to normal everyday life.

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It is through faith that we trust in our Lord,

knowing fully that all things are possible to Jesus.

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Faith enables to reach targets we had always thought beyond us;

to solve stubborn and apparently insoluble problems;

it enables us get rid of firmly-rooted defects in our own character.

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With faith,

human existence itself appears as an unfolding of the Faith,

as we live in accordance with our beliefs,

and with what we know is God’s will for each one of us.

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Do I live a life of faith?

Do I trust in the Lord, and accept that His will?

Do I?

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Does my faith have a truly significant bearing on my behaviour,

on the decisions I make…?

Does it?

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QUOTE…

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The practice of the virtue of faith in our daily lives leads us to accustom ourselves

to “undertake our daily activities

as though we were constantly glancing at God to see whether what we are doing is really His Will,

whether ours is the way He wants us to do things.

It leads us to get used to discovering God in people,

to recognize Him behind what the world calls chance or coincidence,

in fact, to see His mark everywhere.”

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– Francisco Suárez

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Lord, increase my faith!

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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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So God created human beings in His own image.
In the image of God He created them;
male and female He created them.

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– Genesis 1:27 (NLT)

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So the Word became human and made His home among us.

He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.

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– John 1:14 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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The most sacred Humanity of Christ

casts a light that enlightens the being and the life of each of us,

because it is only in Christ

that we can recognise the total immeasurable value of man above all else.

“When you wonder about the mystery of yourselves,

look at Christ, who is the One who gives meaning to our lives.” (St. Pope John Paul II)

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It is Christ alone

– no other being can give meaning to our existence.

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In all human beings there is a very special greatness

derived from the spiritual reality of our soul,

from our divine filiation,

our eternal destiny,

all of which we have received from God.

This places us, human kind, above the whole of created nature.

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The dignity and immense respect that the human person merits

are granted at the moment of conception,

and are the foundation of the right to the inviolability of life

and our veneration for motherhood.

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The most important title bestowed on human dignity

is that of being the only reality of visible creation that God has loved for itself,

creating it in His own image and likeness

and raising it to the order of grace.

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Furthermore, the human being assumed a new value

after the Son of God, through His Incarnation,

took on our nature

and gave His life for all of us.

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This is why we must be concerned about the wellbeing of all the souls around us:

there isn’t a single soul that remains outside Christ’s love.

We should not withhold our respect and consideration from a single person.

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Jesus gave us a new commandment:

“Love each other.

Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (Jn 13:34)

We should look around us, at the people we see,

and in the Lord’s presence

consider whether we do in fact show genuine Christian love for others.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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O Lord, my God, remove the scales from the eyes of my heart

and teach me how to love like You 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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“…and upon this rock I will build my church,

and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”

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– Matthew 16:18 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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The radiant holiness of the Church

is sometimes obscured by the personal wretchedness of many of the men and women who comprise it.

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We can see, though, that just as a picture is made up of light and shade,

those very infidelities and weaknesses

contribute to highlight, by contrast, the sanctifying presence in the Church of the Holy Spirit,

who keeps her sanctity untainted in the midst of so much frailty.

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The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ,

and our love for her must flow from our gratitude for the means the Lord offers us to reach sanctity.

The Church continues the sanctifying action of Jesus,

and it does so principally through the liturgy

and the sacraments

– most especially the Blessed Eucharist.

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The Church’s doctrine enlightens our mind,

brings us to know Our Lord,

and enables us to converse intimately with Him

and to love Him.

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If we have faith and hope,

if we believe in the Lord, Our Saviour,

who established the Church so that we would come to know Him;

so that in the power of the Holy Spirit,

we could share in His redeeming love until the end of time (Bishop William E. Lori),

then we can understand that the Church is holy

while her members have defects, are sinners.

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Within the Church,

the clergy and the laity,

good and bad,

are gathered together.

She is made up of a diversity of children, because she brings them all forth in the faith.

She does this

although, through their own fault, she does not manage to lead all of them

to the freedom of grace by a renewal of their lives (St Gregory the Great).

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Today in our prayer and throughout the day

we can thank God for all the many good things we have received through our Mother, the Church.

They are gifts we can never repay.

What would our life be like without those means of sanctification which is what the sacraments are?

How could we know the Word of Jesus, words of eternal life!

and His teachings,

if they had not been guarded for us so faithfully?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Gracious Lord, today I pray for Your Church.
Fill it with all truth; with all peace.
Strengthen and defend it,
and where it is in want, provide for it.
Where it is corrupt, purge it.
Where it is in error, direct it.
Where anything is amiss, reform it.
Where it is divided, heal it and reunite it in Your love.
For this I pray with all my heart. Amen.

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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 mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

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– John 2:3 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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A wedding takes place in Cana.

As a friend or relation, she is present at this modest celebration

and Jesus has been invited as well.

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It was customary for the women who knew the family

to help in the preparation of all that was needed.

The wedding feast began and, either through lack of foresight

or because more guests turned up than had been expected,

the wine ran out.

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Our Lady, who is helping, is quick to realise this.

Jesus is there, her Son, her God,

the Messiah who has just begun His public preaching and ministry.

She better than anyone else, knows this.

Yet she caringly goes up to Jesus

and, without asking for anything, she points to a need: ”They have no wine.”

She teaches us how to pray.

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It looks as if Jesus is going to refuse Mary what she asks:

“My hour has not yet come,” He says to her.

But Mary, who knows the heart of her son very well,

behaves as though He has acceded to her petition immediately:

“Do whatever He tells you,” she says to the servants.

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The miracle takes place because Our Lady has interceded,

it happens only because of her petition.

Mary is a mother who is attentive to all our needs,

more than any mother on earth has ever been or ever will be.

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“Why do Mary’s prayers have such efficacy before God?

The prayers of saints are the prayers of servants,

whereas those of Mary are the prayers of a mother,

whence they receive their efficacy and authoritative character.

As Jesus’ love for His mother is limitless,

she cannot ask for anything without being heard…

Nobody asked the Blessed Virgin to intercede with her Son on the distressed couple’s behalf.

Above all, Mary’s heart, which never fails to have pity on the unfortunate…

impelled her to take upon herself the task of intercessor

and beg her Son for the miracle, even though nobody had asked her to. …

If Our Lady acted thus without being asked,

how would it have been if they ‘had’ asked?” (St Alphonsus Liguori)

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What will we not receive

if we persist in turning to Our Mother Mary time and again?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Prayer for us, O Holy Mother of God,

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

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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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When the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with tax collectors and other sinners,

they asked His disciples,

“Why does He eat with such scum?

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– Mark 2:16 (NLT)

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REFLECTION…

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Jesus shows us how to relate to other people.

He feels at ease with everyone

because He loves us all

and He came to save everyone.

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“Why does He eat with such scum?”

When Jesus heard this, He replied,

“Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do.

I have come to call not those who think they are righteous,

but those who know they are sinners.” (Mk 2:16)

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Since all of us are sinners

we can all feel that we are, at least, unwell.

We are all in need of healing.

We are all in need of Jesus

and Jesus does not separate Himself from us.

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Jesus dislikes social exclusions of any kind

and He made it a point to get on with all types and characters

– with the innocent, with the guilty,

with the cultured and powerful,

with thieves, beggars, lepers, with whole families…

Yes, He came to save everyone, regardless of status or walk of life.

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We need to look closely at Jesus

and ask Him to heal us so that we can become more like Him

and to use us to spread love, and hope, and His truth.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, heal me and make me more like You.

Lord, I want to serve You – help me to love like You loved.

… … … … … … … … … … … …

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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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He was preaching the word to them

when some people came bringing Him a paralytic carried by four men,

but as the crowd made it impossible to get the man to Him,

they stripped the roof over the place where Jesus was;

and when they had made an opening,

they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic lay.

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– Mark 2:3-4 (JB)

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REFLECTION…

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What faith!

What hope!

What determination to take a friend to Jesus!

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Although these people had already made a bold effort, they were still not able to get their friend to reach Jesus.

But still, where others would have given up because of the difficulties they were encountering,

these people did not slacken in their determination

– they remained undaunted and climbed up on the roof.

They removed pieces from the roof right above the place where Our Lord was,

and when they had made a big enough hole in it,

they let down the stretcher with the paralytic on it.

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Jesus was amazed at and moved by the faith and audacity of these persons.

It was because of them

and also because of the humility of the paralytic, who allowed himself to be helped,

that a great miracle took place:

the forgiveness of the men’s sins and the cure of his paralysis.

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In some way, the paralytic represents those who are prevented by their sins or their ignorance from reaching God.

On the other hand, the persons who take the incapacitated man to Our Lord,

are like those Christians who are moved by a deep and loving concern to help others find Jesus.

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As Christians, we are instruments of God’s so that He may work real miracles on our friends,

who if left alone, seem unable for so many reasons to reach Christ…who is waiting for them.

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This is faith with deeds.

This is Christian hope and optimism

and conviction that Jesus is the very person our friends need,

just as much as we do.

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It is important to note

how the people who brought the paralytic to Jesus did not mind at all what others may have thought

about their action which could easily have been judged as extreme, inopportune, and even eccentrically different.

Nothing deterred these people,

only one thing matters to them: to reach Jesus with their friend whatever the cost.

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Such action is only possible when we have great rectitude of intention,

when all that matters is God’s approval,

when we are not interested if others disapprove.

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Do we behave like this?

Are we sometimes more concerned about what other people will say

than we are about what God thinks and what He wants from us?

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Are we reluctant to seem different from other people,

when what God wants

and what the people who see our actions need

is that we should stand out by doing what we have to do?

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When necessary,

do we know how to show our faith and our love for Jesus Christ in public?

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Here I am, O Lord, my God.

Melt me, mould me, fill me and use me…to bring others to You.

I love You, Lord.

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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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“If You choose, You can make me clean.”

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– Mark 1:40 (NRSV)

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REFLECTION…

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A leper came up to Jesus.

He knelt down and said to Him:

“If You choose, You can make me clean.”

And Our Lord, who always wants what is good for us,

took pity on him, touched him, and said:

“I do choose. Be made clean!”

And immediately the leprosy left him and he was made clean.

That man kneels down,

prostrating himself on the ground,

which is a sign of humility

– the virtue by which each one may become ashamed of the stains of his life.

But shame must not prevent confession:

the leper showed his sores and asked for a cure.

Moreover, his prayer is full pf piety

– that is, he acknowledged that the power to cure him lay in Our Lord’s hands. (St. Bede)

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Jesus Christ Himself waits for us each day in the Blessed Eucharist,

to humbly and contritely bare our soul to Him;

to seek His healing, His forgiveness, His love.

There He is really, truly and substantially present,

with His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

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The whole mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God

is contained in the Sacred Host.

In the Blessed Eucharist we find Our Lord Himself,

who said to the leper: “I do choose. Be made clean!”

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This marvellous presence among us should give us new life each day.

When we receive Him, when we visit Him,

we can say in the strictest sense:

Today I have been with God.

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REPETITIVE PRAYER FOR TODAY…

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Jesus, if You choose, You can make me clean.

Lord, have mercy on 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.