August 19, 2016 - Friday

Make known to me your ways, LORD;
teach me your paths. (Psalm 25:4 NABRE)

In Psalm 25, David expresses his trust in the Lord. Today's verse is a simple request for understanding and insight, but not in some academic way, in a practical way we can all benefit from. David wants to align his life and decisions with the Lord's will. May we all place our trust in God and seek his ways before our own.


Today, I will pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.


Saint John Eudes, who had as the central theme of your writings: Jesus as the source of holiness, Mary as the model of the Christian life, pray for us.

There are just 26 days remaining in this shared prayer journey of ours. Please continue to join your prayers with mine here, for a daily minute of reflection. As Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20) Though we gather together online, may our joining here reflect our deep desire to have Jesus in our midst.

August 18, 2016 - Thursday

I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them. (Ezekiel 36:26-27 NABRE)

God’s initiative to cleanse Israel is the first act in the creation of a new people, no longer disposed to repeating Israel’s wicked past. To make this restoration permanent, God replaces Israel’s rebellious and obdurate interiority (“heart of stone”) with an interiority (“heart of flesh”) susceptible to and animated by God’s intentions (“my spirit”).*

The prophet Jeremiah puts it this way, "But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days—oracle of the LORD. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:33)

Saint Paul puts it this way, "For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit. The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace." (Romans 8:5-6)

God has changed us for the better! Through the years, we can see it's been said many ways, but in the end the message is simple, God has given us his own Spirit to live personally with us so that we have guidance and strength to live as he wants us to live.


Today, I will thank the Spirit of God for his constant presence within me.


Saint Louis of Toulouse, who was known to repeat, "Jesus Christ is all my riches; he alone is sufficient for me," pray for us.

There are just 27 days remaining in this shared prayer journey of ours. Please continue to join your prayers with mine here, for a daily minute of reflection. As Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20) Though we gather together online, may our joining here reflect our deep desire to have Jesus in our midst.

August 17, 2016 - Wednesday

The LORD is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
In green pastures he makes me lie down;
to still waters he leads me;
he restores my soul.
He guides me along right paths
for the sake of his name.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff comfort me.
You set a table before me
in front of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me
all the days of my life;
I will dwell in the house of the LORD
for endless days. (Psalm 23 NABRE)

This song of David, king and soldier, a man after God's own heart, offers comfort in confidence and peace in chaos to those who will trust in the Lord.


Today, I will place my trust in the Lord.


Saint Joan of the Cross, who dedicated yourself to the poor, elderly, and sick, pray for us.

There are just 28 days remaining in this shared prayer journey of ours. Please continue to join your prayers with mine here, for a daily minute of reflection. As Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20) Though we gather together online, may our joining here reflect our deep desire to have Jesus in our midst.

August 16, 2016 - Tuesday

Thus says the Lord GOD:
Because you are haughty of heart,
you say, “I am a god!
I sit on a god’s throne
in the heart of the sea!”
But you are a man, not a god;
yet you pretend
you are a god at heart! (Ezekiel 28:2 NABRE)

God's feedback to a king who had become arrogant and self-important should speak to all of us. Each of us, at some time, plays a role in which we are called upon to be a leader. The way we lead should reflect the humble awareness of King David rather than greedy self-centeredness of the prince of Tyre, to whom these words are addressed.

May we always remember that God provides us any true authority we might have, and that we should lead as His servants, always placing the needs of others ahead of our own. Where do you lead others in your daily life? How do you serve them?


Today, I will seek to be humble in leadership.


Saint Stephen of Hungary, responsible for the Christianization of your country in about the year 1,000, pray for us.

There are just 29 days remaining in this shared prayer journey of ours. Please continue to join your prayers with mine here, for a daily minute of reflection. As Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20) Though we gather together online, may our joining here reflect our deep desire to have Jesus in our midst.

August 15, 2016 - Monday

And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” (Luke 1:46-55 NABRE)

As I reflect on this song of Mary, I marvel at her great submission of her own will to the will of God.


Today, on this Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and as I begin the final month of this blog, I will work to submit my will in whatever circumstances that arise in my life, as Mary did, to the will of the Father.


Mary, Queen assumed into heaven, pray for us.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Paul_Rubens_-_The_Assumption_of_the_Virgin_Mary_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

There are just 30 days remaining in this shared prayer journey of ours. Please continue to join your prayers with mine here, for a daily minute of reflection. As Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20) Though we gather together online, may our joining here reflect our deep desire to have Jesus in our midst.

August 14, 2016 - Sunday

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 NABRE)

The Olympic Games create a platform for astounding human achievements. The physical, mental, and emotional feats of the young athletes can only be reached by focus, concentration, effort, and resilience.

As we watch the athletes running races for medals, let's find inspiration for the race each of us runs in our pursuit of eternal life. Let's be focused and energetic in our workouts. And let's be resilient, patient, and forgiving toward ourselves when we trip and fall.


Today, I will be patient with myself as I run my race.


Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, patron of those who struggle with addiction, pray for us.

August 13, 2016 - Saturday

A clean heart create for me, God;
renew within me a steadfast spirit.
Do not drive me from before your face,
nor take from me your holy spirit.
Restore to me the gladness of your salvation;
uphold me with a willing spirit.
I will teach the wicked your ways,
that sinners may return to you. (Psalm 51:12-15 NABRE)

This passage from Psalm 51 feels so honest and real. As always happens when this is the case, I am struck by how this man from thousands of years ago could have written something that resonates so closely with my own experience.

Most days, I find myself reaching out to the Lord, asking for something or another. Some asks are big and others small, but when I am right-minded, my requests sound so much like the prayer of the Psalmist.

Lord, renew me with an unwavering spirit to do your will and to walk the path you have laid before me with courage and resolve. Please watch over me and keep your Spirit alive in my heart. When I grow tired or discouraged, help me to remember the promise of eternal joy in your very presence which awaits. And Lord, make clear to me the mission you have created me for so that I can be the witness to your love and mercy which you expect me to be.


Today, I will turn to the Lord asking him to strengthen me with his Spirit.


Saints Pontian and Hippolytus, two men who died for your faith, one had been pope, the other an antipope, who died reconciled, pray for us.

August 12, 2016 - Friday

And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly, that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God, which is now at work in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13 NABRE)

Lord God, thank you for your Spirit within us, that we may recognize your Word at work in us. Saint John describes Jesus in the opening verse of his gospel in a very peculiar way. He writes, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)

And by reading on, we come to understand that John refers to Jesus as the Word. Also, that he was with God the Father in the beginning, before time, before all things were even made. We believe that this person Jesus, who became a man, is actually God. And if we read on a few more lines in John's gospel, we read that it was through him that all things came to exist.

When we read the Word of God with an understanding that somehow, by his Spirit, the Lord makes himself available to us by these words written down by men, we find that through such a worldly resource, a deep, personal relationship with God is available to us.


Today, I will thank God unceasingly for reaching out to me and offering me a relationship with him.


Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, about whom St. Vincent De Paul said, "She suffered such interior trials that she often told me her mind was so filled with all sorts of temptations and abominations that she had to strive not to look within herself,", pray for us.

August 11, 2016 - Thursday

His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart. (Matthew 18:32-35 NABRE)

Today's passage is the conclusion to Jesus' Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. It is in response to the question of Peter regarding how often forgiveness is to be granted (Mt 18:21), Jesus answers that it is to be given without limit.*

This strongly worded conclusion is actually a warning to us. It should motivate us to become more forgiving toward others, just as God has been forgiving toward us.

God the Father’s forgiveness, already given, will be withdrawn at the final judgment for those who have not imitated his forgiveness by their own.*

Lord Jesus, thank you for teaching me to forgive others without limit. By your example on the cross, I can see that no wrong, no sin, no hurt is unforgivable. My Lord, help me to be more forgiving. Help me to see that by forgiving others, the Father will not withdraw his forgiveness from me for the many times I have offended him by my thoughts, words, and actions. May I, by the grace and power of your Spirit within me, learn to be merciful as you are merciful, forgiving as you are forgiving, and loving as you are loving. Lord, comfort me when I am wronged, heal me, and guard me from my natural desire for justice, revenge, and retaliation. And for those times when I succumb to these, weak in my own power, forgive me, Lord, for it is my greatest desire to please you.


Today, I will pray for an increase in mercy and forgiveness.


Saint Clare of Assisi, patron of those with eye disorders, pray for us.

August 10, 2016 - Wednesday

It is good for the man gracious in lending,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
For he shall never be shaken;
the righteous shall be remembered forever.
He shall not fear an ill report;
his heart is steadfast, trusting the LORD.
His heart is tranquil, without fear,
till at last he looks down on his foes.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his righteousness shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in honor. (Psalm 112:5-9 NABRE)

Finances have always been a challenge since the earliest of days. More specifically, the distribution of wealth has been a challenge. And for those to whom much is given, we know, much is expected. Although it can be difficult to figure out exactly what "much" really is.

And so, let's adopt the spirit of today's passage and aim at an attitude of generosity marked by graciousness, justice, and even lavishness toward the poor! Let's be outrageous in our giving to the poor, as God has provided outrageously for us!


Today, I will re-examine my attitude toward the poor, seeing my own poverty for what it is, even though it is not material.


Saint Lawrence, patron of the poor, pray for us.

August 9, 2016 - Tuesday

What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?
And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost. (Matthew 18:12-14 NABRE)

This parable is an exhortation for the disciples to seek out fellow disciples who have gone astray.
In context, the passage emphasizes that not only must no one cause a fellow disciple to sin, but those who have strayed must be sought out and, if possible, brought back to the community.*

Let us recognize how the Lord sees us. We are his children whom he cares for. We are his flock which he protects. And when one of us drifts away for one reason or another, we need to reach out to that person. We need to encourage him or her back to the community of the faithful. It is the heart of the "new" evangelization. It is not new. It is part of our reason for being. It is a significant part of why we are here. May we prayerfully consider how we can accomplish this great mission which the Lord himself calls us to.


Today, I will look at my own abilities, and my willingness to yield to the Lord's plan, so that I might become a more effective witness to and messenger of faithfulness.


Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), whose life encourages us to, "Learn to live at God’s hands," pray for us.

August 8, 2016 - Monday

Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
give praise, all you his hosts.
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all who govern on earth;
Young men and women too,
old and young alike.
Let them all praise the LORD’s name,
for his name alone is exalted,
His majesty above earth and heaven. (Psalm 148:1-2,11-13 NABRE)

Today's passage is from a beautiful hymn inviting the beings of heaven and of earth to praise God. The hymn does not even distinguish between inanimate and animate (and rational) nature!*

For a truly powerful prophetic vision of God, read the very beginning of the book of Ezekiel. Read it slowly, like poetry. Take in the imagery and try to picture the scene. Beginning at verse four, he describes the sounds and sights by which his limited human senses envisioned a glimpse of heaven, as though the highest spiritual things took physical form and joined us in our place. The dramatic and expansive vision serves to remind us of God's inconceivable grandeur, and of our own unworthy inclusion in his divine company.


Today, I will join all creation in praise of the Lord.


Saint Dominic, priest and patron of astronomers and the Dominican Republic, pray for us.

August 7, 2016 - Sunday

Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.(Matthew 24:42-44 NABRE)

In today's verse, Jesus warns his disciples that the exact time of his return, at the end of all things, is known only to the Father. He goes on to warn them to be always ready for it.*  The theme of vigilance and readiness is continued with the bold comparison of the return of the Son of Man to a thief who comes to break into a house.*

So much time has passed, we may have lost our sense of urgency. The disciples would certainly have expected Jesus to return to them during their lifetimes, after all, why else would he have called them to such vigilance? And yet, we still wait for him today. Can we stay awake and prepared?


Today, I will renew my sense of vigilance and readiness as I await the return of my Savior.


Saint Cajetan, who founded a congregation known as the Theatines which was outstanding among the Catholic reform movements that took shape before the Protestant Reformation, pray for us.

August 6, 2016 - Saturday

We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, “This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.
Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:16-19 NABRE)

These words of witness from Jesus' close friend Peter, fisherman and apostle, as he approached the end of his life are invigorating to read.

Peter's purpose in writing is to call to mind his witness to the truth, even as he faces the end of his life, his eyewitness testimony to Christ, and the true prophetic message through the Spirit in scripture, in contrast to what false teachers are setting forth.*


Today, I will remember that even though so many years have passed, Peter and the many other first-hand witnesses to Jesus have left us a remarkable record of their encounter with that divine man.


Saints Peter, James and John, on this Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, pray for us.

August 5, 2016 - Friday

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? (Matthew 16:24-26 NABRE)

There are two well-phrased notes associated with today's passage:

A readiness to follow Jesus even to giving up one’s life for him is the condition for true discipleship; this will be repaid by him at the final judgment.*

To deny someone is to disown him and to deny oneself is to disown oneself as the center of one’s existence.*

Lord, prepare my heart to be ready to follow you, especially when that means I will encounter hurt, loss, or suffering. And may my desire to disown myself as the center of my existence be sufficient for your glory to become my focus.


Today, I will examine ways I still put myself at the center of my existence.


Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

August 4, 2016 - Thursday

But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days—oracle of the LORD. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
They will no longer teach their friends and relatives, “Know the LORD!” Everyone, from least to greatest, shall know me—oracle of the LORD—for I will forgive their iniquity and no longer remember their sin. (Jeremiah 31-33-34 NABRE)

The new covenant is an occasional prophetic theme, beginning with Hosea. According to Jeremiah, (a) it lasts forever; (b) its law (torah) is written in human hearts; (c) it gives everyone true knowledge of God, making additional instruction (torah) unnecessary. The Dead Sea Scroll community claimed they were partners in a “new covenant.” The New Testament presents the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as inaugurating a new covenant open to anyone who professes faith in Jesus the Christ.*

It seems to me, the Lord's relationship with his people has become closer with time. He gradually reveals himself to us, seeking ever more closeness, a process begun back in the days of Moses and which is restoring what was originally lost. His holy Spirit, which we believe comes to dwell within each of us, is how he reveals himself most vividly today. May we listen for the Spirit's whisper throughout this day.


Today, I will be grateful for God's new covenant and the presence of his Spirit within.


Saint John Vianney, patron of parish priests, pray for us.

August 3, 2016 - Wednesday

Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.” (Luke 7:16 NABRE)

After journeying to a city called Nain, and with a large crowd as witnesses, upon seeing the funeral procession of a widow's only son, Jesus brought him back to life.

I have attended too many wakes and funerals, some with hundreds of other people. I sometimes imagine what it would be like to see Jesus walk into the room and call out to the deceased that he should rise up! And to see the person sit up and begin to speak. I admit that to our Western, modern sensibilities, this sounds more like something out of a horror story than an imagining of scripture, but it is one way to place ourselves into the story of the widow's son as told by Saint Luke.

Lord Jesus, you have power over death. When I remember that I am spirit with a physical aspect, it is not so difficult to recognize that you will one day raise me from the dead. I thank you for hope. There will come a time when I shed this shell of a body, freed from these bonds, to live in your presence. I thank you for helping me to remember there is an eternal perspective I can take on the many difficulties this earthly life brings. May your Spirit dwell close to my own, leading me as I journey on my path back to you.


Today, I will remember that Jesus has power over death.


Saint Peter Julian Eymard, who knew that the Eucharist was key to helping Catholics live out their Baptism, pray for us.

August 2, 2016 - Tuesday

Then he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. (Matthew 14:22-23 NABRE)

Jesus made time to pray. He carved out times of solitary prayer during the course of his busiest days. He had been out teaching crowds of people, he had been leading and guiding his disciples, and as the day's work wound down, he made space in his calendar to spend quiet time with his Father.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your example. May your Spirit inflame my heart today with the same desire you have to be with the Father. May I find times during this day to rest in your company. Incline my thoughts and feelings so I might encounter you in the presence of others, and so that I might also find a quiet place, a personal mountaintop, to reconnect with you in prayer.


Today, I will make time to pray quietly in the afternoon.


Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, member of the early Church which gave us the Nicene Creed, pray for us.

August 1, 2016 - Monday

And he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children. (Matthew 14:19-21 NABRE)

The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle of Jesus that is recounted in all four gospels. The principal reason for that may be that it was seen as anticipating the Eucharist and the final banquet in the kingdom, but it looks not only forward but backward, to the feeding of Israel with manna in the desert at the time of the Exodus, a miracle that in some contemporary Jewish expectation would be repeated in the messianic age. It may also be meant to recall Elisha’s feeding a hundred men with small provisions.*

Lord Jesus, thank you for pointing me to the abundant love and provision of our Father. Help me always, and in each moment of this day, to remember that I do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4) The Father does not want me to worry about things of this world. He does not want me to be anxious or afraid. Instead, I am called to trust in God, to accept his graciousness, and to seek His will. I am called to share my experience with others so that they might see in my story the proof and encouragement they need to grow in their own faith.


Today, on this Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, I will trust in the Lord.


Saint Alphonsus Liguori, patron of vocations and theologians, pray for us.

July 31, 2016 - Sunday

Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory. Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:

• immorality,
• impurity,
• passion,
• evil desire,
• and the greed that is idolatry. 

But now you must put them all away:

• anger,
• fury,
• malice,
• slander,
• and obscene language out of your mouths.
• Stop lying to one another. (Colossians 3:2-5,7-9A NABRE)

Here, I have taken the liberty of listing these earthly challenges which Saint Paul mentions in his letter to the congregation at Colossae. Rather than comment on them, today is a day to reflect on the challenge which most distracts me from thinking of what is above.


Today, I will reflect on my own thoughts, words, and actions that lead me away from a strong relationship with God.


Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, author of the Spiritual Exercises used to bring people closer to the Lord, pray for us.