February 28, 2015 - Saturday

You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. (Matthew 5:43:45 NABRE)

These are days of hope and promise, yet we live for days that will replace hope and promise with peace and joy in their full expression. Pope Francis writes beautifully about the joy of salvation and what in means for us in practical terms, saying:

I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day.

No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord”.

The Lord does not disappoint those who take this risk; whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms.

Now is the time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace”.

How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy. Christ, who told us to forgive one another “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22) has given us his example: he has forgiven us seventy times seven. Time and time again he bears us on his shoulders. No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love. With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew.
Let us not flee from the resurrection of Jesus, let us never give up, come what will. May nothing inspire more than his life, which impels us onwards!* 

Today, I will accept Francis' invitation and take a step towards Jesus, confident that he is already there, waiting for me with open arms!


Saint Oswald, who lived about 1,000 years ago, supported higher education and was known for your sanctity and love for the poor, pray for us.

February 27, 2015 - Friday

But if the wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die!
None of the crimes he has committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the justice he has shown. (Ezekiel 18:21-22 NABRE)

Our actions matter. How we act reflects what is in our hearts. So, when we put God's Word into our hearts, we begin and sustain a process that leads to changes in the way we act. And these changes in our actions lead us away from the death God describes through the prophet Ezekiel.

Lord God, I thank you for your mercy! I ask that you place in my heart--indeed, please overwhelm my mind, desire, and will with--your inspiration. Continue to grant me access to your Word so that I may know and turn away from all the sins I have committed and so that I may do what is just and right toward others.


Today, I will focus on Words and actions, seeking to act justly and rightly, guided by God's Spirit.


Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, who shows us that great holiness can be achieved by doing little things with love and grace, pray for us.

February 26, 2015 - Thursday

Yet even now—oracle of the LORD—
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God,
For he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love,
and relenting in punishment. (Joel 2:12-13 NABRE)

What do you imagine God is like? When you think of him, is he more stern or gentle in personality? Sometimes, our impression of God is colored by our situations. When we only think of God, for example, when a loved one dies or when we are desperately in trouble, he takes on, for us, sort of a caricature personality which is one-sided, seeming to be either heartless and incompetent or ruthless and indifferent. Is it any wonder that so many people turn away from him in anger, frustration and misunderstanding? Perhaps we make the effort to also think of God during our best moments.

When we read today's passage from Joel, a Hebrew prophet who lived at least five centuries before Jesus, we get a very different image of God. In the first statement, God personally asks each of us to turn back to him with our whole heart, even after we've rejected him. I find comfort in that degree of understanding. He knows I suffer. He knows your pain. And he waits faithfully for you and I to turn to him. Honestly. Sincerely. For comfort. For peace. For satisfaction of our needs. For joy.

Joel encourages us with some urgency to rend* our hearts and return to the Lord. Literally, he is telling us to tear our hearts in two. There is a violence involved, a sort of self-inflicted and willful denial of ourselves, a destruction of our pride, a humbling.

And then we are encouraged further by the prophet's words, which give us a list of God's personality traits to consider. Joel tells us that God is gracious, offering us compassion and kindness. God is merciful and slow to anger, two qualities this weak person is grateful for every day. And God is steadfast in his love for you and I, and willing to relent in doling out punishment.


Today, I will again turn my heart toward God, seeking his Divine Mercy and steafast love.


Saint Porphyry of Gaza, known for your generosity to the poor, pray for us.

February 25, 2015 - Wednesday

Jonah began his journey through the city, and when he had gone only a single day’s walk announcing, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown,”
the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. (Jonah 3:4-5 NABRE)

Most of us know the story of Jonah being swallowed by the whale, but many of us don't realize that he became a great prophet of God. At first, he was reluctant to do God's work, but eventually he did what God intended for him to do, and in some ways he even prefigures Jesus.

God sent Jonah to the city of Ninevah as a messenger to tell the people about God's plan to destroy the city because its people had become so wicked. When the Ninevites heard Jonah's warning, something really special and unique happened: They believed him! How unusual that is. In fact, they repented in their hearts and proclaimed a fast in the hope that God might relent, which he did.

Our society today probably isn't all that different from Ninevah. Even today, in our sophistication and learning, the intentions of our hearts still make us unclean. And so we should take note of Jonah's warning and heed the humble example of the Ninevites, expressing sorrow and regret for our sins--which are those thoughts and words and actions which turn us away from God. Further, we should take action to change our hearts in those areas which are most challenging to us.


Today, I will seek to humbly recognize my own sinfulness, and to ask the Lord to help me change this by his power, not my own.


Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio, who helped men and women recognize their God-given dignity and destiny, pray for us.

February 24, 2015 - Tuesday

If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions. (Matthew 6:14-15 NABRE)

Matthew's gospel depicts Jesus as having made this statement during his Sermon on the Mount, just after teaching his followers how to pray the Our Father.*

Forgiveness can be so difficult to give. In our hurt, in our anger, in our pride, our human nature leads us to protect ourselves. We want to defend whatever it is that has been harmed, threatened, or attacked. And "Why not?" we ask! "Why shouldn't we protect what is ours?" "Why should we endure mistreatment?" And most of all, we ask, "Why should we forgive?"

We forgive so that God our father will forgive us for all the times we offend him by our thoughts or our words or our actions.

It can help to remember Jesus' words as he hung nailed to the cross, bleeding, beaten, insulted, wrongly accused, humiliated in front of all his friends and even his mother: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)


Today, I will decide to forgive even those who do not deserve it, because I need God's forgiveness even more.


Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and father to Jesus, pray for us.

February 23, 2015 - Monday

Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your own people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:18 NABRE)

Jesus echoed these words more than a thousand years after God spoke them to Moses. To them, Jesus added, "love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:43) Jesus talked in great detail about loving our enemies. And Saint Paul continues this instruction in his letters when he writes, "Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:9)

Have you ever been hurt by someone? What was your response? Does it resemble what Saint Paul, Jesus, and God the creator of all things expect? Though we have struggled for many generations since the time of Moses, each generation, each person, has to wrestle with this command from the Lord.

I have been hurt, many times through the years. Most of the time, my response falls far short of God's expectation for me! In most cases, probably all actually, it is because my pride has been hurt. Even when someone merely insults or taunts me, I react to protect myself. I do not react lovingly. I am not patient. I am not kind. I do not bear or endure all things. I am more likely to seek my own interest, allow my temper to flare quickly, and to brood over injuries.*

Lord, I am grateful for your mercy and I ask your forgiveness for those times I have not lived up to your expectation. Please continue to change my heart so that, like your son, Jesus, I might pray for those who persecute me, wishing for them even greater conversion of heart. Lord God, thank you for enduring my indifference to your commands and helping me to connect my everyday struggles with your instruction to love others as I love myself.


Today, I will seek to let go of any grudges and to react lovingly, not selfishly, to others.


Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

Saint Polycarp, who trusted God even when events contradicted this trust, pray for us.

February 22, 2015 - Sunday

Make known to me your ways, LORD;
teach me your paths.
Guide me by your fidelity and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
for you I wait all the day long. (Psalm 25:4-5 NABRE)

Travelling the road of life alone is impossible. Each of us realizes this at some point. It is self-evident (though not often obvious). None of us can long survive without other people, and it is in our relationships that we can see the Lord's guiding hand, if we are open to seeing it. Today's verse is a little song-prayer of King David, and by praying it (even repeating it like a song refrain or chant), we can start to open ourselves to the possibility that we do not control as much of our own destiny as we think.

Just like this ancient king who knew he needed the Lord, each of us depends on the Lord's compassion, mercy, and goodness. And so, if we simply acknowledge him, and ask for his guidance and forgiveness, he will never fail to answer us. Today, on this first Sunday of Lent, maybe it is the right time to expect an answer!

Lord, you are great and above all things. Please forgive each thought and action of mine which has turned my heart away from you. Show me your path for my life. Every now and then, give me a glimpse of your plan for me so that I might not lose heart. And more, as my life goes on, day after day, stretching across the years, let me continue to glimpse your plan so that I might understand that you are faithful to me through time, and have gone on far longer than my brief life. Help me to recall your greatness and my smallness, so that I might live humbly and dependent upon your providence.


Today, I will look to see God's guidance for me in the relationships I have with all the people in my life.


Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
Saint Peter, chosen by Jesus to sit in his place as the servant-authority of the whole Church, pray for us.

February 21, 2015 - Saturday

If you remove the yoke from among you,
the accusing finger, and malicious speech;
If you lavish your food on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
Then your light shall rise in the darkness,
and your gloom shall become like midday;
Then the LORD will guide you always
and satisfy your thirst in parched places,
will give strength to your bones
And you shall be like a watered garden,
like a flowing spring whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58:9b-11 NABRE)

In today's passage from Isaiah, God promises some very dramatic gifts if we will do good for others as he asks. At first, he recalls that we should:

• Remove each others' burdens
• Speak kindly about others
• Feed those who are hungry
• Meet the needs of the suffering

If we do these things, God promises:

• We will bring hope to others, turning them toward God
• The Lord will guide us safely in this life
• Our needs in this life will be satisfied (be careful to distinguish from wants)
• We will never become too tired to continue God's work
• We will yield good results (be careful not to assume you will always see the results yourself)

Today, I will yield to God's will for my day, putting aside my own will when necessary.



Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
Saint Peter Damian, reformer within the Church who knew the power of prayer and fasting, pray for us.

February 20, 2015 - Friday

Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose:
releasing those bound unjustly,
untying the thongs of the yoke;
Setting free the oppressed,
breaking off every yoke?
Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry,
bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house;
Clothing the naked when you see them,
and not turning your back on your own flesh? (Isaiah 58:5-6 NABRE)

In today's verse, God tells us through the prophet Isaiah that the act of fasting, itself, has no meaning to him. In fact, he tells us it can distract us from what does matter to him, making it sinful instead of acceptable as an offering.

We understand that fasting is not genuine without reforming one’s way of life. God wants our fasting to be genuine. He wants us to change ourselves by our fast. He wants us to change our world by our fast, creating a true social morality based on his Word, one that can ensure prosperity.* Our fasting should lead us to action!

Jesus clearly echos Isaiah's words in Matthew's account of the Last Judgement (Mt 25:31-45). By doing so, Jesus links genuine fasting to salvation.

Lord Jesus, help me to endure the small discomforts of my Lenten fast, joining them to your unimaginable suffering on the cross, making my fast acceptable to you as an offering for the conversion of the hearts and souls of the lost and struggling in this world. Show me where I need to reform my way of life. Lead me to genuine change and provide me opportunities to help others who are bound unjustly, oppressed, hungry, afflicted, naked, or in need. I ask this so that I might become less while you become more, through me, in this world you created.


Today, I will be thankful for the great gift of fasting, and I will pray to discern new ways to take action on behalf of others in need.


Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

Blesseds Jacinta and Francisco Marto, who received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria, near Fatima, Portugal in 1917, pray for us.

February 19, 2015 - Thursday

Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23 NABRE)

According to Luke's gospel, Jesus made this statement to his Apostles about ten days before he took several of them up the mountain to pray, at which time he experienced his Transfiguration. They were witnesses. So, just prior to pulling back that thin curtain between heaven and earth, just before giving his closest friends a miraculous glimpse of the promised life to come, Jesus challenged them with the reality of Christian suffering in the present life.

This utterance of Jesus challenges all believers to authentic discipleship and total commitment to himself through self-renunciation and acceptance of the cross of suffering, even to the sacrifice of life itself. Life seen as mere self-centered earthly existence and lived in denial of Christ ends in destruction, but when lived in loyalty to Christ, despite earthly death, it arrives at fullness of life.*


Today, I will observe the Lenten practice of denying myself certain earthly comforts as a reminder of my commitment to Jesus.


Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
Saint Conrad of Piacenza, contemplative who sought a life of prayer and penance, pray for us.

February 18, 2015 - Wednesday

He said in reply, “It is written:
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)  

In, today's passage, Jesus reminds us that life requires more from us than just satisfying our physical hungers. We see that, in addition to meeting our physical needs, we only truly live by feasting on God's Word.

At the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus went out to the desert to be tempted by the devil. During this time, he prayed and fasted for forty days. While there, he was tempted three times before the devil finally left him; and each time he was tempted, he quoted from God's Word (Deuteronomy 8:3) as his only means of resisting temptation.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the day we mark the beginning of Lent. In Jesus' desert experience, we learn that we need not submit to the temptations of this life, that by feasting on God's Word we gain the same power as Jesus to overcome whatever it is that draws our thought and our hearts away from God. 

During Lent, we pray, fast, and give to others with renewed focus and energy, aware that it is by these acts of love that we grow closer to the Lord, that it is by these disciplined choices that we humble ourselves, and that it is by these spiritual exercises that we strengthen our faith and reliance on God.

Today, on this Ash Wednesday, I will follow the tradition of fasting and abstinence as a reminder to myself to fast from sin and to depend on God for all my needs.


Saint Bernadette Soubirous, who had 18 visions of Mary at Lourdes, France in 1858, pray for us.

February 17, 2015 - Tuesday

When the LORD saw how great the wickedness of human beings was on earth, and how every desire that their heart conceived was always nothing but evil,
the LORD regretted making human beings on the earth, and his heart was grieved. (Genesis 6:5 NABRE)

God understands regret! It's easy to forget he experiences difficult things. When I feel regret, it can be so isolating. If I could just recall at such times that I'm not alone, that God understands the deep sting of regret, sorrow and loss, I might also recall the hope that follows.

Despite his grief, God did not wipe out all human beings from the earth because he found one man who was good, Noah.

Lord, please be with me in times of difficulty. Send me one good person in moments when I feel like I'm losing faith. Remind me that you understand my suffering, and that you still desire that I remain hopeful, faithful and loving. Let my trials bring me closer to you, rather than further from you. Help me to recognize your presence in every situation.


Today, I will look to the Spirit of God within me to lead me through each difficult moment.


Seven Founders of the Servite Order, whose aim was to lead a life of penance and prayer, pray for us.

February 16, 2015 - Monday

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NABRE)

What a challenging verse this is! Spoken to his closest friends at the Last Supper, Jesus explains that he is the way to heaven, the truth that sets people free from sin, and the source of eternal life. These are the things we ache for in this life. We find in Jesus the simplest of answers to all of our greatest questions and yearnings.

Add to it another statement Jesus made to a crowd of followers not long before: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day." (John 6:44)

These two statements seem to extend one another even though they come from different passages of John's gospel. No one can come to Jesus unless...the Father initiates it. No one can come to the Father unless...they first put their faith in Jesus.

When we learn about Jesus, when we hear about him, when we are challenged and made to feel uncomfortable because we haven't yet chosen to yield our trust to this unseen person, in these moments and in so many more, God the Father is initiating a relationship with us! What fatherly patience he has with us! How often does he call us? How often do we ignore him?

Jesus tells us to think of God as our Father and I can't help but picture my own father calling me home for dinner from the front steps of our house when I was a child. Sometimes, I would pretend not to hear him so I could go on playing with my friends. Yet, despite my effort to hide, his persistent calls always drew me home.


Today, I will pray for all who would rather not head home just yet, confident that God's call will bring them home in time.


Saint Josephine Bakhita, a slave with many "masters" who finally came to address God as "master," pray for us.

February 15, 2015 - Sunday

John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.
I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” (John 1:32-34 NABRE)

Even when we're told what to look for, we don't always see it. We get caught up in our own issues and concerns. We need to be more like John, who heard and stayed aware, looking for this sign. Looking for the dove. When we stay aware, looking for the doves in our own lives that confirm who Jesus really is, we find ourselves caught up in God's issues and concerns rather than our own.

Lord God, please keep my eyes turned upward, looking for the dove, looking for your Spirit who illuminates the reality of Jesus your son. Protect me from the cares and concerns of this life, seeing them not as hardships to steal my attention, but rather as chances to rely on your grace, as opportunities to remember my own baptism, as gifts which, despite their difficulty, help me to grow in the knowledge and understanding of your greatness and my own dependence upon you.


Today, I will celebrate baptism, the dying to sin and the rising filled with the Spirit.


Saint Claude de la Colombière, who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us.

February 14, 2015 - Saturday

Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9 NABRE)

It is National Marriage Week 2015. In celebration, today is Day Seven--the final day--of our virtual Marriage Retreat with Pope Francis. Today's theme is Take Forward The Meaning Of Family. Here is today's excerpt:

At the Meeting with Families in the Philippines, on January 16, 2015, Pope Francis encouraged the faithful by saying, “Do not hide your faith, do not hide Jesus, but carry him into the world and offer the witness of your family life!”

Did you know that families are called to be missionaries? For some families, that may mean moving around the world to share the Gospel with people who don’t know Jesus. But for most families, being missionaries means living the Gospel in the midst of your daily family life: carrying Jesus “into the world,” as Pope Francis says. Offering “the witness of your family life” in the carpool, at work, at soccer practice, in the grocery store. Families are challenged not to be closed in on their own needs and concerns, but to be open to others. A particular witness is being welcoming to people without families or with difficult family situations, for example widows, children of divorce, and single people. “Do not hide Jesus!” Pope Francis exhorts.

Today, I will carry Jesus into the world and offer the witness of my family and my marriage.


Saint Valentine, martyr and patron of lovers, pray for us.
Saints Cyril and Methodius, patron saints of Slavic people, pray for us.

February 13, 2015 - Friday

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. (John 19:26-27 NABRE)

It is National Marriage Week 2015. In celebration, today is Day Six of our virtual Marriage Retreat with Pope Francis. Today's theme is The Family As The Birthplace Of Communication And Love. Here is today's excerpt:

On World Communications Day 2015, Pope Francis said, “In the family, we learn to embrace and support one another, to discern the meaning of facial expressions and moments of silence, to laugh and cry together… This greatly helps us to understand the meaning of communication as recognizing and creating closeness.”

Communication skills are commonly taught in marriage preparation classes, and for good reason. Communication happens every day in a couple’s relationship. Good communication solidifies a relationship while bad communication leads to squabbles and misunderstandings. Pope Francis encourages married couples to see communication as a way of building communion: “creating closeness.” When done respectfully and with love, simple requests, or planning the day’s activities, can foster a sense of unity. Learning to listen well shows respect to the other person. Families have a unique role in modeling how patient, loving communication is possible.* 

Today, I will pray for better communication among couples and families, so that they come to an increased sense of unity.


Saint Catherine de Ricci, known for your great love of prayer and your sanctity which drew many to you, pray for us.

February 12. 2015 - Thursday

Praise the God of heaven,
for his mercy endures forever. (Psalm 136:26 NABRE)

It is National Marriage Week 2015. In celebration, today is Day Five of our virtual Marriage Retreat with Pope Francis. Today's theme is Three Pillars Of The Spousal Relationship. Here is an excerpt:

At Mass in Casa Santa Marta with Fifteen Married Couples on June 11, 2014, Pope Frances taught that “Faithfulness, perseverance, and fruitfulness are the three pillars of Christ’s love for His bride, the Church – three characteristics that are also at the heart of Christian marriage.”

When constructing a building, a blueprint is essential. When getting married, a bride and groom find the “blueprint” for their marriage in Jesus Christ. Looking at Jesus, husbands and wives see the “pillars” of their marital home, as Pope Francis so aptly described. Christ’s love is faithful: he will never leave or forsake his beloved, the Church. Christ’s love perseveres: he told his disciples, “I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:20). Christ’s love is fruitful: “Whoever remains in me…will bear much fruit” (Jn 15:5). Fidelity, perseverance, and fruitfulness are the “pillars” that hold up the marital home, making it a place of peace and joy for all its members.* 

Today, I will pray with gratitude to the Lord for his faithfulness, perseverance, and fruitfulness and the chance to express these in my own marriage.


Saint Buonfiglio Monaldo, inspired to take up a life of solitude and prayer, pray for us.

February 11, 2015 - Wednesday

This is how you are to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors;
and do not subject us to the final test,
but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-13 NABRE)

It is National Marriage Week 2015. In celebration, today is Day Four of our virtual Marriage Retreat with Pope Francis. Today's theme is Christ Gives Couples the Confidence to Say 'Yes' Forever. Here is an excerpt:

During his Valentine's Day address to engaged couples last year, Pope Francis said, "We must not allow ourselves to be conquered by a ‘throwaway culture’. This fear of ‘forever’ is cured by entrusting oneself day by day to the Lord Jesus in a life that becomes a daily spiritual path of mutual growth, step by step.”

"Many in our culture today think that it is not possible to love another person for the entirety of one’s life. Some protest that love 'dies out' and say you can move on and find another person. Pope Francis, however, says that the fear of lifelong commitment is resolved by relying on Christ. In the Our Father, we say, 'Give us this day our daily bread'; for Christian couples, we must also ask, 'Give us this day our daily love.' If a Christian couple entrusts their love to Christ, He will sustain and multiply it. 'He has an infinite reserve!' the Pope said."* 

Today, I will pray one decade of the Rosary focusing on how Mary relied not on her own strength but on God’s.


Saint Gregory II, known for his spirit of strength and patience, pray for us.

February 10, 2015 - Tuesday

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NABRE)

As part of National Marriage Week 2015, today is the third day of the virtual Marriage Retreat with Pope Francis. The day's theme is The Family is the Domestic Church. "The love of Christ abides and “grows” in the family, as Pope Francis said. In the domestic Church, spouses and children learn how to share Christ’s love. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, 'Here [in the home] one learns endurance and the joy of work, fraternal love, generous — even repeated — forgiveness, and above all divine worship in prayer and the offering of one’s life' (no. 1657)."

In and for our marriages, we are called to pray, to let go of our anxieties, and to ask God for what we need with thanksgiving and confidence. What a promise we have too! When we do these things, the Bible promises that God's peace will protect us, including our marriage.

Today, I will pray for all married and engaged couples, that God's peace will guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


Saint Scholastica, patron of nuns, pray for us.

February 9, 2015 - Monday

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. (Matthew 25:35-36 NABRE)

As Pope Francis points out, Christian love is concrete. True love expresses itself in action. Today is the second day of National Marriage Week 2015, and it is worthwhile to recognize that "the love between Christian spouses should not rely on romantic feelings alone. Words and affectionate language have their place, but actions speak volumes as well. Christian love is marked by selflessness. It seeks to give rather than receive. Spouses are called to love in this way: to give to their spouse in the practical happenings of everyday life."*

We do things for others, often sacrificing our own wants for the benefit of those who need something. We should not forget this within our marriages. Married love can be expressed in words and romantic gestures, but it also needs to find expression in self giving.

Lord, thank you for blessing our marriage and for continually renewing our marriage covenant. May it always be a reflection of the union of Christ with his Church, and may we continue to know your love for us more and more each day by the way we treat each other. 

Today, I will show my love by my actions.


Saint Apollonia, patron of dentists, pray for us.

February 8, 2015 - Sunday

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated,
it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NABRE)

Today is World Marriage Sunday. It begins National Marriage Week which ends on February 14, the feast of Saint Valentine.

Saint Paul's hymn of love is a beautiful reminder of the qualities we should seek to strengthen in our own marriages. As a way to celebrate this week, married and engaged couples have been invited to join in a virtual Marriage Retreat with Pope Francis. It is a seven-day retreat, that takes just a few minutes each day, during which couples can share time together in the company of the Lord.


Today, on this World Marriage Sunday, I will give thanks for my marriage and ask for God's protection over all marriages.


Saint Jerome Emiliani, patron of orphans and abandoned children, pray for us.

February 7, 2015 - Saturday

Obey your leaders and defer to them, for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account, that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17 NABRE)

The Letter to the Hebrews is believed to have been a synagogue sermon, written for the Jewish-Christian community at the end of the first century.* In today's verse, hearers are told to obey the leaders of this young faith community.

My entire life, I've been someone who questions authority. As a child, I rebelled against arbitrary rules I did not understand. As an adult, I look for leaders who respect their followers. I see in today's passage, both an encouragement and a word of caution.

I am encouraged because there is an explanation of what may sometimes seem arbitrary--the leaders keep watch over us and will have to give an account of their efforts. This is a sobering reality. Leaders accept responsibility for our lives, our safety, and our well-being. And so, well-intentioned leaders sometimes make decisions that, while appearing arbitrary, are actually beneficial to the people for whom and to whom they are reponsible. So, I am told to obey Church leaders even at times when I do not fully understand what is behind the rules they establish.

I find a word of caution in today's verse as well. Despite the call to defer to the Church leaders in faith and trust, human nature leads us all toward sinfulness. As a result, blindly following individual leaders without prayerful consideration is foolishness.

Today, I will seek to follow the teachings of the Church and to respect our leaders.


Saint Colette, Church reformer known for your poverty and perpetual fast, pray for us.

February 6, 2015 - Friday

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart does not fear;
Though war be waged against me,
even then do I trust. (Psalm 27:3 NABRE)

What sorts of armies encamp themselves against us? What wars are being waged against us today? Are we threatened by actual soldiers who seek to wage war against us? Are we confronted by an army of critics who tear down our daily choices and decisions, wearing away at our endurance? Do we face a battle in the public forum, where voices of hatred and challenge seek to destroy our religious liberty? Are we assaulted by enemies within ourselves such as lonliness, isolation, anxiety, or fear?

Which battles affect you today? Will you trust God's protection? Will you remain faithful through these trials, confident in his promises?

For God will hide me in his shelter
in time of trouble,
He will conceal me in the cover of his tent;
and set me high upon a rock. (Psalm 27:5)

Today, I will trust in the Lord regardless of the cost.


Saint Paul Miki and Companions, 16th-century martyrs from Nagasaki, Japan, pray for us.

February 5, 2015 - Thursday

He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. (Mark 6:7-9 NABRE)

Imagine how these new Apostles must have felt when Jesus sent them out into the local villages to preach and to cast out demons and to heal the sick. I wonder how hesitant they were, or if maybe they rushed off in a frenzy of bold excitement. I wonder how reluctant they might have been, or if they were carried of in their enthusiasm because of what they knew about Jesus already. I wonder if they delayed leaving, asking questions of Jesus about details, or if they just stood up, paired off, and started walking with nothing but their walking sticks and instructions.

Have you ever had to totally depend on God in order to make it through a decision, a trial, or a new challenge? Have you ever faced something for which you were completely unprepared? What was it? How did it feel before you began? How did it feel after everything was completed?

Lord Jesus, I admire the trust your Apostles placed in you because I know how frighening it can be to start new things that are personally risky. I look to the Apostles' willingness to follow you despite the potential risks. Lord, when you call me to do something in your name, grant me that same quality of trust and that same unquestioning willingness to go where you send me. How powerful you are! Thank you for providing all I will need whenever you send me out into the world. And thank you for the moments after your task is completed, when I am able to glimpse something of your kingdom in this world.


Today, I will take nothing with me as I go into this day, confident that God will provide everything I need--it is him who sends me, and so I will go.


Saint Agatha, virgin and martyr, patron of nurses, foundry workers, and against breast disease, pray for us.

February 4, 2015 - Wednesday

You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons:
“My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord
or lose heart when reproved by him;
for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines;
he scourges every son he acknowledges.” (Hebrews 12:5-6 NABRE)

In today's verse, the writer to the Hebrews reminds us that God helps us in our struggle against sin, but not always in the manner we expect. Like a parent who disciplines a child they love, the Lord sometimes corrects us in those areas of our lives where sinfulness is indulged.

We are called not to disdain his discipline or to lose heart when he reprimands us. Rather, we are told to endure these trials respectfully, as a discipline, so that we might benefit by them and share in the holiness of the Lord.


Today, I will seek to discern if trials that I face as possible correction from the Lord.


Saint Joan of Valois, who shows us how to deal gracefully with trials, pray for us.

February 3, 2015 - Tuesday

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)

So, how should we Christians look at our own suffering?

Here is some powerful advice* from the letter to the Hebrews which is difficult, but practical and possible:

• Reflect on Jesus' sufferings to obtain courage to continue your struggle, if necessary even to the shedding of blood (Heb 12:3–4).
• Regard your own suffering as the affectionate correction of the Lord, who loves you as a father loves his children.

I realize how harsh this may seem, especially the second recommendation, in the midst of real pain. But before ignoring it, remember the first recommendation!


Today, I will seek courage to face my struggles by remembering Jesus' suffering, and I will accept my suffering in the spirit of faith and with my eyes fixed on Jesus.


Saint Blase, 4th-century bishop, martyr, and patron saint of throat ailments, pray for us.

February 2, 2015 - Monday

Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. (Hebrews 2:18 NABRE)

The easiest thing to forget about Jesus is that he suffered far more completely than most of us ever will even in our most painful moments. Why does it matter? Because it is when we suffer that so many of us either get angry at God or decide there is no God.

And yet, look at the example of Jesus. Notice his reaction to the unendurable suffering he faced. Jesus looked to God and prayed. He offered his suffering for others. Even when he felt abandoned while on that cross, he did not get angry at God or lose faith.

Lord Jesus, you came to redeem us by your suffering. You understand my pain. Help me to remember your boundless love and mercy, especially in those moments when it seems to make more sense to blame you for my discomforts than to trust you. When I feel pain or loss or discomfort, lead me first to prayer, and prompt me by your Spirit to join my suffering with yours, no matter how large or small it is, for the benefit of others.


Today, on this Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, I will offer my suffering as a sacrifice for others who cannot pray for themselves.


Saint Simeon, in attendance at the Presentation of the Lord, pray for us.

February 1, 2015 - Sunday

Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
cry out to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with a song of praise,
joyfully sing out our psalms.
For the LORD is the great God,
the great king over all gods,
Whose hand holds the depths of the earth;
who owns the tops of the mountains.
The sea and dry land belong to God,
who made them, formed them by hand. (Psalm 95:1-5 NABRE)

Today, let's reflect with awe on the scope and scale of God's creation. What is great to us--mountains, the sea, all the dry lands of the earth, and even it's depths--are like tiny things to God. Our earth is just a small planet near a small star in an enormous galaxy in a seemingly endless universe.

Lord, thank you for this creation. Thank you for creating us, at least in our finite way, in your image. Thank you for our gift of awareness and knowledge so that we might grasp enough of your greatness to reflect with awe on your immortal perfection. And thank you for the gift of humility, so that we might not compare ourselves with you, but instead turn to you with our songs of joy!


Today, I will pray for all who sing joyfully to the Lord.


Saint Brigid of Kildare, patron of dairy workers, Ireland (along with Patrick and Columba), nuns and scholars, pray for us.