June 30, 2016 - Thursday

The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The statutes of the LORD are true,
all of them just;
More desirable than gold,
than a hoard of purest gold,
Sweeter also than honey
or drippings from the comb. (Psalm 19:8-11 NABRE)

I have spent my "spiritual" years looking for ways to opt out of those rules I find challenging. I have been glad to follow certain rules because they were not difficult for me. And so, today's passage from Psalm 19 is a sharp reminder that I've probably spent pretty much all of my time foolishly!

Why would I try to avoid what is perfect, trustworthy, right, clear, pure, and true? Why wouldn't I want to experience deep refreshment of my soul or great wisdom? What point is there in trying to sidestep joy and enlightenment that is enduring and has been compared to pure gold and the sweetness of fresh honey?

Why indeed.


Today, I will respectfully recognize that if any of what the Lord calls me to is good and true, then all of it is good and true.


First Martyrs of the Church of Rome, pray for us.

June 29, 2016 - Wednesday

I sought the LORD, and he answered me,
delivered me from all my fears.
This poor one cried out and the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and he saves them. (Psalm 34:5,7-8 NABRE)

Those who seek to live as the Lord directs encounter challenges from this world. It is important work, but the Lord protects the one who follows him. We each play a role in bringing God's divine plan, his will, his kingdom, into being. May we trust in his protection as we cry out in our need.


Today, I will praise the Lord in each moment of my day.


Saints Peter and Paul, who encountered the risen Jesus, pray for us.

June 28, 2016 - Tuesday

He got into a boat and his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?” (Matthew 8:23-27 NABRE)

What sort of man is this? Jesus' disciples ask about their teacher after he demonstrated his remarkable power over nature. We have been told, since that day, what sort of man he is. His very existence is the common ground between man and God. There is no one like him.

But what sort of people are we? Are we terrified by the storms of life? Do we truly put our faith in the one who calmed the sea with just a word? We should strive to be people who turn to the Lord with confidence rather than fear. We should remember that Jesus is in the boat with us. We recall that he is great and we are small.


Today, I will trust confidently in the Lord.


Saint Irenaeus, bishop and martyr who had a deep and genuine concern for other people, pray for us.

June 27, 2016 - Monday

But to the wicked God says:
“Why do you recite my commandments
and profess my covenant with your mouth?
You hate discipline;
you cast my words behind you!
If you see a thief, you run with him;
with adulterers you throw in your lot.
You give your mouth free rein for evil;
you yoke your tongue to deceit.
You sit and speak against your brother,
slandering your mother’s son. (Psalm 50:16-20 NABRE)

Psalm 50 actually presents us with what we can think of as two aspects of God's personality: His merciful and his wrathful sides. For example, in the two verses just prior to today's passage, addressed to his people, he says:

Offer praise as your sacrifice to God;
fulfill your vows to the Most High.
Then call on me on the day of distress;
I will rescue you, and you shall honor me.” (Psalm 50:14-15)

The distinction is worth paying attention to. God recognizes those who make decisions to live their days following his guidance and adhering to his words. He also acknowledges, sadly no doubt, those who choose instead to follow their own counsel, ignoring God and harming others in whatever ways apply.


Today, I will offer praise to God and seek to fulfill my responsibilities to him.


Saint Cyril of Alexandria, who tells us that "the meeting ground between God and man is the flesh of Christ," pray for us.

June 26, 2016 - Sunday

For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.
For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. (Galatians 5:13-15 NABRE)

I admit it. I am frequently bothered by the phrase, you deserve it, even more annoyed by the phrase, I deserve it. It is a popular marketing myth used to sell products which has somehow pervaded our culture. It is an idea which has been thrust into the value system of too many people as a foundational truth despite it's misleading message.

It goes directly to the core of our "me" society and it reinforces our inclination to place ourselves first, before God and before others. The idea that I deserve something, while not entirely untrue, makes it acceptable and even palatable to set ourselves up as our own idols.

But, as Saint Paul points out in today's passage, the freedom which Christ provides us with is not intended to be an opportunity to indulge ourselves or to tear down others. No. Our freedom gives us the option to choose to express our love for one another through service. We are free to sacrifice on behalf of those who do not have all that we have. We have the opportunity to love our neighbors as much and in the same manner as we love ourselves, and to provide for them as we provide for ourselves.

May we never lose sight of what we truly deserve, or of the sacrifice Jesus made so that we would not have to face divine justice, but rather be embraced by divine mercy.


Today, I will remember that the freedom I've been given by Jesus is to serve others with love.


Blessed Raymond Lull, who worked most of your life to help spread the gospel, pray for us.

June 25, 2016 - Saturday

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him,
saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. (Matthew 8:5-8 NABRE)

How do we approach Jesus? When we pray, do we approach him with reverence and awe, or do we halfheartedly repeat words memorized by rote as a child? For many of us who have believed since childhood, it is our constant challenge and duty to approach Jesus in prayer as the centurion did in Capernaum.

This centurion was a soldier of the occupying army of Rome, probably in the service of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee.* He was a commander with substantial authority and many people answered to him. Yet the startling humility described as he approached this vagabond, itinerant carpenter--by whom it was said sick people were cured--can have only one explanation. Somehow he had come to realize that Jesus' words had power.*

When we read how the centurion approaches Jesus, there is much to admire, to imitate, and to learn from.


Today, I will approach Jesus, my Lord, with awe and reverence, certain about the power of his words.


Blessed Jutta of Thuringia, venerated for centuries as the special patron of Prussia, pray for us.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Centurion_2_Boulogne_Luc_Viatour.jpg

June 24, 2016 - Friday

So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. (Luke 1:62-66 NABRE)

When a baby is born, we start imagining what sort of adult he or she will become.

For the neighbors of John--who witnessed his elderly father, Zechariah (who had been made mute because he did not believe Gabriel's prediction of John's birth), lose and then be given back his speech--for them, this question was asked with fear because they realized, as a result of what had been done to Zechariah, that the hand of the Lord was with John.

They knew John was destined for something important.

The same can be said for each of us, for we all play a unique role in salvation history. The hand of the Lord is with each of us. And so, the question really becomes, how will we respond? Will we respond as John did, with courage and conviction? Or will we avoid a response out of fear, pride, greed, or some other worldly distraction?

Let each one of us embrace our important destiny by responding to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.


Today, on this Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, I will surrender myself to dependence on God to do with me as he wills.


Saint John the Baptist, whose example challenges us Christians to the fundamental attitude of Christianity—total dependence on the Father, in Christ, pray for us.

Source: http://www.catholic.org/

June 23, 2016 - Thursday

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21 NABRE)

As he describes true discipleship, Jesus broadens his attack on false prophets to include those disciples who perform works of healing and exorcism in his name, but live evil lives. He tells us that entrance into the kingdom is only for those who do the will of the Father. On Judgment Day, the morally corrupt prophets and miracle workers will be rejected by Jesus.*

Jesus goes further and applies his words to every Christian* when he says, “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand." (Matthew 7:24, 26)


Today, I will listen to Jesus' words and act on them with the desire to do God's will.


Saint John Fisher, whose example reminds us that, "The Church has the right, indeed the duty, to proclaim justice on the social, national and international level, and to denounce instances of injustice, when the fundamental rights of man and his very salvation demand it," pray for us.

June 22, 2016 - Wednesday

The king [of Judah, named Josiah,] then had all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem summoned before him.
The king went up to the house of the LORD with all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: priests, prophets, and all the people, great and small. He read aloud to them all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD.
The king stood by the column and made a covenant in the presence of the LORD to follow the LORD and to observe his commandments, statutes, and decrees with his whole heart and soul, and to re-establish the words of the covenant written in this book. And all the people stood by the covenant. (2 Kings 23:1-3 NABRE)

It takes a courageous leader to correct a bad situation, especially when it means risking public opinion. And yet, progress always brings risk. Sometimes our leaders forget that there can be a greater risk that comes with stagnation.

When King Josiah became aware that his people had not been following the Law, he became heartsick and led his people back to their covenant with the Lord.

Lord, I ask that you open to your will the hearts of our leaders. May they recognize the moral responsibility they bear to lead our nation with righteous character and conviction. And may those who influence public opinion recognize the important role they play in our progress as a nation and as a leader for good in the world community. And may we all find our way to you as we encounter the challenges of this life each day.


Today, I will pray for our elected and appointed officials at all levels of government.


Saint Thomas More, patron of attorneys, civil servants, court clerks, lawyers, politicians, and public servants, pray for us.

June 21, 2016 - Tuesday

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14 NABRE)

Jesus' words contrast two kinds of life within the Christian community, that of those who obey His words and that of those who do not.* Notice what might be a subtle issue here: There are many--even within the Christian community, the vast majority actually, who do not obey Jesus' words. This is more than challenging, it should frighten us enough to remain focused on the Word of God. We should work each day to walk along the road and through the gate that leads to eternal life. Like the athelete who works with a singular focus, whose every thought and action are designed to produce one outcome, we are wise if we work this way to keep the words of Jesus always in our thoughts.


Today, I will work to obey the word of Jesus.


Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, patron of youth and teenagers, pray for us.

June 20, 2016 - Monday

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. (Matthew 7:1-2 NABRE)

O Lord God, it seems impossible for us to do your will! You asked only one thing of Adam and Eve, yet they disobeyed. You asked the people of Israel to follow the law, yet they couldn't do that. You sent your only Son, Jesus, to fix our relationship with you and in our lifetime you're still asking us to listen to him and to put our faith in him, yet so many of us who hear of him turn away. 

Lord God, this life is difficult and our struggles and many temptations draw us away from you even when we choose to focus on you every day. And we get tired, so very tired of failing. We forget that you don't ask us to keep trying and failing! We forget that you ask us to trust in you, to remember that your strength is true strength.

For my part, Lord, I too often forget to thank you for the endless blessings in my life, or to offer my sufferings and setbacks for others as Jesus did. Too often, I forget to seek out new ways to live your will. 

O God, when will we remember to seek first your kingdom? Please enliven our hearts by your Spirit so that we will turn them back to you every day, acknowledge our difficulties and weaknesses when it comes to keeping focus on you, and act with all love and compassion for everyone we encounter each day simply because that's what you want us to do.


Today, I will pray, "Thank you, Jesus." at every empty mental moment during the day.


Saint Paulinus of Nola, whose life reminds us to stay devoted to Christ and his work throughout our entire life, pray for us.

June 19, 2016 - Sunday

Then [Jesus] said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. (Luke 9:23-24 NABRE)

This is so counter-intuitive. Of course I want to preserve my life! When we understand the promise of eternal life, we gain the desire for it and the motivation to do whatever needs to be done in order to gain it. And it is the "demands of daily Christian existence"* to which Jesus calls our attention.

But what did Jesus mean when he told his disciples to deny themselves? What did he mean when he said to take up their cross daily? What did he actually mean when he told them to follow him? What did he mean when he said they have to lose their lives for his sake? And what does that mean for us?

Jesus, like your disciples, you call me to join you in sacrificing for others. By doing this, I learn to deny my natural inclination, which is to put my personal needs, wants, and desires first and above all else. Instead, you call me to subjugate these to the needs of others. Jesus, you call me to maintain my conviction of faith even against the gravest of threats. By doing this, I come to the end of my own strength and encounter your Spirit. Jesus, I trust in you. 


Today, I will deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Jesus.


Saint Romuald, whose life reminds us to be totally open to God in our own particular circumstances, pray for us.

June 18, 2016 - Saturday

So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. (Matthew 6:31-33 NABRE)

Jesus describes those who worry too much as being "Of little faith."* Is our faith in him as deep as it should be, or are we anxious about the things of this world?

Lord Jesus, too often I fall victim to my own inclination to worry. Help me to be more like the birds of the sky which are unconcerned. The Father feeds them. Help me to be more like the grasses of the field which have no anxiety. The Father clothes them in beautiful flowers. Lord, by your Spirit free me from these concerns so that I might seek the Father's will first, and live as you lead me.


Today, I will put aside my temporal worries, remember that God knows all my needs, and depend on Him to meet them.


Venerable Matt Talbot, considered the patron of men and women struggling with alcoholism, pray for us.

June 17, 2016 - Friday

But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. (Matthew 6:21-22 NABRE)

Let me get brutally honest: I'm not always sure where I place my trust. Sometimes I rely on wealth accumulation, convinced that I will always need more. I become afraid that less money will somehow deprive me of the means to survive (or some such undefined worry)--as if that should be my first measure of where to place my trust! And I act based on my fear rather than my trust in God's provision.

Lord Jesus, let courage keep me from the fear of going without. Let me act first to promote the will of the Father. And let me store up treasures in heaven which can never be destroyed. I desire that my heart be perfectly aligned with yours. Lord Jesus, thank you for sharing your very Spirit with me. May I grow in fortitude sufficient to release me from my fear of poverty, so that I might overcome an excessive focus on worldly treasure and become increasingly generous instead.


Today, I will ask for the gift of fortitude in the face of my personal fear, which may allow a greater florishing of the fruit of the Spirit, generosity.


Saint Joseph Cafasso, patron of prisoners, pray for us.

June 16, 2016 - Thursday

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!”
The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:14-17 NABRE)

Christians, by reason of the Spirit’s presence within them, enjoy not only new life but also a new relationship to God, that of adopted children and heirs through Christ, whose sufferings and glory they share.*

Adoption is a heady and complex thing for a child. But at the bottom of it all, it should mean that someone loved the child enough to commit to being his parent, to becoming her family. And with family, children have mommies and daddies to turn to in their need. With family, there is history and inheritance. And in Jesus' family, there is suffering in this life and glory in the next.

Today, I will be grateful for my Abba, my Brother, and my entire family in Christ.


Saint John Francis Regis, whose faith and goodness touched others and brought them to deeper faith, pray for us.

June 15, 2016 - Wednesday

But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. (Matthew 6:6 NABRE)

And so here, in about the least secret place I can imagine, I pray, so that we can pray together, briefly, before continuing to pray privately through the day.

Lord, thank you for your many graces. You created me and sustain me in each moment. You, who are outside of all we can know, love me and desire my love in return. Lord, thank you for your many mercies. I fail you too often, the one who is deserving of all my love. I place my small and petty concerns ahead of your lofty will. Lord, thank you for your many blessings. Help me to recognize them each day. Help me to desire your will. Help me to love you with my whole being, showing it in the way I love others.


Today, I will call upon God's Spirit in praise, thanksgiving, and joy to be present to me and help me in each moment.


Saint Marguerite d'Youville, who shows that, with God's grace and our cooperation, suffering can lead to compassion rather than to bitterness, pray for us.

June 14, 2016 - Tuesday

“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)

There is no Old Testament commandment demanding hatred of one’s enemy, but the “neighbor” of the love commandment was understood as one’s fellow countryman. Jesus extends the love commandment to the enemy and the persecutor. His disciples, as children of God, must imitate the example of their Father, who grants his gifts of sun and rain to both the good and the bad.*

I do not have enemies and persecutors in my daily life. This is my first response to Jesus' direction. But if I dig a little below the surface of such strong words, perhaps there are some people who mock my faith and actively take steps to harm me by insults, however subtle or indirect, whether I am present or not at the time. And perhaps there are people in my own country who work tirelessly to remove my religious freedom from me, in ways I do not even understand.

Thank you, Jesus. You know all too well this type of persecution and you understand the loneliness and isolation which this faith can cause me. As thanks, I will love those who set themselves up against me because of my faith, and I will show my love by praying for them by name whenever I can. I will do this instead of allowing anger to rise within me or responding by retaliation. Thank you, Jesus, for showing me the true power of your way.


Today, I will look at the ways I should be showing love to my "enemies" and "persecutors."


Saint Albert Chmielowski, who became like a brother to the poor he served, pray for us.

June 13, 2016 - Monday

Give ear to my words, O LORD;
understand my sighing.
Attend to the sound of my cry,
my king and my God! (Psalm 5:2-3ab NABRE)

Imagine how desperate a powerful king like David would have to be to write a song like this, meant to be shared publicly during worship. The vulnerability it expresses is remarkable!

How often do we allow ourselves to be this vulnerable before God? How often do we insist on fixing problems and enduring hardships by our own strength rather than asking the Lord who will help us?


Today, I will ask the Lord to help me with my greatest need.


Saint Anthony of Padua, priest, Doctor of the Church, and patron of lost items, the poor, and travelers, pray for us.

June 12, 2016 - Sunday

Blessed is the one whose fault is removed,
whose sin is forgiven.
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no deceit.

Because I kept silent, my bones wasted away;
I groaned all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength withered as in dry summer heat.

Then I declared my sin to you;
my guilt I did not hide.
I said, “I confess my transgression to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.

Therefore every loyal person should pray to you
in time of distress.
Though flood waters threaten,
they will never reach him. (Psalm 32:1b-6 NABRE)

When we act contrary to God's will, we know it. How fast we are to turn around the guilt, to deny it is real or worth our attention, and even to laugh it off. But we know what is not right or good. And especially when we are responsible for doing, thinking, or saying what is wrong, we are too skilled at dodging our own need to repent, to step into light, to look into the mirror with both eyes open.

And before long we stop trying. We grow numb. We forget--mostly--that God is with us each moment, as near as our next breath, within.

And we forget he aches to reconnect with us. We grow callous and doubt he wants to bother with us anymore. We reduce our value in our own eyes to the worst of our poor choices, but God never does that. Never sees us as less than his children. We tell ourselves, "God could never forgive what I've done so I won't turn to him, I won't admit my human fault, I won't fall at his feet like King David and ask for his forgiveness and help...."

...Until we remember we can't do this alone. Until we remember our Lord who carries us at our most desperate moments. Until we risk the shame....

...And God answers in love.


Today, I will pray in the face of my distress, admitting my own guilt to the Lord seeking his pardon.


Blessed Jolenta (Yolanda) of Poland, who used material means to assist the poor, the sick, widows, and orphans, pray for us.

June 11, 2016 - Saturday

Again you have heard that it was said to your ancestors, "Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow."
But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.
Let your "Yes" mean "Yes," and your "No" mean "No." Anything more is from the evil one. (Matthew 5:33-37 NABRE)

Oath-taking presupposes a sinful weakness of the human race, namely, the tendency to lie. Jesus demands of his disciples a truthfulness that makes oaths unnecessary.*


Today, on this Memorial of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, I will seek to be simply honest.


Saint Barnabas, who was a member of the original Christian community of believers which was of one heart and mind, pray for us.

June 10, 2016 - Friday

Hear my voice, LORD, when I call;
have mercy on me and answer me.
“Come,” says my heart, “seek his face”;
your face, LORD, do I seek!
Do not hide your face from me;
do not repel your servant in anger.
You are my salvation; do not cast me off;
do not forsake me, God my savior!
Even if my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will take me in. (Psalm 27:7-10 NABRE)

Read how King David pleads with God! He knows he desperately needs God's help in times of trouble. And he asks for it.

Notice David's total confidence in God! He understands that the Lord is more reliable than his own parents. And he sings of his trust in God.


Today, I will ask boldly for God's help and I will expect confidently his response.


Blessed Joachima, known and admired for your high degree of prayer, deep trust in God, and selfless charity, pray for us.

June 9, 2016 - Thursday

I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35 NABRE)

Interestingly, this commandment was not actually new. The book of Leviticus--said to have been written by Moses--states, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." (Leviticus 19:18b) And so, by repeating and and adjusting the command of the Law, Jesus puts himself on a par with Yahweh.*

The context of today's passage is itself powerful. Pronounced during the Last Supper between the predictions of Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial, this love of one another (even to death on a cross, as it turns out) becomes the sign to others of Christian discipleship.

And so, let us love our fellow believers. Let us show our love. Let us not show contempt or judgment toward each other, but only acceptance and encouragement. Let us remember Jesus' teaching about those who do surprising things in His name: “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.” (Luke 9:50)


Today, I will accept and encourage fellow believers, and I will dismiss any notions of contempt or judgment of them which may well up within me.


Saint Ephrem, poet, teacher, orator, defender of the faith, and the only Syrian recognized as a doctor of the Church, pray for us.

June 8, 2016 - Wednesday

Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you straddle the issue? If the LORD is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him. (1 Kings 18:21 NABRE)

Elijah was a prophet who lived about 900 years before Jesus, during the reign of King Ahab.* His challenge to the people of Israel--who at the time seem to have accepted belief in a Canaanite god named Baal in addition to belief in God--reaches across the millennia and convicts my heart.

The people of Israel, the chosen people of the one true God, had come to accommodate the culture around them. And in doing so, they went too far by putting some of their faith in a false god. They began to trust a man-made god to meet their needs.

How often do I do the same? And who or what gods do I make for myself? Do I put my trust in my own abilities? Doesn't that set me up as a god? Do I have faith in money or power as a means to what I want or need? Doesn't that trickle away from the trust I profess to have in the Lord's provision?


Today, I will consider in what ways I can trust the Lord more completely, and remove any false idols from my life.


Saint William of York, who did not show resentment after so many turned on you, pray for us.

Source: http://catholicsaints.info/elijah-the-prophet/

June 7, 2016 - Tuesday

You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:13-16 NABRE)

The similes of salt and light are used by Jesus during his Sermon on the Mount.

By their deeds the disciples are to influence the world for good. They can no more escape notice than a city set on a mountain. If they fail in good works, they are as useless as flavorless salt or as a lamp whose light is concealed.*


Today, I will pray that my good deeds will glorify God the Father before others.


Servant of God Joseph Perez, martyred for your faith on June 2, 1928, just eighty-eight years ago, pray for us.

June 6, 2016 - Monday

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4 NABRE)

The Beatitudes are a series of blessings Jesus pronounced as part of what we know as his Sermon on the Mount. Today's verse is the second beatitude.

It is good to remember that the Lord understands our suffering because he experienced it personally. I can imagine Jesus' anguish at the loss of Joseph, his earthly father who raised him, taught him, and loved him as his own son.


Today, I will pray for all those suffering the loss of a loved one.


Saint Norbert, remembered for your unswerving loyalty to the Church and fervent devotion to the Eucharist, pray for us.

June 5, 2016 - Sunday

They glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.” (Luke 7:16b NABRE)

Jesus performed many miracles during his brief few years of ministry, but none more compelling as signs of his divinity than those few occasions when he willingly demonstrated his power over death itself. Today's passage describes the frightened crowd's response to such a moment when Jesus raised a widow's son from the dead, publicly, as the man was being carried out of the city for burial.

Death has no hold over the faithful. The power of Jesus overwhelms even the finality of life's greatest mystery. When we breathe our last, we are able to do so peacefully and in joy, certain of the eternal welcome awaiting us just beyond that moment.

May we live each moment joyfully aware of the brevity of this life and the eternity of the next.


Today, I will pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the souls of the faithfully departed.


Saint Boniface, patron of Germany who knew that to follow Christ is to follow the way of the cross, pray for us.

June 4, 2016 - Saturday

For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.
But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:3-5 NABRE)

In such a political season as this--when inflammatory rhetoric distracts from substance and self-serving lies replace leadership for the common good, today's passage reminds me that I "have a lifelong obligation to form [my] conscience in accord with human reason, enlightened by the teaching of Christ as it comes to us through the Church."*

In a very practical way, I need to begin to consider which Presidential candidate I will vote for in November. But where to begin? The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published a helpful page on forming conscience for faithful citizenship. This page has links to several helpful documents including one entitled Making Moral Choices and Applying Our Principles.

Bluntly, it is my civic and social obligation to see through the myths and find a way to vote based on principle.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I am called to keep focused on God's truth, to reflect on sound doctrine, and to apply my faithful understanding of these to my civic involvement.

I did a web search of "catholic voter guide 2016" (which I hoped would return lists of issues important to my faith along with the various candidate positions on each issue). The search returned some interesting results.

Finally, here is a list of top issues for Catholic voters to consider. I hope these references will help you prayerfully and thoughtfully consider your voting choices during the coming months.


Today, on this Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I will pray for peace in our country and in this world.


Blessed Angeline of Marsciano, founder of the first community of Franciscan women, other than Poor Clares, to receive papal approval, pray for us.

June 3, 2016 - Friday

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them he addressed this parable.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost oned until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. (Luke 15:1-7 NABRE)

Jesus welcomed sinners. He sought them out to have dinner with them. He finds us in our sinfulness. He seeks us out to bring us back into his company, to share a meal with us, to have a relationship with us.

And all of heaven celebrates when even one sinner turns back to Jesus. All of heaven is filled with joy when we accompany Jesus back, leave behind our distractions and chains, seek his friendship and protection.

Let us seek a few minutes of silence today. If you can, stop in a quiet place for just two minutes. And when you do, pray simply that God would bless you with a glancing awareness of his presence. Expect it. Be grateful for it. Accept it.


Today, on this Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I will pray for those whose faith is being tried today and for those who have given in to spiritual discouragement.


Saints Charles Lwanga and Companions, martyrs who remind us that when we remain courageous and unshakable in our faith during times of great moral and physical temptation, we live as Christ lived, pray for us.

June 2, 2016 - Thursday

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)

Psalm 25 is a song of praise and trust in the Lord. In it King David begins by saying, "To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul, my God, in you I trust." (Psalm 25:1-2a)

Lord God, I thank you for this day, for creating me to experience it and to be a part of it, and for the opportunity, like David, to know you. What a wonderful way to begin this day, in your presence. Stay with me throughout this day, as I encounter others who may not know you or who may have turned their hearts away from you, so that I might reflect your great love, compassion, and mercy as an encouragement in faith to them. Jesus, I trust in you.


Today, I will call upon the Spirit of God to guide me and teach me.


Saints Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs who gave the supreme witness of faith and charity by the shedding of your blood, and who are quite closely joined with us in Christ, pray for us.

June 1, 2016 - Wednesday

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 NABRE)

Lord Jesus, I believe this. I believe that you are the one path to eternal life and the one who also gives me all I need for this temporal life. As in today's passage, as you spoke to Martha, your close friend, telling her this just before raising her brother, Lazarus, from the dead as a sign, she responded, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” And her faith was not disappointed. I recognize that you are the same today, Jesus, and I thank you. I know you are the one who came to save us and to shepherd us into everlasting life. Jesus, I trust in you. Lead me along the path you set for me so that I might have eternal life with you.


Today, I will remember to trust in my Lord.


Saint Justin, known as the first Christian philosopher, and an apologist who defended in writing the Christian religion against attacks and misunderstandings, and who was martyred in Rome in 165 for your faith, pray for us.