May 20, 2015 - Wednesday

I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
You know well that these very hands have served my needs and my companions.
In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:33-35 NABRE)

Saint Paul continues his goodbye speech to his Ephesian friends. In today's verse, he emphasizes his own labor as a means to support himself and to help others. The important point here is that, in addition to the work we know him for--his preaching, church planting, and writing--he worked with his hands as a tent maker to support himself and to help others in need. He encourages us by example to work hard to advance the interest of others.

Lord God, so many of us are so desperately in need of you. Today, lead me to someone who needs to hear about you, allow me the means and opportunity to help them see you present in their day, by my words and deeds.


Today, on this Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter, I will work hard, and when the opportunity presents itself, I will welcome the chance to help someone in need.


Saint Bernardine of Siena, holy man of action and contemplation, pray for us.

May 19, 2015 - Tuesday

Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20:24 NABRE)

As his missionary ministry drew to a close, Saint Paul knew he would never again see any of the people he had preached to, and he offered the elders in Ephesus some parting words. In a separate letter, which he wrote to Timothy--his travelling companion who had become administrator in Ephesus, "I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)

While it sounds extreme to the modern listener, we should realize it would also have been considered extreme in Paul's day. But Paul's perspective is simply one of crystal clarity. He has a singularity of purpose which is clear to him: to tell others about God's grace. This is our purpose too. Do we give it the same priority that Paul did?


Today, on this Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter, I will share my own story of God's grace in my life.


Saint Theophilus of Corte, who gave more and more singlehearted service to God and to God's sons and daughters as time went on, pray for us.

May 18, 2015 - Monday

If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. (Colossians 3:1-2 NABRE)

Saint Paul offers the faithful a strong reminder: Seek what is above. Do not think of what is on earth. Focus on the things of God, not the distractions of this world.

When we were baptized, we were, in a very real way, buried with Christ and then "raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12).

Today, on this Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter, I will continue to pursue what is good and perfect, and to dwell less on what is not.


Saint John I, sixth-century martyr whose life reminds us that all the faithful must be prepared to confess Christ before humanity and to follow him along the way of the cross, pray for us.

May 17, 2015 - Sunday

I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.
I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. (John 17:14-18 NABRE)

This portion of what has been called the "high priestly prayer" of Jesus (John 17), describes the Apostles as being hated by the world.* In it, Jesus asks God the Father to protect the Apostles from the evil one and to consecrate them in the truth, by which he specifically means God's Word. Jesus is asking the Father to deliver them from evil and to keep them pure by his word.

Whenever we feel the lure of this world, whenever we're attracted to something we know is not consistent with God's will, whenever we find ourselves in situations that compromise us, let us remember that God's own son prayed this prayer for us. He prayed for you and me, as much as for the Apostles. He knew the ways of the world and he knew the solution. Jesus points us to God's Word and so we should continue to read his Word every day, examining our choices in light of what we encounter in it. We should work hard to recognize the differences between real truth and what the world tells us is true.


Today, on the Seventh (and final) Sunday of Easter, I will celebrate the glory of Christ's resurrection and the power he gives us in his Spirit.


Saint Paschal Baylon, patron of shepherds who encourages us to, "Seek God above all things," , pray for us.

May 16, 2015 - Saturday

Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.
Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. (John 16:23b-24 NABRE)

Jesus continues his "goodbye" talk with the Apostles at the Last Supper. Notice several qualities of his way of speaking. First, it continues to be very direct. Second, it is predictive--Jesus describes what will happen in the future. Third, he talks about what the Apostles themselves will do--things which up until this point only Jesus had done; and they would do these things by asking God the Father for help in Jesus' name.

Lord, God, help me to discern your will in the day's events, to listen for your Spirit's whisper, and to desire to submit my will to your own. And Lord, when I see another in need, give me the grace to ask you for help, remembering to do it in Jesus' name. I know his is the name above all other names. I know that whatever I ask for in his name, if it is compatible with your will, that you will answer that request. And when you do answer, I ask that someone recognize the answer, even if it's not me, so that you are glorified by it.


Today, on this Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter, I will pray for discernment for myself and my family in the many moments of decision each day brings.


Saint Peregrine of Laziosi, patron of persons suffering from cancer, AIDS and other serious diseases, pray for us.

May 15, 2015 - Friday

When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.
So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. (John 16:21-22 NABRE)

At present, we still await the time of promise, when we will see Jesus and our hearts will rejoice without end. And the wait can be so difficult Jesus even described it as anguish. He knew the pains of this life and that he would soon be leaving his friends, and so he foretells their grief which will come before the joy of their reunion. And he points out that our joy will be so great we will actually forget the pains of this life!

Jesus understands our difficulties. He knows the pain of separation and grief. He knows what hunger feels like. Jesus remembers what humiliation was like. He experienced frustration and anger, sadness and loneliness. Just like we do.

Lord Jesus, thank you for promising us eternal joy in your company. Even though it is always something I hope for, this life can be torment in the many ways it turns my attention away from you. Because you became a man like me, you understand how I suffer at times and how difficult days can be. Please, shower me with your compassion and mercy so that in these times of great trial and distress I will not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit myself to your holy will, which is love and mercy itself. Jesus I trust in you.


Today, on this Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter, I will pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for all married couples, especially those celebrating an anniversary today, that they might never lose sight of the third partner in their marriage covenent, who is God himself.


Saint Isidore the Farmer, patron of farmers and laborers, pray for us.

May 14, 2015 - Thursday

So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs. (Mark 16:19-20 NABRE)

The Apostles were the first witnesses of Jesus Christ. We are his witnesses too. We are called by him, just as much as they were, to go out everywhere and tell others about him. But we are not left alone to accomplish this work, Jesus works with us through the Spirit which he gives us.

The Apostles were the first to have their witness confirmed by miraculous signs performed publically. We are his witnesses too, but the confirming signs we see are typically private revelations. Though we often share them with others, and though these signs are all around us, it is only by the Spirit within us that we recognize them.

Lord Jesus, thank you for sending me your Spirit so that I might share in your work and so I might recognize the signs of your presence among us. Lord, my God, give me the grace to surrender my will to your own so that I might serve you during this life and be with you in the next. Lord, give me the trust it takes to rely on you, to listen for your whispered voice, and to speak and act according to your purpose for my life.


Today, on this Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, I will pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for those souls who have no one else to pray for them.


Saint Matthias, Apostle, who received gladly the relationship with the Father offered him by Jesus and completed by the Holy Spirit, pray for us.

May 13, 2015 - Wednesday

Since therefore we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
God has overlooked the times of ignorance, but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world with justice’ through a man he has appointed, and he has provided confirmation for all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:29-31 NABRE)

These words of Saint Paul to the people in the Areopagus in Athens, in particular his talk of resurrection, caused some to scoff and others to believe. Isn't it just the same today? Something in our nature makes us doubt what is true regardless of the evidence presented. We have a difficult time trusting evidence that challenges us, or the source of it.

God understands our nature and asks us to take what we'd call a leap of faith. Once we do, the confirmation of Jesus' resurrection becomes the centerpiece of many demonstrations of God's real presence in our world. Some demonstrations are recounted for us in the Bible. But for us, who are called to believe without seeing, personal confirmations become visible to us in our own lives.

When we talk of "blessings" or "being blessed" we are recognizing, however indirectly, that God is in control. If we can hold to this basic truth of God and open our heart to the idea of service to others, we can hear his Word as a believer rather than a scoffer.


Today, on this Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter, I will pray for trust in Jesus, for world peace, and for an end to the many injustices done each day in the name of God.


Our Lady of Fatima, who called believers to pray for peace, for sinners, and for conversions, pray for us.

May 12, 2015 - Tuesday

But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:
sin, because they do not believe in me;
righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me;
condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. (John 16:7-11 NABRE)

Jesus continues his instruction at the Last Supper and his description in today's verse of the Advocate--the Holy Spirit who was to come, gives us an understanding of what his purpose was to be. He leads believers to see:

• That the basic sin was and is refusal to believe in Jesus;
• That, although Jesus was found guilty and apparently died in disgrace, in reality righteousness has triumphed, for Jesus has returned to his Father;
• That it is the ruler of this world, Satan, who has been condemned through Jesus’ death (John 12:32).* 

Lord Jesus, thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to me. May he lead me along the path of my life, safely through all its dangers and snares, so that I might one day be with you in heaven.


Today, on this Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter, I will gratefully thank the Lord for sending his Holy Spirit to each person who believes.


Saint Pancras, third-century martyr for Christ, pray for us.

May 11, 2015 - Monday

When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth that proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me.
And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning. (John 15:26-27 NABRE)

Jesus continues with very specific language here at the Last Supper. He directs the Apostles to testify about him to others. Jesus first reminds them that he will be sending them another Advocate like himself but in Spirit, from the Father. This Advocate will testify about Jesus--to the truth of who he was and what he came to do, but they too were to tell others about Jesus.

Lord Jesus, you established your Church here on earth so that all people might come to relationship with you. Thank you for seeking relationship with me, and for sharing the Spirit of truth so that I might come to know you in this life and to help others do the same. I testify to my experience with you through your Spirit, not only to find my way to you in the next life, but also to keep your Kingdom growing in this life.


Today, on this Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter, I will listen in my heart for the testimony of the Spirit of truth.


Saint Ignatius of Laconi, whose life teaches us much about keeping a holy attitude toward work, money and service, pray for us.

May 10, 2015 - Sunday

Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. (Acts 10:34-35 NABRE)

God shows no partiality. So why do men? Why is it that we so often judge others to be inadequate? Who are we but clay in God's hands, foolish to think we can judge other bits of clay on behalf of the potter!

Let us remember that God accepts whoever respects him and acts honorably. We are called to share the good new, not the judgment, of God.

Lord, I think mothers know best what Saint Peter preaches in today's verse because they accept and love their children regardless of their differences. Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful examples of our own mothers, who give us powerful examples of acceptance and impartiality. Thank you, Lord, for this real vision of how your love, so beyond even that of a mother, accepts each of us despite our lost lives and hurting hearts. Lord, help me to see you in all people, help me to see what makes us alike, help me to overlook what makes us different so that I will not judge others but rather love them because you love them.


Today, on this Sixth Sunday of Easter, which is also Mother's Day, I will remember the love my mother gave me.


Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Saint Monica, patron of mothers, pray for us.
Saint John of Avila, 16th-century Church reformer, pray for us.

May 9, 2015 - Saturday

If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. (John 15:18-19 NABRE)

Hate is a such a strong term! It is set up here as the active expression of love's opposite. We don't like it today, and it was clearly no different in Jesus' day. During the Last Supper narrative in John's gospel, using such frankness, Jesus explains to his friends who he is and what it will mean to follow him.

Today's verse is troubling mostly because it goes against our natural desire to fit in. It is counter to our most basic urge to belong and to feel loved. So, to accept what he says and to choose to follow him, is an act of courage and faith. To continue to express one's faith as the hatred of the world expresses itself toward the believer can be difficult, and prayer is the only anchor we have.

Go to prayer each day. Make each moment a prayer of thanksgiving. Build this habit. Make it part of your very nature. Remake yourself in prayer. Any prayer. A word. A thought. A breath. Do it a few minutes each day, and add to it. Before you know it, you will have become prayer-full. And the Lord does not leave his own. Each time we trust the Lord, he fills us with all we fear to lose--with the love and belonging we needed all along.


Today, on this Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter, I will gratefully embrace the confirming discomfort I feel when I don't seem to fit in with others around me who belong to the world.


Saint Catherine of Bologna, patron of artists, pray for us.

May 8, 2015 - Friday

My heart is steadfast, God,
my heart is steadfast.
I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, my soul;
awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn.
I will praise you among the peoples, Lord;
I will chant your praise among the nations. (Psalm 57:8-10 NABRE)

I admire the confidence here. When the chips are down, do we remain steadfast? When threats are all around us, do we boldly sing praise to God? More than that, do we sing loudly enough to wake up a new day? If not, well, why not?

If we have faith, truly have faith, our circumstances should not direct our hearts. This has always been true. Remember Saint Paul's exhortation to the Thessalonians which was made ten centuries later:

Rejoice always.
Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. (5:16-18)

Today, on this Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter, I will rejoice and praise my God proudly regardless of my day's circumstances!


Saint Peter of Tarentaise, 12th-century monk, bishop and reformer who reached out to the poor, pray for us.

May 7, 2015 - Thursday

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 NABRE)

In today's verse, James encourages me to consider the trials I am facing right now as all joy! It seems absurd, but he defends the idea when he reminds me that tests of my faith produce perseverance and lead to spiritual maturity, which he calls perfection.

My wife and I have, through the years, laughingly debated the opposing merits of "thinking" versus "doing." I on the more contemplative side of the debate typically extol the virtues of reflection and intellectual engagement. She on the more active side, prefers not even bothering to debate, but instead getting on with producing results. Well, James, writer of today's passage was clearly a man of action. Yet his words, for all their intense vigor, reflect a truly deep and penetrating understanding of Christ's teaching as it affects each of us personally.

If you haven't read the short letter of James, why not read it now..or some time today! It is energizing, engaging, challenging, direct, and loaded with personality. Take action, then allow yourself some time for reflection...it's a pattern that's always worked for my wife and me!

Today, on this Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter, I will pray for friends I don't see often, that the needs and intentions of their hearts will be met, and that they will find all joy.


Saint Rose Venerini, whose life reminds us that all we are is meant to be put to service wherever we find ourselves, pray for us.

May 6, 2015 - Wednesday

But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Mosaic law.” (Acts 15, 6 NABRE)

Even believers disagree, and whenever that happens someone usually ends up being wrong. Even among the very first believers--those who knew and heard Jesus and who were the first to build Church, among whom we might expect a relative consensus, there was disagreement over new issues that arose.

The Church today is no different. Although we seek to live our faith in a very different world than the one Jesus knew, and though the issues we confront, especially with regard to aspects of family life, are different than in his day, causing at times even among the faithful bitter disagreements that we must work through, we still do as they did! We look for answers, but we know that finding true answers depends on our seeking guidance by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, not long after you left this earthly place, you sent us your holy Spirit who remains with us even today. Thank you for sharing this part of yourself with me and your Church, Lord, so that we might prayerfully discern your will in all circumstances, great and small. Help us, Lord, to hear the whispers of your Spirit which point us to true wisdom and understanding. Help us to defend and bring forth your truth to others, speaking with strength and compassion. Help our leaders, Pope Francis and all who shepherd us, to remain open to your Spirit, seeking only to serve the King of kings as they serve others.


Today, on this Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter, I will listen for the whisper of God's Spirit in my heart so that I might grow in wisdom, understanding and compassion.


Saints Marian and James, third-century lector and deacon who were martyred for your faith, pray for us.

May 5, 2015 - Tuesday

The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you. (John 14:26 NABRE)

At the Last Supper, Jesus continues to explain what will happen to the Apostles in very direct language. This promise and prediction must have been particularly confusing at the time. Trying to imagine myself hearing these words, I'd have assumed he was planning to send a lawyer to interpret the law for me--or the equivalent in those days!

Though they could not have known what was coming, or how this holy Spirit of God whom Jesus refers to as the Spirit of truth, would change them in a few short weeks, they no doubt had an uneasy and confusing sense of doom and hope growing within them. Jesus was, after all, explaining what was to happen to him and to them beginning that night.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of your holy Spirit of truth. Even though we only know stories of you, like those of a relative who lived before we were born, we experience your Spirit in our lives just as you did! Help me to listen to his guiding wisdom, and to trust what I hear. Help me to remain strong in prayer so that I am not misled by false guidance intended to turn my heart from you. Thank you for encountering me in this day, Lord, may all I do today bring you glory!


Today, on this Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter, I will listen prayerfully for the holy Spirit's teaching and reminders.

Saint Hilary of Arles, who gave of his time and talent as a bishop, pray for us.

May 4, 2015 - Monday

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27 NABRE)

At the Last Supper, knowing full well he was about to be arrested, humiliated, scourged, beaten, nailed to a tree, and die, Jesus spoke of peace. How curious is that? A short while later, he even added, "I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world." (16:33) Jesus doesn't deny that we will struggle and suffer. But he reminds us to trust in him, to look beyond this present suffering, and to know the peace that he promises you and me.

Lord Jesus, what confidence you had as you walked toward such horror! What peace you must have felt though you were sad and afraid. Jesus, you are my peace, just as Saint Paul writes (Ephesians 2:14-18). Through you I have access to the Holy Spirit. Through you I am reconciled to the Father. Help me to join my suffering and trials today to yours on the cross. Give me the grace to offer my pain as alms for someone in greater need of your mercy. Thank you for your compassion. Intercede for me with the Father that this present suffering may end, or at least that I may come to know it as a means to my closer union with you.


Today, on this Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter, I will remember that peace comes when I trust in Jesus.


Blessed Michael Giedroyc, who achieved holiness despite a life of physical pain and mental torment, pray for us.

May 3, 2015 - Sunday

Beloved, if [our] hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God
and receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit that he gave us. (1 John 3:21-24 NABRE)

Living a life of faith in Jesus and of Christian love assures us of abiding in God no matter what our feelings may at times tell us. Our obedience gives us confidence in prayer and trust in God’s judgment. This obedience includes our belief in Christ and love for one another.*

Lord, lead my by your Spirit so that I am not distracted from your commandments by my feelings in times of challenge or difficulty. Give me the confidence in prayer and trust in your judgment that comes with my obedience to your commands.


Today, on this fifth Sunday of Easter, I will keep the Lord's commands hoping to grow in confidence and trust that we remain in each other.


Saints Philip & James, two of Jesus' apostles, pray for us.

May 2, 2015 - Saturday

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.
Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.
And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it. (John 14:10-14 NABRE)

Jesus, at the Last Supper, taught with some of his most direct language. Out of time, and surrounded by just his closest friends, he did not use parables but spoke directly so they would understand without question who he was, why he came, and what he expected them to do once he was gone.

Jesus describes his relationship with the Father so they will believe. And he points out that his works, signs, and miracles are further evidence that should convince them of the truth of his claim.

Jesus explains to his followers that they will continue his work with the same power he demonstrated whenever they ask for the Father's help in Jesus' name.

Lord Jesus, I ask for the Father's help in your name so that I may continue your work in my day. Led by your Holy Spirit, I seek wisdom and discernment so that I might recognize your work and distinguish it from anything that would turn me away from you. Thank you for your help and companionship.


Today, I will seek one quiet minute each hour to notice and thank God for his presence in my situation.


Saint Athanasius, whose life reminds us of our own call to remain true to our faith, no matter what, pray for us.

May 1, 2015 - Friday

But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are [now] his witnesses before the people. We ourselves are proclaiming this good news to you that what God promised our ancestors he has brought to fulfillment for us, (their) children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my son; this day I have begotten you.’ (Acts 13:30-33 NABRE)

Luke's book of the Acts of the Apostles, recounts for us these words of Saint Paul's which he spoke to fellow Jews in Antioch in Pisidia some time after Jesus' Ascension. He was, of course, speaking to them about Jesus a carpenter from Nazareth, and I appreciate very much his clear, simple articulation of the continuity between what his Jewish brothers knew about their expected Messiah and the new message about this Jesus who was God's son.

It is a phenomenon about which I have to work constantly to maintain even my limited understanding: The one true God, who chose and established a special covenant relationship with this people thousands of years before, sent his only son to become a man, to live among us, to complete a mission of restoring a broken relationship between himself and all of mankind, and to begin establishing God's Kingdom here on earth.

Lord God, thank you for this creation and for the great gift of being made in your image. Thank you for the unreachable thought that you desire to be close to me. Thank you for the talents you have given me. Show me new ways to use them for your glory. And thank you for the joy, and the peace, and the mercy, and the love you constantly pour on me.


Today, on this Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter, I will look for the many connections between my day's events and the life of Jesus.


Saint Joseph the Worker, who trained Jesus in both the satisfactions and the drudgery of carpentry, pray for us.