Tag: Love

Today we celebrate the World Day of the Sick and the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. May all who are suffering find consolation and strength through our prayers, and the prayers of the Blessed Mother.

The theme is “Hope Does Not Disappoint” inspired by St. Paul in Romans 5:5. It is a prayer for God’s healing presence in the world’s ailments. 

Our prayer today is grounded in reflection, and solidarity with those who are ill and their caregivers. We recognize the inherent dignity of every person, express commitment to providing support, love, and care to those in need and call upon individuals, communities, and institutions to extend a helping hand.

Our Lady of Lourdes, please 🙏🏻 pray for us!

Often when we think of the sin of pride, we think of someone (not ourselves), who constantly talks about how amazing they are. We are prideful whenever we seek to divorce ourselves from God, and rely solely on our own merits. Interestingly, we can be prideful when we refuse the gifts God has given us and simply do nothing with them.

St. Francis de Sales points this out in his Introduction to the Devout Life:

God’s Will is that we should be perfect, uniting ourselves to Him, and imitating Him to the utmost of our powers. The proud man who trusts in himself may well undertake nothing.

When we refuse to do God’s will in our lives, or refuse to preach the Gospel in any way, we are being prideful.

We are trusting more in ourselves than in God.

Left to ourselves, we cannot do anything and it is only through God’s grace can we accomplish anything on this earth. When we humble ourselves is when we are strong.

We certainly may be a sinful vessel, but God still can use us if we let him. God may not be calling us to preach on the street corners, or to become a priest or nun, but we can bring Christ to everyone we meet. The key is to do something, letting God use us however he wishes.

Lord please use me as an instrument of your peace today and do your will. Amen

The process of discovering another person in a relationship is endless. This discovering and rediscovering of each other is intimacy. We long for intimacy.

Relationships are not a task to be finished so you can move on to the next task. Being in relationship is a process to be enjoyed and is the life work of our hearts. This is true in our relationship with God.

What words are in your heart today yearning to be heard by your Creator, Comforter, Healer, Savior?

“When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard more than the proceedings from the mouth.”— St. Bonaventure

What fruit are you growing: Prayer, faith, love, service, peace? We are known by how we live our life!

As we read the story of our salvation history in the bible, we see that Israel discovered God had only one motivation, to show gratuitous love. He loved His people so much that He gave his only Son and gave us an everlasting love. But do you believe the words of St John that God IS love?

God’s very being is love. By sending his only Son and the Spirit of Love in the fullness of time, God has revealed his innermost secret: God himself is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange. (CCC 221)

And to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God’s should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:9-12)

Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying a burdened I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me, get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t let anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. (Matthew 11:27, The Message)

Here I am, Lord. I come to seek your presence. I long for your healing power. Amen

Do you now possess the needed strength to perfectly accomplish such holy requirements?

To love our eternal King with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds and with all our strength?

We do not.

We are weak and inconsistent, and often buffeted by fear and pride and selfishness. But being impoverished and ill-equipped as we are, we will look to the grace of God and to the sanctifying work of the Spirit to accomplish his purposes in and through us this day, as we, in grateful response, seek to choose that which pleases him.

We open our hearts anew to you this morning, O Lord, that the love of the Father and the life of Christ and the breath of the Spirit would quicken within us a greater affection for your ways.

Work your will in us, Lord Christ.

From A Liturgy of the Hours: Daybreak, Every Moment Holy

Our Father’s greatest desire is that we love our eternal King with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and with all our strength.

And how would you show this love?

By remembering him at all times.

By cultivating thankfulness for his many blessings, and trusting his good providence

for the meeting of our needs.

By loving all whose lives intersect our own.

By choosing to serve rather than to be served, to be wounded rather than to wound, and by bearing patiently with the failings of others, extending the same kindness, mercy, and compassion that God in Christ has so graciously offered us.

We would also love him by serving with faithfulness and due passion in our various vocations, by delighting in all things he has created for our benefit and pleasure, and by caring well for all he has given us to steward.

O children of the Living God, you would do well to practice your love in these ways today!

From A Liturgy of the Hours: Daybreak, Every Moment Holy