His Plans for Us 

   “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29: 11 – 13) 

   The more I reflect on God and the world today the more I understand that He cannot be understood.  I don’t know why some people suffer and others do not.  I can’t grasp why some of the most evil people succeed in life while others who are full of piety and faith do not.

   The answer is also not understandable; God’s plans do not conform to earthly standards.  He does not see the world as I do, one day, one minute at a time.  For God it is all one mosaic, a creation of His own design.  It’s not up to me to determine why things are the way the are but to believe that God is in charge.

   I look at the passion and crucifixion of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Why was it necessary?  Could He not have been accepted by the Israelites and recognized as the awaited Messiah?  Of course, but that was not the plan of salvation.  It was necessary that our sins be expiated.  Because of our sinfulness we are unable to atone, so Jesus paid the price for us.  Out of arguably the greatest evil ever committed came salvation.

   I’ve given up trying to understand all that is happening in the world, instead placing it in God’s hands.  To do otherwise is of no use and only brings frustration and disappointment.  I must, as God has said, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Ps 46: 10). 

Your plans are perfect

Though I don’t understand.

I trust in the wonder of You.

I trust in You. 

Amen

 Trust in God 

   At a parish I attended several years ago I saw what I believe was the perfect example of how we are to approach God.  After Mass the priest would always be in the vestibule to greet people as they left.  There were two little girls, probably 3 or 4 years old, who would come running toward him and leap into his arms from a couple of feet away.  He would catch them and give them a big hug.  You could see the joy and love in the faces all three of them.

   I think this is the way we are to approach our Lord.  Run toward Him and throw ourselves at Him in full confidence of His love for us.  He will never drop us or let us fall when we trust in Him.  Just as a small child instinctively trusts his or her parents, we must trust in Jesus.  I think this is, at least in part, what He meant when He said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt 18: 3).

   Regardless the circumstances we must trust in Him.  In our humanity we can’t begin to understand the ways of God.  All we can do is recognize that He is God, we are not, and trust.  In this world there are many questions.  In the next they will be answered.

   Lent is a perfect time to consider one’s relationship with the Lord.  Do we have the trust to run to Him and throw ourselves into His arms?  Are we confident that He will catch us and take us to Himself?  Do we trust Him with a childlike trust, convinced that no matter the circumstances, He is there for us? 

Lord increase my trust.

In joy and happiness,

In pain and sorrow.

May I have complete trust in You. 

Amen

 A Lenten Prayer 

Lent is a time for prayer.

A time to search my heart.

What needs to change?

What needs to increase?

 

Let me change my heart.

Take away anything that is not of You.

Fill my heart with Your Spirit.

That I may grow in faith and love.

 

Increase my faith Lord.

Help me trust more.

Increase my love.

Let me love as You love.

 

As Lent continues,

Let me focus on Jesus.

Always giving praise to my Savior.

For the salvation He has given me.

 

When this Lenten season ends,

Let me glory in His resurrection.

Giving Him all praise and thanksgiving.

Giving Him myself in love.

.

 

Amen

 Forsaking All 

   "Forsake all, and you will find all; relinquish all desire, and you will find rest.”  (Thomas á Kempis “The Imitation of Christ”) 

   Giving all to God goes against virtually everything we are taught in our selfish society.  We have effectively reversed the famed slogan of the Three Musketeers, “all for one and one for all”.  Rather our slogan is “all for me, the rest can fend for themselves”.  This attitude creates greed, envy and hatred.  We no are no longer thankful for the many blessings of God, but angry that another might appear to have greater blessings. 

   If we forsake all for Christ as He forsake all for us, we will find greater blessings, both earthly and spiritually than we can imagine.  If our only desire is to live in the will of God, following His path for us He will give us peace.  It’s not a great secret, it’s certainly not impossible though it is difficult.  We must learn to live St. Paul’s way of life, “I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;” (Gal 2: 19 – 20).

   In this Lenten season we need to consider what, if anything, remains between us and God.  It could be the grudge against that family member who we feel has wronged us.  Maybe we put too much importance in our earthly comfort and pleasures.  Or maybe we are lukewarm in our spiritual life; a tepid faith life tells God He is not our priority.  Whatever it may be, we need to forsake it and allow God to become everything within us.

   The Son of God willingly forsake everything for us; what are we willing to forsake for Him? 

We want so much.

So much that is of no importance.

Help us to desire only You.

To give all to You, to live in Your will. 

Amen

 

Follow Me 

   “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.  ‘Follow me.’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.” (Matt 9: 9) 

   A simple request, “Follow me.”  No details, no information about where they might be going, just come with me.  And Matthew the tax collector, got up, changed his life, and followed Him.

   Jesus called sinners and they followed.  He called the common people, and they followed.  Those who should have readily followed, those of the religious elite, refused.  They rejected Him because He was not the Messiah they wanted, one who would take revenge on the Romans and restore the kingdom of Israel.  Jesus would instead establish the kingdom of God.

   He still calls the sinners and the common people today.  He called me and He calls you to come and follow Him.  He gives no details of what following Him might bring except that once this life is over we will share with Him the kingdom God has prepared for believers.

   Matthew had a choice to make.  We have the same choice, to follow or to ignore.  Choices have consequences; this one more than any other.  Will we place our trust in the Lord and follow or reject Him?  Each of us must make our own choice.  

   I choose to follow Christ.  I recognize that I often fail to follow properly; sinfulness is a part of humanity.  But I know that God is a forgiving God who knows how imperfect I am but loves me anyway.  He forgives my failings when I come to Him in sorrow for my sins and repent. 

You called Matthew to follow You.

You call each of us to also follow.

Fill us with Your Holy Spirit.

Help us respond to Your call and follow. 

Amen

The Way of the Cross 

   Lent is a time to reflect upon our Lord and the great sacrifice He has made for us; to consider all He has done and to give Him thanks and glory.

   One of the most meaningful ways to reflect on the passion and death of our Lord is the Stations of the Cross (Via Dolorosa).  It memorializes the path Jesus took on His way to Calvary, from the time He was condemned to death, to the carrying of His cross through the streets of Jerusalem on His way to Golgotha, ending with His crucifixion, death, and placement in the tomb.

   Catholic Churches all over the world will be walking the Stations of the Cross in their parishes to reflect on His passion.  Parishioners will pause at each of the 14 stations, pray, and silently reflect on each step of the way to the cross.  If you’ve never done so, I encourage joining in this holy procession.

   In the Holy Lands, the way of the cross is walked by pilgrims and tourists on the same streets and ways that our Lord walked on His way to Calvary.  I may never have the opportunity to walk in the Holy Land, but I can walk with Him in my heart and mind in the silence of my home.  I can silently reflect on His passion, giving thanks and glory to my Savior.

   For me so much of Lent is best celebrated in silent reflection.  In my heart I can join Him on His final walk.  I can place myself in the events, perhaps seeing myself as Simon of Cyrene, helping Him carry His cross.  I can stand with the Blessed Mother, Mary of Magdala, and St. John at the foot of His cross as He asked the Father to forgive even those who were putting Him to death.

   After this forty days we will rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord on Easter Sunday.  Until then, let’s silently and solemnly consider the pain and suffering He endured for us and offer Him our Lenten sacrifice of love. 

During Lent we sacrifice.

We offer ourselves to You.

Let us walk with You.

In life, in death, and in eternity. 

Amen 

 Changing the World

 

   “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.” (St. Mother Teresa, “Do Something Beautiful for God”) 

   I’ve often written of the fact neither I, nor anyone else, can do very much to change the world.  But, like Saint Mother Teresa, we can certainly cast stones into the water to create ripples.  I believe if enough stones are cast we can create a tsunami of faith and love to overcome the evil in the world.

   We won’t change things by complaining or belittling those who disagree with us.  Even when they attack us and our faith, we are to love them just as Jesus commanded.  It is not in retaliation or vengeance that we can make change but only in our love, even for our enemies.

   Jesus told us, “This is how all will know you are my disciples , if you have love for one another.” (John 13: 35).  Love is compassion and forgiveness, not name-calling and hatred.  As hard as it can be to follow these words, I believe it is the only way to change the world.

   If you doubt that love is the way, you need to re-read the gospel accounts of Jesus’ passion and death.  Out of pure love He chose to die for us so that we might overcome death; to rise for us as so that we might know that we too will rise again; to ascend into heaven, promising to come back and take us Himself.

   “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matt 28: 20).  If we place our hope in this promise and love one another, I believe we can change the world. 

Lord You changed the world by Your love.

You love us with an eternal love.

Help us to share that love with others.

Help us change the world by our love. 

Amen

 Ash Wednesday 

   “For you are dust, and to dust you will return.” (Gen 3:19) 

   Today I am reminded of my mortality.  This mortal body of mine will not last, it will return to the earth from which mankind was formed.  The season of Lent is intended to urge me to re-evaluate myself and where I am in my relationship with the Lord.

   It’s important for me to consider my mortality.  Even more important is to consider that my soul will live forever; it is immortal.  There is nothing more crucial than preparing myself for the time when this ragged tent of a body is folded, and my soul is loosed into eternity.

   The choice of how to live my life is mine alone.  If I’ve lived in Christ and done my best to follow Him my soul will be taken into Him, experiencing perfect joy and happiness throughout eternity.  If I’ve lived for self, abandoning His ways, eternal darkness and loss of God awaits.

   Lent is a time for me to dig deeper into myself; to ensure I am doing all within my power to prepare for eternity and to rely on God’s great love and mercy to forgive my failings.  In His wisdom He knows that I’m imperfect and cannot be made perfect in this life.  In His mercy God forgives. 

Lord I try but I fail.

I look inward and see sin.

My faults are many.

In Your mercy sustain me. 

Amen

 The Journey Home 

   “My soul thirsts for God, the living God.  When can I enter and see the face of God?” (Psalm 42: 3) 

   I spent many years in the Navy.  When deployed away from home I made the best of it and many times enjoyed the experience.  But I always knew where my home was.  It was where my wife and family were, waiting for me.

   The same is true of my spiritual life.  There is much in this world to enjoy and to be thankful for, the love of family and friends, the beauty of nature, the glory of creation.  Still, this world is not my home.  Home is where He is, waiting for me.

   I am a wanderer in a foreign land knowing there is something greater.  I often wonder when my earthly journey will be over.  God is always present within me, but I look forward to the day when I will enter into His presence in eternity.  I do not wish to hurry death, only that I anticipate the joy of eternity with Him.

   God alone will determine when this journey reaches its’ end.  Until then I will continue my earthly trek, always knowing that I will never be at home until I am at rest in Him. 

This journey can be joyful.

It can also be difficult.

But journeys come to an end.

May my journey end in the presence of God. 

Amen

 

 In His Love 

   “In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.” (John 4:10) 

   Society has so confused the concept of love that I doubt most people really understand the meaning of the word.  We say we love our cars, our food, our houses and all the many pleasures of this world.  We say we love our spouse, our families, and friends.  But do we love as God loves, with a love that has no concern for self but only for the other?

   Looking back on history it's amazing to me that God continues to love us.  Humanity has committed so many atrocities over the years and the list continues to grow.  Yet God’s love has not diminished in any way.  He still seeks us and wants to bring us into His family even though we are sinners and do not deserve such love and mercy.

   Think for a moment of a marriage in which one spouse continually cheats on the other.  Time and time again they are caught in adultery.  If their spouse were to forgive them each time and welcome them back into their arms most would consider that person to be a fool.  But that is exactly what God does.  

   As Christians we have been untrue to God over and over.  We chase after false gods, serving our own ego and desires rather than the Lord.  Still, each time we stray God continues to reach out to us, seeking our repentance so that He can, once again, forgive and take us back into His friendship.

   We are about to begin the Lenten season, a season to look deeply into ourselves and take stock of where we are in our relationship with the Lord.  We need to fully examine our actions, our desires, and our faith during this time.  Where there are shortcomings we need to return to God’s family through confession and repentance, desiring nothing but God and His love. 

“For God so love the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have everlasting life.  (John 3: 16)

 Let Me See 

   “Jesus asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’  He replied, ‘Lord, please let me see.’  Jesus told him, ‘Have sight, your faith has saved you.’  He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God” (Luke 18: 41 – 43) 

   Blindness doesn’t always mean a loss of sight.  It can also imply a blindness of heart, a blindness to truth.  Jesus healed many of their physical blindness, but I believe the scripture above indicates that, in this case, the man was healed not only physically, but spiritually.  Hence, he followed Jesus, giving glory to God.  His faith in Christ enabled him to see but also to see the truth of Jesus as the Messiah.

   Much of society has become blind to the ways of the Lord.  Even in the church there are many who have lost sight of what’s truly important.  There needs to be an awakening of the spirit to restore the sight of all who have become blind to God and His will in their life.  I pray that it comes soon.

  As Christians we all have the responsibility to do all we can to clearly see the will of the Father in our lives.  When we allow personal desires and the false gods of this world to become too important, we too become blind.  We to need to pray that Jesus will let us see what truly matters.

   I pray that Jesus lets me see, that I never lose sight of Him.  That He will increase my faith and love, giving me the peace of knowing Him in all things, following Him and giving praise to God. 

Let me see the wonder of creation.

Help me to see the love and mercy You have for me.

Let me see Your majesty in all things.

Give me sight to follow You, giving praise to God. 

Amen

 

 

 

 The Right Path 

   There are days when I’m not certain of the path I’m on.  Is it the right path, the one that will lead me to God?  I know there are many paths and I believe that God has a chosen path for each of us.  But how am I to know if I am truly on that path?

   Questions arise; am I doing enough, am I sincere in my faith, am I using God’s many blessings as He would have me use them?  I know that I try, and I hope that my efforts are pleasing to Him.  Still, sometimes I wish He would just clearly say “This is what I want for you.”  It just doesn’t work like that.  So I continue to try, offering all I can and hoping it’s enough.

   Thomas Merton, a Trappist Monk, wrote a prayer that I often call to mind when I’m questioning whether I’m on the right path: 

   “My Lord God, I have no idea of where I’m going.  I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.  Nor do I really know myself and the fact that I think I’m following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.  

   But I believe that my desire to please you does in fact please you.  And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.  I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.  And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.  

   Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.  I will not fear for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.” 

   My hope is that this simple prayer may bring you peace of heart in times of turmoil and give you comfort in the knowledge that God is always with us and will lead us always on the right path, the path that leads to Him. 

Lead me rightly Lord.

Never let me stray.

Though I may not know the way.

I know that You will guide me. 

Amen

Away From the Crowd 

   St. Mark records the miraculously healing of a man’s deafness and speech impediment (Mark 7: 31 – 37).  Before performing the miracle, Jesus took the man off by himself away from the crowd.  The obvious lesson of this story is the miraculous cure performed by Jesus.  But why did He take the man away from the crowd before doing so?

   It wasn’t necessary for Jesus to take the man away from the crowd to perform the miracle.  He performed many miracles among crowds throughout His ministry.  So why did He choose to go away from the people to perform this one?  It certainly didn’t keep it secret since Mark’s account clearly indicates that others knew about it and spread the word.  I think there is a deeper lesson to be learned.

   The world is a noisy and chaotic place.  We can barely hear ourselves think at times, nevertheless hear the small still voice of the Lord.  He still wishes to speak to us, to give us His blessings and bring us closer to Him.  Perhaps in taking the man away from the crowd to perform  the miracle Jesus is also saying that we too need to get away from time to time.  To spend alone time with Him and listen to what He is telling us today.

   Scripture speaks to us in many ways.  It tells us what happened and maybe gives us some insight into what it meant to the people of Jesus’ time.  But the bible is not simply a history book.  The God who has spoken through scripture still speaks to us today.  There are still many lessons to be learned.  It’s up to us to listen to what He has to say.  Sometimes we need to go away from the crowds to hear Him. 

The world is noisy and chaotic.

It always has been and probably will always be.

In the quiet, away from the crowd I find You.

In the silence, you speak to me of Your will. 

Amen 

 A Restless Heart 

   “You made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” (St. Augustine) 

   We were created to be members of God’s family, to rest in His love and care.  When sin entered the world we lost our familial relationship with the Creator.  We have been seeking to find that peace, that rest we were intended to have, ever since.

   I’ve known many people in my lifetime, but most have not truly been at rest in their heart.  They were constantly seeking more, more money, more fame, more anything that they thought would bring them happiness.  But more of earthly treasures is never enough.  The millionaire wants to have two million, the bronze medal winner won’t rest until they achieve gold, the famous will do most anything to become more famous or, sadly, infamous.  They will never be at rest.

   The gospel of Luke recounts the parable of the rich fool, a man who had success in his life but wasn’t happy and always wanted more (Luke 12: 16 – 21).  He worked and worked to attain more and more thinking he was gaining happiness and the ability to rest in his wealth.  Then God said to him, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?” (Luke 12: 20).

   The lesson for me is to quit worrying about the fickle treasures and joys of this world and concern myself with eternity.  All that I have is from the generosity and love of God.  If I have done any good it is because He has placed the good within me.  Life is short, eternity is forever.  There is no rest in this world, my rest is in my Lord. 

The treasures of the world are fleeting.

You and Your love are the eternal treasures.

Let me never turn to the world for comfort.

Let me always rest in You. 

Amen

 In Silence 

   “The beginning of prayer is silence.  If we really want to pray we must first learn to listen, for in the silence of the heart God speaks.” (St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “Do Something Beautiful for God”) 

   I live alone.  My house is quiet unless I make it otherwise.  When my wife first passed away the silence was nearly unbearable.  I would have the television on even though I wasn’t watching it just to have noise in the house.

   How things change.  I have come to love the silence and no longer need, or even want, to have noise in the house.  If the television is on it is usually on a music channel quietly playing classical music.

   The lesson I have learned is that in the silence, in the quiet of my heart, is where I most readily find God.  I sometimes believe that noise is a creation of Satan designed only to detract from the quietness of the Lord.  When I am inundated with noise it’s harder to pray, to listen, and to be with God.  I now better understand why Jesus so often went away by Himself to pray and to be alone with the Father.  

   Even the simple requirements of life are better without the noise.  Just maintaining the cleanliness of the house, cooking meals, and other routine chores seem less burdensome.  In the quiet of my mind even the chores in some ways become prayer.

   I sometimes lose myself in the silence and in prayer.  The closeness I feel to God is overwhelming at times and I don’t want to leave.  My prayer time has increased and even when not in prayer life is calmer in the quiet.  My love of silence and tranquility has changed my life and I thank God, for it has been a change of tremendous good. 

In the quiet You are there.

In silence I come to You.

I come to listen, to hear Your word.

I come to give myself to You. 

Amen

 

Seeking Sainthood 

   “The Church is interested in making saints.  It’s not interested in making spiritual mediocrities.”  (Bishop Robert Baron, “To Light a Fire on the Earth”) 

   God desires us to be holy, to be saints.  St. Therese of Lisieux said, “Holiness consists simply in doing God’s will, and being just what God wants us to be.”  In other words, giving ourselves and our lives over to His will.

   What is a saint?  I think most people think of a saint and feel that they could never be that good, that holy.  Yet any study of the saints will show that many of them were less than holy at some point in their life.  One of the greatest saints, St. Augustine, was a heretic, practicing the heresy of Manichaeism.  Before his conversion he had mistresses and fathered a son out of wedlock.

   Perhaps we can never be a saint such as Augustine or Therese, but God can make any of us a saint.  It is by His will and power that saints are made.  However, he will not impose sainthood upon us, we must allow Him to make us holy.  We must also recognize that choosing sainthood is life-changing, nothing can ever be the same again.  Our life, our will, the very way we live must change.

   That doesn’t mean that we will never sin again, even those who are holy sometimes fall victim to Satan’s temptations.  It is the sad state of humanity that sinfulness is within us, we can’t completely avoid it.  But God’s forgiveness is there to restore us, to give us a new beginning.  His love and mercy is endless.

   We really can be saints, but we can’t do it by ourselves.  Only God can make us holy.  As Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you;” (Matt 7: 7). 

Though I am a sinful man,

I want to be holy.

I give myself to You.

Make me holy. 

Amen 

 Pruning the Branches 

   “I am the true vine, and my father is the vine grower.  He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.” (John 15: 1 – 2) 

   As much as I dislike yard work it seems every time I do it I discover something that relates to my spiritual life.

   Winter in Ocala Florida is usually quite mild.  We may have a few nights in the mid 30’s and even a few hours at freezing, but it is short-lived.  This year has been different, we’ve had several nights in the low thirties or even below.  The cold has also lasted longer than usual.  Many plants have suffered as a result.

   There is an area in my yard that is planted in blue plumbago.  They grow quickly and bloom all summer long with minimal care.  Due to the colder weather this year I feared they were dead and would have to be replaced.  But when I began pruning the dead back the green became obvious.  I have no doubt that they will recover and be as beautiful as ever.

   It occurred to me that my life is similar.  As long as things go well I am at ease in the love of God and His care.  Occasionally, however, Satan plants some seeds within me, seeds of sin and discontent.  Just as the cold weather affected my plants, the seeds sown by the evil one affect my spiritual life.  Those seeds must be uprooted and thrown out so that the beauty of God’s love can bloom.

   We are always at risk of evil being strewn within our life.  Weeds intended to choke out our spiritual life, to turn us from God.  We must prune the garden within, we must give the vines of Jesus room to grow and produce fruit.  If not, like an uncared for plant, we may die spiritually.

   I doubt that my gardening analogies will make me like yard work, but by reflecting on them maybe I can better tend the spiritual garden within. 

I am constantly as risk from Satan.

He plants the seeds of sin within me.

Strengthen me to uproot the evil seeds.

To properly prune my soul and produce good fruit. 

Amen

 Maintaining the Peace 

   I treasure God’s gift of peace.  I’m not talking about peace in earthly terms, but peace of mind, peace of heart, and peace of soul.  To me this is one of God’s greatest gifts and I thank Him for it always.

   I also believe that Satan attacks the things we treasure most, so he will do anything to rob us of the peace of God.  It is up to us to resist those assaults and maintain our Christian peace.  That isn’t always easy in a world of sin and evil but with God all things are possible.

   At the last supper, shortly before His betrayal, passion, and death, Jesus told His apostles, “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).  The peace Jesus gives is not what we think of as peace in the world.  It is a peace in knowing that He has overcome death, He has won the war against evil, and He will come again in glory.

   There have been and will continue to be many battles before our Lord comes again.  The evil one will not stop tempting us to sin, trying to steal our peace.  The fight will be difficult, seeming almost impossible at times, but we have Christ on our side, He will protect us in all things.  He has promised, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matt 28: 20).

   The peace of God is a beautiful treasure that makes life better and more joyful.  We can fight, with His help, to maintain that peace or we can fall victim to Satan’s evil plans to steal it from us. 

Thank You for the peace You give.

Let us never allow Satan to take it from us.

Strengthen us to always call upon Your name.

Protect us from the evil one. 

Amen

 A Faith that is Bold 

   I have written quite a bit recently about some things I see as detrimental to our country, our society, the Church, and our souls.  There is a tremendous amount of evil striking simultaneously throughout many areas of our lives.  But what good is identifying the problems if I have no thoughts on how we may effect change? 

   We are limited on what we as individuals can do but there is strength in numbers.  I believe when we begin to demonstrate courage and boldness in our faith others will see and perhaps join the battle against evil.  We need to have a faith that is bold, one that doesn’t shy away from the truth but stands up for it regardless the consequences.

   Prayer is the greatest weapon of all.  We must pray often and always.  If we give up on prayer we give up on God.  We deny the strength and help He has promised.  But we must also remember Jesus’ admonition to pray even for our enemies.  Rather than wishing them ill, pray for a conversion, a change of heart that will bring them to the Lord.

   We must pray for the leaders of the churches.  So many seem to have become so enamored with the pleasures and honors of their position that they forget that Christ admonished, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” (Mark 9: 35).

   We must be political in some respects.  We must vote for those who we sincerely believe will best lead with morality as their watchword.  We must repeatedly remind those we elect of what we expect of them through letters, telephone calls, and emails.

   Join with others to present a unified front to evil.  Become involved in the church, understand that we are all called to be evangelists for the Lord.  The way we live and what we stand for is the way we evangelize, demonstrating our faith in action, not just in words.

   Finally, we must trust in God.  We must keep His peace in our hearts, confident that He is ultimately in control of all.  We must always remember the words of Jesus to His apostles as He was about to ascend into heaven, “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matt 28: 20).

Give us Your strength Lord.

Give us the courage to always stand for Your truth.

Embolden us in our faith.

You have won the war, help us win the battles. 

Amen

 

 

 Lying to God 

   I may be able to convince you that the lie I tell is true, but I can never convince God.  It isn’t possible to lie to God although many attempt to do so in their lives and the way they live them.  They forget that even their deepest, darkest secrets are known to God.  At the judgement they will be called to answer for them.

   There are many Bishops and Priests who readily, and rightfully, deny the sacraments to those in mortal sin.  Yet they will shy away from doing so if the sinner is important or politically popular.  At the judgement they will called to explain why.

   “Take and eat; this is my body.” ...  “Drink from it all of you, for this is the blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matt: 26: 16 – 28, emphasis mine).  He didn’t say the bread and the wine symbolized or represented His body and blood but that it IS His body and blood.  Yet some studies estimate as many as 50% of practicing Catholics deny the real presence in the Eucharist.  If one does not believe, why bother.  God knows their heart.

   There are many high-profile people who tout their faith to gain acceptance politically or otherwise.  To attend Mass and then actively support abortion and euthanasia is, again, lying to the people.  But even the President of the United States can’t lie to God, He knows all.

   Atheists and others who would reject God claim the churches are full of hypocrites.  They are, in some degree, correct.  Yet that doesn’t diminish God, only the hypocrites.  “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. (Matt 9: 13).  What better place for one to have a conversion and cease being a hypocrite than in church praising God? 

Many hearts have drifted far from You.

Touch their hearts and heal them.

Let me never be far from You.

Help me to trust in Your truth always. 

Amen

 Be Yourself In Prayer 

   God knows us better than we know ourselves.  It does us no good to repeat prayers over and over when what truly needs to be addressed is left unsaid.  Especially when in prayer we must remember, “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.” (Luke 8: 17).  Before we ever begin to pray God knows what we really need to be asking of Him.  He also knows those things for which we desperately need His forgiveness.

   “In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.” (Roman 8: 26).  The Holy Spirit was sent to guide and aid us in our search for God and to help us stay on the path He has put before us.  When prayer is difficult and we can’t find the words, the Spirit prays for us.  In the silence of our heart He speaks for us when we can’t speak for ourselves.

   Praying is quite probably the most personal thing we will ever do.  We hide things from others that might embarrass us, but we can’t hide them from God.  We sometimes try to justify our tepidness in faith, but the Lord of heaven knows our deepest secrets.

   We must seek God on His terms and those terms include honesty, faith, and humility.  In prayer we must see God as who He truly is, Love.  Nothing is so bad that He won’t forgive, His mercy is endless.  Approach Him as who you are, not who others may want you to be or who you know you are not. 

In prayer I seek You.

In humility I come to You.

Look deeply into me.

Heal me of my failings. 

Amen

 By the Strength of God 

   The world with all it's temptations and false gods press upon us bringing trial and difficulty to our life.  Satan doesn’t give up and never will.  He will continue to try us and tempt us in his efforts to pull us away from the Lord.

   In some ways experiencing the temptations of the evil one is a good thing.  There is no need for him to continue tempting those who are already in his camp; he has won them over.  Those who try to remain faithful, to trust in God and His plan are the primary targets of Satan and his evil plots.

   Overcoming his temptations builds in us a stronger faith in God.  When we are sorely tempted and God gives us the strength to resist it is more evidence of His great love for us.  He will never abandon us in our times of trial, we can always turn to God and ask for the help to resist them.

   Even when we fail and fall victim to Satan’s ploys God remains with us.  He calls us to repentance, desiring to forgive us and restore us to His friendship.  The Lord waits for us to come to Him in sorrow, repenting of our sins and asking forgives.  “In just the same way I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15: 10).

   We are engaged in battle that will not end until we leave this world.  I believe that even at our dying breath Satan will be making one last effort to turn us from God.  We must remember the words of St. Peter, “Be sober and vigilant.  Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5: 8). 

I am tempted each day.

Satan tugs at me, trying to take me from You.

Only by Your strength can I reject him.

Give me that strength always. 

Amen

 He Came Among Us 

   “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us,” (John 1: 14) 

   “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.”  (Phil 2: 6) 

   I am always in awe of the humility of our Lord; the great love He has for us.  The Son of God gave up His glory for a while and became like me in all things but sin.  He knew joy and happiness as well as pain and sorrow.  Finally He suffered betrayal, abandonment, scourging and death on a cross.  All because of His love for me and for you.

   Try to imagine the President of the United States going to the most poverty-stricken area of the country, taking up residence and quietly living among the poorest of the poor, sharing in their poverty and need.  That would be a small sacrifice compared with the sacrifice Jesus made for us.

   Imagine the Pope or any prominent religious figure silently accepting scourging, humiliation, and crucifixion for the love of his people, all the while asking God to forgive those who were committing these acts.  Jesus did exactly that; our Savior, the Son of God, willingly accepted brutality and death from those He had come to save.

   I can never repay such a sacrifice or return such a love.  It’s beyond my ability as a sinful human to pay the price for the sins Jesus died to forgive.  I’m not able to love to the degree that God loves, a love so great that He would become man and die for me.

   All I can do offer my life to Him, always aware of the love and mercy of the God who would become man, suffer, and die to offer me the opportunity of eternal life in His presence.  The most I can so is to make every effort to live each day according to His will. 

Lord, Your love is so great.

Your mercy has no limits.

I can never repay.

I can only strive to live my life for You. 

Amen

 The Unexplainable 

   Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what do I tell them?  God replied to Moses: ‘I am who I am.’” (Exodus 3: 13 – 14).  God, quite simply, is who He is.

   We try so hard to understand God, to explain Him.  We want to know Him better and refuse to accept that we can never truly know Him in this life.  So we keep trying to explain what is unexplainable.  We sometimes call Him the Supreme Being, but He isn’t a being.  Beings can be compared to other beings, God is incomparable.  He is "being" itself, all else comes into being because of Him.

   Try as I may to understand, it is beyond my human capability to understand and explain God.  What I can do is accept Him, recognizing that God is and there is no other explanation needed.  Trying to define the undefinable is a sure path to frustration and disappointment.

   I look to Psalm 139 for guidance on better realizing the God who is simply “I Am”.  “Where can I go from your spirit?  From your presence, where can I flee?” (Psalm 139: 7 – 8).  God is within me, there is no where I can go to be unseen by Him.  There is nothing I can say, think, or do that isn’t known to God even before it is known to me.

   “Even before a word is on my tongue, Lord, you know it all. (Psalm 139: 4).  St. Augustine said God is closer to us than we are to ourselves.  Everything about me is already known by Him, he knows me far better than I know myself. 

   Though I can’t understand, define, or explain God, I know Him.  I know Him within my being, in my heart and my soul.  I know Him in my life.  I know Him in His creation.  The rest will have to wait until I am in His presence when all that is unknown will become known. 

Someday, when this life is over,

All will be known.

Until then I trust in You. 

Amen