A Daily Personal Prayer Journal

(The Daily Personal Prayer Journal is a gathering of quotations from various sources, each of which might lead you to a quiet moment of prayer, of a sharing of love between you and God. Choose one and then use it as a springboard into prayer.)

May 4, 2026

Monday of the Fifth Week in Easter

May your right hand, O Lord, we pray, encompass your family with perpetual help, so that, defendant from all wickedness by the Resurrection of your Only Begotten Son, we may make our way by means of your heavenly gifts. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Daily Thought from the Saints

"If we wish to make any progress in the service of God we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness. We must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible and have no other view or end in all our actions but the divine honor."

— St. Charles Borromeo

Daily Scripture Verse

"The Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

1 Samuel 16:7b

Daily Meditation

"My Jesus, it is truly easy to become holy; it just takes a little good will! And if He finds this minimum of good will in a soul, He quickly gives Himself to her. And nothing can stop Him, neither our faults nor our falls, absolutely nothing. Jesus hurries to help that soul; and if the soul is faithful to this grace from God, she can in a short time reach the highest levels of holiness that a created being can attain here below. God is very generous and does not refuse His grace to anyone. He gives even more than we ask for. The shortest road is faithfulness to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit."

— St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

Day by day with Mary, the Mother of God

Mary lived with her eyes fixed on Christ, treasuring his every word. “She kept all these things pondering them in her heart.” The memories of Jesus, impressed upon her heart, on the various moments of her life at her Son’s side. In a way those memories were to be the “rosary” which she recited uninterruptedly throughout her earthly life.

In proclaiming Mary we make known not only Christ’s masterpiece of grace but also what He desires to accomplish in us. She, the Church in her perfection, needs to be proclaimed and preached so that the truth of Christ’s victory and grace will shine forth more clearly.

—Pope St. John Paul II

A Prayer from Notre Dame University

Rev. Michael Belinsky, C.S.C.

Dear Jesus, you promise to be with us through the presence of your Spirit, our Advocate. Bless us with your presence and the gift of your guidance. May our efforts bring you glory. Amen!

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("Thoughts from the Saints," Scripture Verse of the Day," and "Daily Meditation" are all taken from "Your Morning Offering" by The Catholic Company. "Daily Catholic Wisdom" is taken from CatholicWisdom.org.  The prayer comes from The University of Notre Dame's daily Gospel commentary. "

Father Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M.

A Franciscan Friar and Roman Catholic priest ordained in 1975, Fr. Lawrence has experience as a high school teacher (1970-1974, 1975-1979, 1986-1992), an itinerant preacher (1996-1999), an editor, and administrator. He has served as Executive Secretary (Secretary of the Province) for the Franciscans of the Sacred Heart Province, headquartered in St. Louis, MO (1979-1984), Associate Novice Master (1984-1986), Post-Novitiate Formation (1986-1987), President of the Board of Directors of Mayslake Village, Oak Brook, Illinois (1987-1989), Associate Business Manager of St. Peter's Church, Chicago, IL (1992-1996) and Master of Postulants (1999-2004). From 2007 to 2021, he served as administrator of CUSA - an apostolate of persons with chronic illness and/or disability. 

Fr. Lawrence also has extensive experience as an editor and proof reader. After 20+ years of teaching English in a high school classroom, he has turned his language skills in the direction of publishing and editing. 

Fr. Lawrence also has more than forty years experience of teaching English as a second language to natives of Korea, Mexico, Brazil, Portugal, Austria, Vietnam, and Italy.

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