Daily Thought from the Saints
"No act is charitable if it is not just."
— St. Bruno
Daily Scripture Verse
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."
1 Corinthians 15:58
Daily Meditation
"Man threw away everything he had—his right to speak freely, his communion with God, his time in Paradise, his unclouded life—and went out naked, like a survivor from a shipwreck. But God received him and immediately clothed him, and taking him by the hand gradually led him to heaven. And yet the shipwreck was quite unforgivable. For this tempest was entirely due, not to the force of the winds, but to the carelessness of the sailor. Yet God did not look at this, but had compassion for such a great disaster. … Why? Because, when no sadness or care or labor or toil or countless waves of desire assaulted our nature, it was overturned and fell. And just as criminals who sail the sea often drill through the ship with a small iron tool, and let the whole sea into the ship from below, so when the devil saw the ship of Adam (by which I mean his soul) filled with many good things, he came and drilled through it with his voice alone, as if it were an iron tool, and stole all his wealth and sank the ship itself. But God made the gain greater than the loss, and brought our nature to the royal throne."
— St. John Chrysostom
Daily Catholic Wisdom
The importance of conversion cannot be overstated. Conversion is what the Christian life is all about. It is the reason the Church preaches the Gospel, and the invitation it makes to every person (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 46).
—Michael Hall
from his book “Intentional Accompaniment: An Apprenticeship for a New Generation of Believers”
Daily Journey with the Pope
"To persevere is to remain constant in goodness, especially when the reality around us urges us to do otherwise. Let us reflect on a few examples: I know that prayer is important, but, like everyone, I too always have a lot to do, and so I put it off: “No, I am busy now, I can’t, I’ll do it later”. Or, I see many crafty people who take advantage of situations, who dodge the rules, and so I too stop observing them and persevering in justice and legality: “But if these scoundrels do it, so will I!”. Beware of this! And again: I carry out service in the Church, for the community, for the poor, but I see that many people in their free time think only of enjoying themselves, and so I feel like giving up and do what they do. Because I do not see results, or I get bored, or it does not make me happy. Persevering, instead, is remaining in goodness. Let us ask ourselves: what is my perseverance like? Am I constant, or do I live faith, justice and charity according to the moment: I pray if I feel like it; I am fair, willing and helpful if it suits me; whereas if I am dissatisfied, if no one thanks me, do I stop? In short, do my prayer and service depend on circumstances or on a heart that is steadfast in the Lord? If we persevere — Jesus reminds us — we have nothing to fear, even in the sad and ugly events of life, even in the evil we see around us, because we remain grounded in the good. Dostoevsky wrote: “Have no fear of men’s sin. Love a man even in his sin, for that is the semblance of Divine Love and is the highest love on earth” (The Brothers Karamazov, Part 2, Book 4, Chapter 3). Perseverance is the reflection in the world of God’s love, because God’s love is faithful, it is persevering, it never changes. May Our Lady, servant of the Lord, persevering in prayer (cf. Acts 1:12), fortify our perseverance.”
Pope Francis
A Prayer
Rev. Bill Dorwart, C.S.C.
Almighty and ever living God, your people long to taste and see the goodness of your love. Bless our hands and our wits that we might become your beacon of hope in a darkened world. Make our voice your own that your children may savor the presence of your promise and peace revealed in Jesus who is Lord forever and ever. Amen
The Abbot’s Daily Lectio Divina
Abbot Austin Murphy, O.S.B., St. Procopius Abbey, Lisle, IL
Matthew 5:13-16
Reading
[Jesus said to his disciples,] “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.
Meditation
Salt can be understood as acting on food, to bring out its flavor, or as acting on people, to make their tongues more receptive to flavors. If this simile intends the latter, then we are called as Christians to help others to become more receptive to, that is, more perceptive of, the goodness that is present in creation. Our ways should help others to taste and see the goodness of God in this world, so that they may praise and love God more.
Prayer
May my ways, Lord, help others to see Your wisdom and goodness in the created order of things. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Contemplation…