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.)

March 18, 2024

Daily Thought from the Saints

"Pray with great confidence, with confidence based on the goodness and infinite generosity of God and upon the promises of Jesus Christ. God is a spring of living water which flows unceasingly into the hearts of those who pray."

— St. Louis De Montfort

Daily Scripture Verse

"If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing."

1 John 1:9

Daily Meditation

"Many try to fly away from temptations only to fall more deeply into them; for you cannot win a battle by mere flight. It is only by patience and humility that you will be strengthened against the enemy. Those who shun them outwardly and do not pull them out by the roots will make no progress; for temptations will soon return to harass them and they will be in a worse state. It is only gradually—with patience and endurance and with God's grace—that you will overcome temptations sooner than by your own efforts and anxieties . . . Gold is tried by fire and the upright person by temptation. Often we do not know what we can do until temptation shows us what we are . . . This is how temptation is: first we have a thought, followed by strong imaginings, then the pleasure and evil emotions, and finally consent. This is how the enemy gains full admittance, because he was not resisted at the outset. The slower we are to resist, the weaker we daily become and the stronger the enemy is against us."

— Thomas à Kempis

Daily Catholic Wisdom

Saint Joseph did not do extraordinary things, but rather by the constant practice of the ordinary and common virtues, he attained that sanctity which elevates him above all other saints.

—St. Joseph Marello

A Prayer from Notre Dame University

Ricky Bevington, C.S.C.

Good and loving God, we desire to live your law rightly, but at times we lose sight of your call for us to love. Have mercy on us, and grant us the courage and strength to act mercifully with everyone we meet. Convert our hearts, that we may draw others to you with our love. Amen.

The Abbot’s Daily Lectio Divina
Abbot Austin Murphy, O.S.B., St. Procopius Abbey, Lisle, IL

Psalm 23:1-2

Reading

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me.

Meditation

If we follow the Lord, we will not want; that is, we will be provided with what we truly need. We need various things for genuine human flourishing, but relative to others some needs are deeper, such as the need for God and the need for integrity (that is, to conduct ourselves uprightly). So, God leads us to meet these needs first, and this gives real (even if not perfect) rest. We must wait in hope for the other needs to be met eventually.

Prayer

Lord, sustain me with Your presence, by staying near to me and by helping me to live in Your ways. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Contemplation…

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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.  from  The prayer comes from The University of Notre Dame's daily Gospel commentary. "The Abbot's Daily Lectio Divina" is written by Abbot Austin Murphy of St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, IL.)


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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