Daily Thought from the Saints
"If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes."
— St. Clement of Alexandria
Daily Scripture Verse
"We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh."
2 Corinthians 4:8-11
Daily Meditation
"Nothing is sweeter than love; nothing stronger, nothing higher, nothing more generous, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller or better in Heaven or on earth; for love proceeds from God and cannot rest but in God above all things created."
— Thomas a' Kempis
Daily Catholic Wisdom
Sometimes, we can see the will of God. Sometimes we know exactly what he is asking of us. More often, God seems distant and quiet. Regardless, our respond should be the same. It should be that of Mary—‘Fiat!’ ‘Yes!’ ‘Thy will be done!’
—Mike Pacer
from the book “The Three Comings of Christ”
Daily Journey with the Pope
“Every person, every people, needs the basic conditions for a dignified life; besides peace, shelter, healthcare, education, work, dialogue and mutual respect between cultures and faiths. Human promotion remains a commitment to which we must devote ourselves with willingness, vigour, creativity and the appropriate tools… But think of how many young people are forced today to leave their homeland in search of a dignified existence; of how many men, women and children face inhuman journeys and violence of every type, in search of a better future; of how many continue to die on the routes of desperation, while we discuss their destiny or turn away! Forced migrations – to flee from wars, hunger, persecution or climate changes – are one of the great evils of this age, we will only be able to tackle at its root by ensuring real development in every country… Do not let yourselves be discouraged by difficulties or by disappointments, but trust in the Lord, who who is both rock and tenderness.”
Pope Francis
A Prayer
Rev. Matthew Kuczora, C.S.C.
Lord, come to save us! All those years ago you came down to us from heaven, to little, forgotten Bethlehem. Then you saved us, Lord, by your cross and resurrection. Come to us again. Save us now as we prepare to celebrate how you became a person, poor and weak and small, a person like us. We thank you for all our many blessings. We ask you for what we still need. On this first Sunday of Advent, help us to watch, to be alert, to wait with Mary and Joseph until you come again. Amen.
The Abbot’s Daily Lectio Divina
Abbot Austin Murphy, O.S.B., St. Procopius Abbey, Lisle, IL
Luke 17:26-27
Reading
Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all."
Meditation
Jesus repeatedly warns us to be ready, and that we will not have some sort of “warning bell,” to alert us when the end of our time has come. So, if I am not ready now, why do I think that I will be in the future? The time to be ready is now, not at some future date.
Prayer
Give me, O God, a heart that is ready to serve You. When You call me to action, may I rise to the occasion and not be held back by attachments. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Contemplation…