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
Daily Catholic Wisdom
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.
—Fr. Paul Scalia
from his book, “That Nothing May Be Lost”
A Prayer from Notre Dame University
Rev. Herbert Yost, C.S.C.
Dear Lord, give us wisdom when we are filled with questions. Grant us a grateful heart when we feel discouraged. Open our eyes to the opportunities that await us. Steady our pace so that we can see you in the people and challenges that will come our way today. Let us be pure of spirit so your glory may guide our thinking and acting. Amen.
The Abbot’s Daily Lectio Divina
Abbot Austin Murphy, O.S.B., St. Procopius Abbey, Lisle, IL
Acts 16:6-8
Reading
[Paul and his companions] traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them, so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.
Meditation
Paul and his companions are prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the gospel in certain areas. They were trying to do something good: preach the gospel, and they were kept from doing it. God had plans for them to do fruitful missionary work elsewhere. Failing in our efforts to do good can be very frustrating and discouraging when it happens. But perhaps God in His Providence is directing us toward more fruitful ventures elsewhere.
Prayer
Lord, do not let me fall into discouragement when my efforts to do good are frustrated, but instead let me trust that in Your Providence You will lead me to labor at what will bear more fruit for eternity. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Contemplation…