Daily Thought from the Saints
"Cheerfulness prepares a glorious mind for all the noblest acts."
— St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Daily Scripture Verse
"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Daily Meditation
"The true reason for which God bestows so many graces upon the humble is this, that the humble are faithful to these graces and make good use of them. They receive them from God and use them in a manner pleasing to God, giving all the glory to Him, without reserving any for themselves. ... It is certainly true that he who is humble is also faithful to God, because the humble man is also just in giving to all their due, and above all, in rendering to God the things that are God's; that is, in giving Him the glory for all the good that he is, all the good that he has and for all the good that he does; as the Venerable Bede says: 'Whatever good we see in ourselves, let us ascribe it to God and not to ourselves.' To give thanks to God for all the blessings we have received and are continually receiving is an excellent means of exercising humility, because by thanksgiving we learn to acknowledge the Supreme Giver of every good. And for this reason it is necessary for us always to be humble before God. St. Paul exhorts us to render thanks for all things and at all times: 'In all things give thanks.' (1 Thess. 5:18). 'Giving thanks always for all things.' (Eph. 5:20). But that our thanksgiving may be an act of humility it must not only come from the lips but from the heart, with a firm conviction that all good comes to us through the infinite mercy of God."
— Rev. Cajetan da Bergamo
Daily Catholic Wisdom
It is love that impels us to action, to become witnesses to society of a love poured out in service and self-sacrifice—to become balms of healing the wound of racial hatred and division.
—Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers
from his book, “Building a Civilization of Love: A Catholic Response to Racism”
A Prayer from Notre Dame University
Rev. Stephen Gibson, C.S.C.
Lord, on our own we simply do not have the conviction to side-step the negativity that darkens our path. Give us the grace to move through our obstacles with confidence, protection, and generosity. Wherever we are, there is your assurance. Where we fear, there is your light. And where we fall, there is your hand ready to assist. Amen.
The Abbot’s Daily Lectio Divina -
Abbot Austin Murphy, O.S.B., St. Procopius Abbey, Lisle, IL
Joel 1:15
Reading
Alas, the day! for near is the day of the LORD, and it comes as ruin from the Almighty.
Meditation
Phil 4:4-5 says we should rejoice given that the Lord is near. But here the Lord’s nearness is a cause for dread. Both can be the case. In our love for God, we rejoice to experience His closeness. But in our sinfulness, we experience what Peter says to Jesus in Luke 5:8: ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.’ Fearing the Lord’s approach can be appropriate, particularly if it humbles us and causes us to renew our efforts at conversion.
Prayer
Almighty God, in Your mercy You have given us time to repent and reform our ways. May I make good use of the time. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Contemplation…