Daily Thought from the Saints
"It is part of the discipline of God to make His loved ones perfect through trial and suffering. Only by carrying the Cross can one reach the Resurrection."
— Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Daily Scripture Verse
"Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground."
Ephesians 6:13
Daily Meditation
"The heart cannot exist without love; it will love either God or creatures. If it does not love creatures, it certainly will love God. In order to become holy, we must therefore banish from our heart all that is not for God. When anyone came to the Fathers of the desert and desired to be received by them he was asked: 'Do you bring an empty heart that it may be filled by the Holy Ghost?' And they were right, for a heart that is filled with the things of earth has no room for the love of God. He who brings a vessel filled with earth to the spring will never be able to fill it with water until he empties it of the earth with which it is filled. How does it happen that so many pray and go frequently to Holy Communion and still make no considerable progress in the love of God? The reason is doubtless because the heart is full of self-esteem, of vanity, of self-will, and of attachment to creatures. He, therefore, who wishes to arrive at the perfect love of God must practice poverty in spirit. He must be detached from worldly possessions, from temporal honors, from his fellow creatures, and from himself."
— St. Alphonsus Liguori
Daily Catholic Wisdom
Prayer will give you a clean heart, and a clean heart will be able to see God. And if you see God in each other, you will love one another.
—St. Teresa of Calcutta
quoted in the book, “Love: A Fruit Always in Season”
A Prayer from Notre Dame University
Rev. John Pearson, C.S.C.
Lord God, when we are in trouble and are without words, and feel our faith trembling under the pressure of those who would lead us away from you, send your Spirit to build up our faith and to give us the words to say and actions to take. We pray through Our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and that same Spirit. Amen.
The Abbot’s Daily Lectio Divina
Abbot Austin Murphy, O.S.B., St. Procopius Abbey, Lisle, IL
Romans 4:16-17
Reading
For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you father of many nations.”
Meditation
What is the condition for being a descendant of Abraham, so as to inherit the world with him? St. Paul says it is not blood lineage, for Abraham will be the father of many nations, not just one. It is not the law of Moses, for people fail to keep the law and, so, the law shows them to be sinners, not one with Abraham in righteousness. Instead, it is faith. And since the blessing comes through faith, it may be received by more people, as God wills.
Prayer
Strengthen my faith in Your promise to deliver me from every evil. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Contemplation…