Patience
"My chosen shall not labor in vain."
Isaiah 65:23
For Reflection:
How do these words bring me hope and faith today? To what extent do they instill the ability to remain patient "until the coming of the Lord?"
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Happy 4th of July
Happy Independence Day! 
Blessed John Paul II said, "Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought."
Today, this holy concept of freedom is being challenged from Supreme Court decisions to decisions made in our local schools and communities. In the face of it all, we can become discouraged, beleagured, and sick at heart.
Let me offer a bit of encouragement I received this morning as I offered a prayer for our country. These words are given to us by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 35. May we find in them hope for our day and time, and direction for our actions:
Blessed John Paul II said, "Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought."
Today, this holy concept of freedom is being challenged from Supreme Court decisions to decisions made in our local schools and communities. In the face of it all, we can become discouraged, beleagured, and sick at heart.
Let me offer a bit of encouragement I received this morning as I offered a prayer for our country. These words are given to us by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 35. May we find in them hope for our day and time, and direction for our actions:
Patience
"An indispensable requirement in the apostolate is faith, which is often shown by constancy in speaking about God, even though the fruits are slow to appear."
St. Josemaria Escriva
For Reflection:
To what extent do I give in to discouragement? Does it cause me to give up? Am I willing to "stay the course" for the sake of souls?
Patience
"Fly a thousand miles from saying, 'I was in the right: it was not right for me to suffer this, they had no right to do such a thing to me.' Do you think there was any question of rights when Jesus suffered the injuries which were so unrighteously inflicted on Him?
St. Teresa of Avila
For Reflection:
How does the "rights" and "entitlement" mindset of our contemporary culture affect me with regard to the virtue of patience? What practical steps or strategies can I take to alleviate its influence?
Patience
"We must wait for God long, meekly, in the wind and wet, in the thunder and lightning, in the cold and the dark. Wait, and he will come. He never comes to those who do not wait."
Father Faber
For Reflection: How do I endure my waiting? Meekly? Lovingly? Hopefully? Confidently? I will ask God to give me the grace to see Him even as I wait.
Patience
"Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and the late rain."
James 5:7
For Reflection:
Sometimes I think God is not mindful of my circumstance. What insight does this scripture passage give me about the workings of God in my life? Am I willing to exercise patience in this regard?
Obedience
"The power of obedience! The lake of Gennesareth had denied its fishes to Peter's nets. A whole night in vain. Then, obedient, he lowered his net again to the water and they caught 'a huge number of fish.' Believe me: the miracle is repeated each day."
St. Josemaria Escriva
For Reflection:
How full am I willing to have "my nets" be? Dear Lord, help me resolve to be obedient to you in all things. Let me respond spontaneously and with love to all that You ask of me - the easy things and the most difficult. Help me to remember that Your obedience brought redemptive grace into the world. May my obedience be united to Yours so that a "big catch" may be obtained for the Kingdom of God. Mother Mary, intercede for me. Amen.
Obedience
"I often thought my constitution would never endure the work I had to do, (but) the Lord said to me: 'Daughter, obedience gives strength.'"
St. Teresa of Avila
For Reflection:
Embracing the will of God with love and joy gives us the strength we need for every situation and makes our efforts fruitful. How does this knowledge apply to me today?
Obedience
"Above and beyond any considerations of convenience or efficiency, the principal reason why obedience is so essential for the disciple of Christ is that it forms part of the mystery of Redemption: Christ revealed to us His mystery; by his obedience he brought about our redemption."
Lumen Gentium, Vatican Council II
For Reflection:
According to this quotation, obedience unites me to the redemption of Christ. For whom or for what do I wish to offer my obedience as a redemptive act of love?
Obedience
"Oh, virtue of obedience! It can do everything!"
St. Teresa of Avila
For Reflection:
Can I recall an instance from my own life when I saw the virtue of obedience "do everything" for me? How does this help me to embrace obedience even more?
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