July 10
"But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman."
-Galatians 4:4 (RSV)
Blog
Blog Posts
Speaking to the Heart
July 9
“I will allure her...and speak to her heart.”
This passage from Hosea got me thinking about marriage and what it means to speak to another’s heart. God speaks to ours, so we are to speak to each other’s. What does this look like?
“I will espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord.”
When a man and woman enter into marriage, they are espoused to each other. And if they’re speaking to each other’s heart, they are gently sharing a language of righteousness and justice, love and mercy, fidelity and honor... a language that leads the other to our Lord.
Each grows closer to our Father through that tender love of the other’s heart. What a gift He has given us in our vocations to speak into and through the heart of another!
Today, who’s heart is God calling you to speak to? Is it through prayer? Forgiveness? Conversation? Sacrifice?
Ask Him to show you the heart He wants you to shower with love and listen to His call!
Battle Cry
July 9
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world."
-1 John 2:16 (RSV)
A Thorn in the Flesh
July 8
“That I, Paul, might not become too elated, because of the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”
These words from scripture are some of my very favorite lines. And here’s why:
I often talk with others about their crosses and the sins they struggle with, including their root sins. Paul reminds us that just because we have a propensity to do something doesn’t mean we should. I think we often feel as if we are the only ones who struggle with sin; and for each of us, those sins are specific and usually point to an underlying root. Sins of pride, vanity, and sensuality can often vary, yet sometimes, they overlap.
Here, though, we are reminded that God may not take that disordered desire for sin away; BUT He will give us the grace to endure. In fact, He will never let anything tempt us without the perfect amount of grace to overcome. Indeed, if He doesn’t take it away, it isn’t because you should submit to that desire; it’s because He is calling you closer to Him and allowing you to see your wretchedness without Him. What does He want you to learn? How is He drawing you closer to Him through it?
Tonight, spend some time with God. Ask Him to remove all sin from your life (and go to Confession if you need to this week). If a desire remains that doesn’t point to Him, ask Him for the grace to overcome. He will provide. “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you.”
Infinite Goodness
July 8
"Nevertheless, He has willed that correspondence on the part of human beings is necessary, and has consequently placed in our nature the capacity for disposing ourselves towards receiving the supernatural action of grace. Through cultivating human virtues--resilience, loyalty, truthfulness, affection, courtesy--we prepare our soul in the best possible way for the action of the Holly Spirit."
-In Conversation with God
by Francis Fernandez
On that Day
July 7
Today’s readings are FILLED with hope and promise.
In Amos, God promises abundance “on that day”. He declares that “the juice of grapes shall drip down the mountains, and all the hills shall run with it.” From Psalm 85, He exclaims that salvation is near and the land SHALL yield its increase... that He will give His benefits.
From the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the disciples of John that fasting will occur once He is taken; and that the importance of fasting is to be made new.
God calls us to abandon ourselves and trust in His goodness and mercy. His hope is there for the taking, but we must die to our old ways of doing things. God is PROMISING each of us an abundance- we must have hope, though, in His words.
If God is currently calling you to wait, how is He asking you to have hope in the fruit of due season? What promises has He made to you, and what grace do you need to hold onto those?
Lord, I am overjoyed at the promises of tomorrow! My heart is filled with hope in what lies ahead. Guide me as I am made anew, and overshadow me with your grace of endurance! Amen!
Holiness
July 7
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm,
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,
he has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”
-Luke 1: 46-55 (RSV)
Follow Me
July 6
“Follow Me.” Two simple words with such strong meaning.
I remember once hearing the statement, “God doesn’t ask for our opinion. He asks for obedience.” It was something that stuck with me for a long time and mostly because obedience isn’t my strong suit. Today in the Gospel, Jesus tells Matthew to “follow” Him; He doesn’t suggest it, He doesn’t ask him what he thinks. Rather, He commands it.
During mass today, the priest was differentiating between those who acknowledge their sins yet refuse to change and those who proclaim their sins and indeed amend their lives.
On this feast day of St. Maria Goretti, let’s call to mind her diligence and desire to indeed follow God, even knowing it would cost her her life. What courage and faith to exhibit at such a young age.
God calls each of us to follow and obey Him, to die to ourselves and trust in His promises. How is God calling you to obey and follow Him? What is holding you back?
Love Your Enemies
July 6
"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
-Matthew 5:44 (RSV)
Witness to Truth
July 5
"Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.”
-Blessed Pope Paul VI
The Gospel reading today from Matthew shows what wonders unfold when Jesus heals the paralytic. “When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God.” What was Jesus doing that amazed the crowd so much? Exactly what He was sent to do- heal.
What about the examples we set, the impressions we leave? When we do what we are called to do, what kind of wonders can unfold in our lives and the lives of others?
In a culture that has become so secular, we are called to be counter-cultural: to stand up for those who cannot defend themselves, to be a light in the darkness, to listen and offer compassion and care, to lead by example. To sum it up, we are called to be a living witness and testimony to His love and goodness.
What kind of example are you setting for those around you? Are you leaving them filled with wonder and awe at the magnitude of God? Or do you shy away from living Truth?
Lord, help me to never be afraid to stand up for what’s right and to adhere to Your call.
Amen.
