January 29
"On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again."
-2 Corinthians 1:10
Today's Reflection:
God will intervene. He will come to our aid. He does have a plan. And His plan is devised for our welfare. This calls us reflect prayerfully on the challenges we are facing, the difficulties that are presenting themselves, the trials that are bearing down on us, and to ask this question: Where is God in this situation, and what is He saying to me? I know that He is involved -- Scripture has told me that. So what are His will and His purpose in the midst of this event?
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January 28
"The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
-Mark 12:28-31
Today's Reflection:
The passage reveals an important truth to us about the virtue of charity: true love of neighbor flows from true love of God. Jesus tells the scribe that the first commandment is to love God with the entirety of our being. Then we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. The love of God is a prerequisite for love of neighbor and for every charitable action.
Practicing the corporal works of mercy is a practical way to grow in the virtue of charity. Seek at least one way that you can do so this week.
(1) Feed the hungry.
(2) Give drink to the thirsty.
(3) Clothe the naked.
(4) Shelter the homeless.
(5) Visit those in prison.
(6) Comfort the sick.
(7) Bury the dead.
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January 27
"If one member suffers, all suffer together."
-1 Corinthians 12:26
Today's Reflection:
In the Mystical Body, we are one in Christ Jesus. Even when it is not consciously experienced, suffering -- the common denominator of the human condition -- unites us with an unbreakable bond. But suffering itself begs us to ask questions. Why do we suffer? Why does God permit suffering to exist? What is suffering's purpose? Ponder them during your time of prayer today.
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January 26
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."
-2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Today's Reflection:
How can your personal testimony be a beacon of hope and a light of faith illuminating the way to forgiveness through Christlike love and compassion?
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January 21
"No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it."
-1 Corinthians 10:13
Today's Reflection:
Our faith, our confidence, and our hope must be placed in God. How, then, do we apply this in the face of challenges?
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January 20
"I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
-John 10:10
Today's Reflection:
Lack of forgiveness blocks the grace of God in our lives. It brings death--spiritually, emotionally, and often, physically. Examine your life. Where do you need to forgive? Pray for the grace to do so.
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January 19
"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. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."
-James 5:7-8
Today's Reflection:
To evangelize effectively, we must be patient. When we look around us to our family and friends, do we impose our Faith on them? Or do we, instead, propose it through our testimony and the example of our life? How beautiful it is to patiently sow the seeds of truth in the hearts of others, water the seeds with prayer and friendship, and wait for the seeds to take root. This process can take time, but we must be willing to invest the time, confident that the Lord's work will be accomplished in the end.
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January 16
"Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for justice,
for they shall have their fill."
-Matthew 5:6
Today's Reflection:
We must do more than agree with Church teaching on issues. We must form our conscience according to them, and we must let Church teaching move us forward with faith and confidence into the public square to proclaim the truth at every opportunity. How do your actions indicate your beliefs about the sanctity of life? How can you bring greater justice into the contemporary culture?
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January 12
"Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit...and the door that gives access to the other sacraments."
-Catechism of the Catholic Church 1213
Today's Reflection:
In what specific ways can you lie the grace of your Baptism?
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January 11
"In the long run, is there any other way of handing on the Gospel than by transmitting to another person one's personal experience of faith?"
-Evangelii Nuntiandi 46
Today's Reflection:
Personal testimony remains the most effective means of evangelization. Through it we inform, instruct, and insure others with the truths of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Catholic Church.
What does your personal testimony say? Are you ready to share it this week?
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