January 25
"It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."
-Galatians 2:20
Today's Reflection:
Today we celebrate the conversion of St. Paul. His powerful experience of Jesus Christ turned him from a persecutor of Christians to one of the greatest evangelizers of Christianity. Like him, we are called to meet Christ and grow in union with Him. How can you meet Him today? In what ways can you allow Him to live more powerfully in you?
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January 24
"The chief exercise of prayer is to speak to God and to hear God speak
in the bottom of your heart."
St. Francis de Sales
Today's Reflection:
Prayer is the gateway to friendship and intimacy with God. Do you have a regular and consistent time of prayer? Are there ways you can improve your prayer time? What one step will you take today?
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January 23
"[She] kept all these things in her heart."
-Luke 2:51
Today's Reflection:
Prayer is the answer. Prayer is what the Blessed Virgin Mary did when she faced the contradictions of her life as Mother of the Messiah. It was in her heart that Our Lady found the grace and consolation she needed. In our barren times, how do we need to pray more, not less?
Dearest Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
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January 22
"True charity consists in putting up with one's neighbor's faults, never being surprised by his weakness, and being inspired by the least of his virtues."
-St. Therese of Lisieux
Today's Reflection:
Can we love our neighbor as we love ourselves even when he is irksome, irritable, annoying, or just plain grumpy? How do we show the true face of God's love despite the battle raging within us.
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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 18
"Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law."
-Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2271
Today's Reflection:
Human life is sacred. How do we allow this Church teaching to move us forward with faith and confidence in the public square to proclaim this truth?
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January 17
"The ultimate solution for restoring and promoting justice at all levels
lies in the heart of each man."
-Fr. Francis Fernandez
Today's Reflection:
It is in the heart that injustice comes into existence. Examine your own heart in this regard. Seek the sacrament of penance and resolve to practice justice in the areas in which you have been remiss.
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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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