July 10

“When Ephraim made many altars to expiate sin, his altars became occasions of sin. Though I write for him my many ordinances, they are considered as a stranger’s.” Close your eyes and think about the last time you tried to do something without God.  Finding friends, starting relationships, looking for a new job, going on a vacation…how easy it is for us to do things without inviting God to go there first to prepare the field for sowing. Now, what about the times you have tried to eradicate sin from your life on your own, especially those things that have such deep roots?  What does it look like when we do this…or anything…without Him?  We fail.  And the things we wanted so bad don’t last because they aren’t fruitful…and the things we wanted to disappear keep coming back because it is impossible to remove the weeds without the gardener.

What if you tried to do things differently from today on?  What if you invited God to join you on this journey each step of the way?  What if you sought Him and trusted He would give you the desires of your heart?  And what if you recognized that your sins have already been paid for?  But without His mercy and grace and forgiveness, you will keep drowning with the chains of sin tied around your ankles.

Lord, I invite you to come with me from now on as I journey this life.  Father, bring me the friendships and community that can bring me closer to You…those individuals that I can also be an instrument for.  Give me the grace to trust in Your providence and goodness…that You will provide the desires of my heart.  Fill me with the joy that transcends my own expectations.  Remove all temptation and desire for sin from my heart and break the chains that pull me under.

Amen!

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!

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.”

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!

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?

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.

July 4

“Freedom exists for the sake of love.”

-St. John Paul the Great

Today in the first reading from Amos, we are told to “seek good and not evil.” While reading, I started to think about the correlation between freedom and love, and how that relates to our relationship with the Father.

Out of His love, He created us and because He loved us so much, He gave us total freedom: to live and to choose.

Why is it important that we “seek good and not evil”? Because it’s our way of loving Him back. We choose what’s holy and good, those things that are morally right and true, because we love Him. And in turn we realize it’s ultimately in our best interest.

Think of marriage: one man and one woman choose each other to grow in holiness through the sacramental unity of matrimony. If one was not free to choose the other, it wouldn’t be love, it would be control. But out of love for the other, and ultimately, love for God, the two give each other the freedom to choose… to come together as husband and wife.

By having total freedom (ie, free will), God gives us the greatest gift imaginable- the opportunity to “seek good” and choose Him; thus, our freedom is enveloped in love and the two are inseparable.

Lord, guide me on this journey to You; to love You ever more deeply. Show me Your love tonight, God, in the most beautiful way, and grace me with the courage to shine my light in the darkness of this world.

Amen.

July 3

Each of us is a child of God, a unique individual created for the specific purpose of knowing, loving and serving God. We were created out of love and for love.

Imagine you are in a subway train, or in a crowded concert- look around you. The man to your left, the child to your right… each were created by the same God as you. Our goal in this life is simple- to journey towards Heaven. We do this by simply loving Him and loving them.

Often, we forget that our family, our friends, our coworkers, our spouse, and everyone that crosses our path are each our brothers and sisters. We are in this effort together, whether we (or they) recognize it or not.

Kindness, compassion, empathy, gratitude, and time each display love for another. We each long for Home, and our duty is to journey together on that path.

Lord, help me to truly see my brothers and sisters in those individuals who cross my path. Keep me patient and humble when I grow weary, and grace me with mercy to pass on.

Amen.