September 28

“That I will never do, because I am a Christian, and I shall die for God, and for him I will give many thousands of lives if I had them. And so, do with me as you please.”

-St. Lorenzo Ruiz

Today’s Reflection:

How strong is your faith in God? Do you love Him enough to follow Him wherever He leads? What parts of your heart need to be further purified in order to love Him no matter what?

St. Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions, pray for us!

September 27

“You will find out that Charity is a heavy burden to carry, heavier than the kettle of soup and the full basket. But you will keep your gentleness and your smile.
It is not enough to give soup and bread. This the rich can do. You are the servant of the poor, always smiling and good-humored. They are your masters, terribly sensitive and exacting master you will see. And the uglier and the dirtier they will be, the more unjust and insulting, the more love you must give them. It is only for your love alone that the poor will forgive you the bread
you give to them.”

-St. Vincent de Paul

Today’s Reflection:

Write down what the above quote means to you personally. And then write down one way to live it today.

St. Vincent de Paul, pray for us!

September 26

“Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

-Matthew 10:6-8

Today’s Reflection:

Our Lord pours His mercy and blessings upon each of us. We have received “without cost”. Do you give “without cost”? Do you do things for others without telling others? Do you refrain from saying something sometimes when it’s best to be silent?

Sts. Cosmas and Damian, pray for us!

September 25

“So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?'”

-Luke 24:28-32

Today’s Reflection:

Do you recognize Christ in your presence? Does your heart burn at His presence? Today, ask Him to come to you and wait for Him!

St. Cleopas, pray for us!

September 24

“It is simply impossible to lead, without the aid of prayer, a virtuous life.”

-St. John Chrysostom

Today’s Reflection:

If someone asked you to describe your prayer life, what would you say? What does your prayer life look like?

September 23

“But his deeds I think you know better than I could tell you; for, as is read in his Passion, no one doubts that, rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched.”

-Cosmas of Prague

Today’s Reflection:

Do you give generously? Would anyone consider you a father, or mother, of “the wretched”?

St. Wenceslaus, pray for us!

September 22

“Do what you can, detach your heart from the worries of this earth, and above all from creatures, and then be sure Jesus will do the rest.”

-St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Today’s Reflection:

Oh how far we would advance in the spiritual life and in accomplishing God’s will if we could truly live out this advice from our dear little saint.

September 21

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

-Matthew 6:34

Today’s Reflection:

How often do you find yourself worrying about tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Next year? One of my favorite prayers is, “Jesus, I trust in you!” I repeat it so often! Next time you start worrying about the future, tell Jesus that you trust in Him, and watch your fear disappear!

St. Matthew, pray for us!

September 20

“We have received baptism, entrance into the Church and the honour of being called Christians. Yet what good will this do us, if we are Christians in name only and not in fact?”

-St. Andrew Kim Taegon

Today’s Reflection:

What an incredible question to ponder! “What good will this do us if we are Christians in name only and not in fact?” Ask yourself this question today; what will the answer be?

Sts. Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang and Companions, pray for us!

September 19

“The author has seen the marvel of the blood liquefaction at closest range and can give witness to the fact. Taking into consideration all the scientific investigations that have been made, he would say that a natural explanation of the phenomena does not seem possible.”

-Blessed Cardinal Schuster

Today’s Reflection:

Today is the feast day of St. Januarius. He is famous for the miracle of the annual liquefaction of his blood. What miracle does God want to perform in your life at this very moment? Do you trust that He can transform even the most challenging parts of your life?