Messenger of Joy

This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.  - Mt 3:17

Reflection.  You are blessed and anointed.  By Baptism you are a member of the Mystical Body of Christ.  The same favor that Jesus receives from His Father rests on you because you are His beloved child.  Have confidence in His love.

Prayer.  Dear Lord, thank You for making my life holy.  

Our citizenship is in heaven, and from there we await our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  - Phil 3:20

Reflection.  Faith is having one foot on the ground and the other one in heaven.  God is your invisible companion through life.  He is leading you to eternal joy.

Prayer.  Help me, Lord, to remember that I belong to You.  

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His kindness endures forever.  - Ps 107:1

Reflection.  You have been given everything: your body and soul, and life itself.  Everything you have and everything you are comes from God.  Be still and drink this truth in: God is good.

Prayer. Give me a grateful heart, dear Lord, so I may appreciate Your gifts to the fullest.  

Be not afraid … because I am with you to deliver you.  - Jer 1:8

Reflection.  The road to mediocrity is paved with good intentions.  Be a doer, not merely a hearer of the word of God.  Do not be afraid to act.  God will bless you for your efforts to please Him.

Prayer.  Holy Spirit, fill my soul with the confidence that I may please You in all I do.  

We are regarded … as unknown men, and nevertheless we are well known; as dying, and behold we live on; as scourged, but we are not put to death; as sorrowful, and yet we are always rejoicing.  - 2 Cor 6:8-10

Reflection.  We all have to bear crosses in this life.  Trying to live a responsible and meaningful life won’t be easy.  It takes courage.  Once you understand that crosses are a normal part of life, it all becomes less difficult to manage.

Prayer.  Dear Jesus, protect me from self-pity; help me to be courageous.  

You shall not bear any grudges against anyone, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.  - Lev 19:18

Reflection.  Resentment is very understandable.  Some hurts run so deep that they are almost impossible to shrug off.  But the one who suffers the most from a spirit of revenge is you.  Why carry such a needless burden?

Prayer.  Dear Jesus, You forgave Your tormentors.  Help me to forgive mine.  

Encourage one another and strengthen one another.  - 1 Thes 5:11

Reflection.  Words of support can help heal a weary heart, and inspire perseverance in someone who is falling into despair.  Be a comfort to others, when you see the need.

Prayer.  Dear Jesus, I want to please You; help me to lift others up and not put them down.  

Come away with Me, by yourselves, to a deserted place and rest for a while. - Mk 6:31

Reflection.  There is a direct link between the physical and the spiritual states of your being.  You are one person, body and soul.  Take care of your soul, and your health will prosper.  Prayer will help you to cope with the ups and downs of life.

Prayer.  Lord, help me to treat my body as a tabernacle of Your Holy Spirit.  

There are times when your recovery will be in the hands of a physician. – Sir 38:13

Reflection.  People live longer today because of advanced medical science, but God is the one who gives the doctors the skills they need when they are working.  Always seek sound medical advice, but pray for your doctor, that he or she may be guided by the Lord.

Prayer.  Dear Lord, help me to receive the best care possible from my doctor.  

When you call upon Me and come and pray to Me, I will hear you.  - Jer 29:12

Reflection.  As you hold God close to you in mind and memory — even though you feel apart — He responds to your love.  Pray with confidence.

Prayer.  Jesus, in You I live and breathe and have my being.  Never let me be parted from You.