Messenger of Joy

Blessed are you when people reproach you, and persecute you, and speaking falsely, say all manner of evil against you for My sake.  – Mt 5:11

Reflection. The martyrs in the days of the Roman persecutions were said to have sung to the glory of God with jubilation.  They were full of the Lord in a way that none of us could possibly imagine.  They were joyful in the face of a cruel death.  “Death, where is your sting?”  (1 Cor 15:55).

Prayer. Lord Jesus, You proclaimed blessed those who suffer for the sake of justice.  Let me be among those great souls.  Help me to be fearless when the going gets rough.

Whoever drinks of the water that I will give them will never thirst.  The water … will become in them a fountain of water, springing up to eternal life.  – Jn 4:13-14

Reflection. The Holy Spirit is called the Fountain of Living Waters.  That means your soul has a constant supply of fresh, satisfying grace and love.  Receive this gift with a grateful heart.

Prayer. Lord Jesus, let me drink deeply at the fountain of Your love.  Let me sate my thirst with Your life.  You are the fountain of eternal life.

Live in a manner worthy of the Lord and become fully pleasing to Him bearing fruit in every good work.  – Col 1:10

Reflection. Jesus never forced anyone to comply with His teachings.  He simply asks for our obedience that our joy may be full.  All He asks is that we make a reasonable effort to be good.

Prayer. Lord Jesus, help me never to measure my morality by the standards of an unbelieving world.  Let the Gospel be the source of my beliefs.

Amen, amen, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My Name, He will give it to you … Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.  – Jn 16:23-24

Reflection. The life of Jesus teaches us that God is like a loving human father.  God understood our limitations so “He gave His only begotten Son” to light our path.  We recognize Jesus as a loving person, Who cares about us.

Prayer. Dear Father in heaven, Jesus has given us the words of life.  Help me to take hold of them and make them my own.  I ask for the gift of joy.  Thank You for keeping me ever by Your side.

I am the Bread of Life.  – Jn 6:35

Reflection. Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life, and He comes to feed our hunger.  He called Himself the Resurrection and He lifts us from our fear of death by promising eternal happiness.

Prayer. Dear Jesus, You have shown us the Father, and in the words of St. Philip, “That is enough for us.”  You feed us and lift us out of our misery.  Thank You for the Eucharist.

Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you then will be truly free.  – Jn 8:36

Reflection.  If you want a deeper awareness of God the Father look to Jesus, look at His words and deeds.  In His lifetime He reached out to the lepers, the prostitutes, the handicapped, the outcast.  He spoke of Himself as the Good Shepherd Who leaves the 99 to search for the lost one.  He lays down His life for His sheep.

Prayer. Father, You watch over me even when I step off base.  I want my own way so often.  Thank You for following me when I wander off.

Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.  How can you say, “Show us the Father?”  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?  – Jn 14:9-10

Reflection. Faith is knowledge.  One either knows or does not know that the supreme revelation of God is Jesus Christ.  To know Jesus is to begin to understand God.  Whether or not you get daily briefings from on high is not the issue.  To know Jesus is to know where to look to find the meaning of human happiness.

Prayer. Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may see Your glory.

There is a time for everything … a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.  – Eccl 3:1, 7

Reflection. We should strive to have the spirit of true wisdom.  True wisdom enables us to know not only when and how to speak but also when and where to remain silent.  Sometimes it is better to say nothing.

Prayer. Dear Jesus, You bore so many humiliations in silence.  Help me to keep my mouth shut when I want to scream out my indignation.

It is not the healthy who need a physician, but rather those who are sick.  I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.       – Mk 2:17

Reflection. Do not worry if you are not particularly joyful on any given day.  Perhaps you think you are not worthy.  Nonsense!  When you think about the bad things you have done in the past, it has a purifying effect.  You become purer and humbler by a spirit of penance.  However, you must also learn to let go of it.  Turn the past over to God’s mercy.

Prayer. Lord, You help me to see myself as I am.  I know You want me to be a joyful person.  Refresh my drooping spirit.

The word of the Lord is true; all His works are trustworthy.  – Ps 33:4

Reflection. In The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoyevsky wrote:  “Never be frightened at your own faintheartedness in attaining love.  For love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams.  Love in dreams is greedy for immediate action, rapidly performed; hoping that all will be looking on applauding, as though on a stage.  But active love is labor and fortitude.”

Prayer. Dear Lord, help me not to be afraid of my weaknesses or discouraged by my revulsion at the first sign of the cross.