Messenger of Joy

If you have faith as tiny as a mustard seed, you will be able to say to this mountain: “Move from here to there,” and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you. – Mt 17:20

Reflection.  Now that Christmas has come and gone, believe with all your heart in a brighter tomorrow.  Pray with real confidence.  Honor the Supreme Intelligence behind all creation.  Renew your high hopes for a better future, and the Lord will bless you abundantly.

Prayer.  Lord, I give myself to You with no restrictions.  I am all Yours.  

Be happy … Banish anxiety from your heart and cast off trouble from your presence.  – Eccl 11:9-10

Reflection.  Do not let toxic thoughts poison your soul with worry and fear.  This season is a time for rejoicing.  Let the Lord light up your life.  He will deliver you from evil and bring you the fullness of joy.  Anticipate the wonderful gifts that He has in store for you in the New Year.

Prayer.  Thank You for Your goodness, Lord.  Let me greet the year ahead with courage.  

Thus there are three things that endure; faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.  – 1 Cor 13:13

Reflection.  The Lord was born in a humble stable, and He died on the Cross.  His entire life was a gift of love.  He wants us to love one another.  To do that we need to be fully aware that we are loved.  To be is to be loved.

Prayer.  Help me, Lord, to know that You love me deeply.  

If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.  – Rom 6:8

Reflection.  Those who rely on the Lord will find joy and consolation in His presence.  Christmas reminds us that the greatest gift we can ever receive is the gift of God’s love, which was expressed in the person of Jesus Christ.

Prayer.  Father, thank You for my faith and my trust in You.  

God brought us to life with Christ … and enthroned us with Him in the heavens.  – Eph 2:5-6

Reflection.  Keep the spirit of Christmas alive in your soul.  Live in God’s love.  As you begin to make resolutions for the New Year, be sure to confess your sins and make a new beginning.  Let the assurance of God’s protection bring you peace.

Prayer.   Dear Father, thank You for Your mercy.  

You will show me the path to life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence.  – Ps 16:11

Reflection.  Jesus came to us, subject to all the limitations of being human.  From the beginning, He felt the discomfort of the cold weather, and experienced the pangs of hunger.  His loving Mother shielded Him from needless suffering.  She will shield you as well.

Prayer.  Teach me, Lord, to depend on Your love and Your Mother’s love for me.

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!  All the earth is full of His glory.  – Isa 6:3

Reflection.  Lift up your heart and celebrate the great gift of God becoming one with us.  The central mystery of the Catholic Church is the Incarnation.  God became man.  This means that the glory of the Blessed Trinity dwells among us.  We bow in awe before the Infant King.

Prayer.  Lord, with reverence and love, I rejoice in this day.  

I will offer thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness, and I will sing hymns of praise to the Name of the Lord Most High.  – Ps 7:18

Reflection.  As you anticipate the miracle of His birth, consecrate your life to the Lord.  Offer Him your being, and all that you have.  Pray for those whom you love.  May the Lord be your strength and your joy in this holy season and always.

Prayer.  Dear Jesus, I hold You in my heart, and I thank you for Your many gifts.  

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.  – Lk 1:46 

Reflection.  Mary has become the prototype of true Christian living because of her perfect compliance with God’s Will.  You too are a carrier of God’s life wherever you go.  Let His light shine forth from you for all to see.

Prayer.  Lord, I rejoice in the knowledge of Your love.  

The Angel came to her and said, “Hail Mary, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”  – Lk 1:28

Reflection.  St. Elizabeth said to Mary during the Visitation:  “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Lk 1:42).  These words together with the words of the Angel of Mary and the addition of the name “Jesus” became the first part of the prayer Hail Mary.

Prayer.  Dear Mary, I honor you as the Mother of my Lord, and my Mother.