Messenger of Joy

Sing to the Lord a new song of praise in the assembly of His faithful ones.  - Ps 149:1

Reflection. Lift up your heart, have a new confidence.  Say yes to life and live cheerfully, enthusiastically.  The Lord deserves our cheers and our songs of praise.

Prayer. O Lord, help me to realize that the Liturgy is a precious gift You have entrusted to Your Church.  May I always participate in the Liturgy in a joyful manner.

I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He set me free from all my fears.  - Ps 34:5

Reflection. Joy destroys fear.  Fear is the enemy of joy.  If you cling to fear and self-pity you will lose your joy.  Therefore, ask the Lord to banish fear from your heart.

Prayer. Deliver me, O Lord, from all needless worry and fear.  Flood my soul with joy.  Teach me to smile in Your presence.

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

Reflection. Thank the Lord for His truth.  Thank Him for your wonderful body, mind, heart, and soul.  Thank Him for our beautiful planet, for the stars and the sky, our human brethren and sisters, our friends and the animals, our sisters the plants and flowers.  - Robert Mueller

Prayer. Father, I see the splendor of Your creation.  I thank You for everything that lives and has being.

You must regard yourselves as being dead to sin and alive for God in Christ Jesus.  - Rom 6:11

Reflection. Paul’s greatest intuition was his identification with the Christ-life within his soul.  He is led, strengthened, and inspired to want what Jesus wants.  Remember his words:  “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20).  This act of surrender gave him a far different personality from the one he had before he was knocked off his horse in Damascus.

Prayer. Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Yours.

Martha, Martha, you are anxious about many things, yet only one thing is necessary.  - Lk 10:41-42

Reflection. To love and listen, these are the marks of a true disciple.  Love is the necessary thing, but listening to wisdom helps one to distinguish between love in dreams and love in action.

Prayer. Dearest Lord, I want to give generously of myself without counting the cost, but I am so often a coward.  Teach me to be at peace within myself and free me from needless worry.

I was ill and you took care of Me.  - Mt 25:36

Reflection. Thomas Carlyle, the historian, was right when he said:  “Empires fall or civilizations decline, not necessarily through some colossal criminality, but from multitudinous cases of petty betrayal or individual neglect.”

Prayer. Dear Jesus, help me to minister to those in need.  Enlighten my mind that I may see You living in my neighbor.

Forgetting what is behind me and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the finishing line to win the heavenly prize to which God has called me in Christ Jesus.  - Phil 3:13-14

Reflection. Whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived.  This is to have succeeded.    - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Prayer. Lord, I do not ask for success.  I ask only to be faithful to You.  Help me to do my share to make this a better world.

Go forth, therefore, and make disciples …   - Mt 28:19

Reflection. When we speak of going forth we focus on Jesus.  The Church is Christ living in His Mystical Body on earth today.  Just as Jesus had a mission, so too does the Church.  We are commissioned to be other Christs, and do what He did.

Prayer. Lord, teach me to be patient and kind.  I hope for the best when I trust in Your power.  Give me the heart to go forward with courage.

Pray for those who mistreat you.  If anyone strikes you on one cheek, offer him the other cheek as well.  - Lk 6:28-29

Reflection. Charity is at the heart of Christian perfection; charity is human love touched by grace.  Love flows from person to person or it does not flow at all.  It is not communicated by institutions or organizations but by people.

Prayer. Lord, Your wisdom is beyond me.  To return good for evil is not my way of doing things, but I bow to Your Will.  All I need is a ton of grace precisely at those moments when I want to strike out in anger.

Let each one give …  not grudgingly … for God loves a cheerful giver.  - 2 Cor 9:7

Reflection. We are a privileged people.  Our goal is heaven, and with Divine help we can make it; in fact we believe eternal life has already begun here on earth.  Be grateful for this gift.  Rejoice in the Risen Lord and be glad.

Prayer. Dear Jesus, You alone have the power to quell my fears.  Help me to stay focused on heaven and rejoice always in the knowledge of Your love.