Messenger of Joy

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all … is there anything too hard for Me?  - Jer 32:27

Reflection. Having confidence in the Lord is the sign of true faith.  It enables one to cross over the threshold to the virtue of hope.  Hope in turn leads to the most delicious of virtues, the virtue of trust.  Once you trust the Lord, your confidence is well established.

Prayer. Dear Lord, nothing is too difficult for You.  If only I could live in that knowledge on a day to day basis.  You will bring good out of evil.  You all will be well.

Let your main focus be on His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  - Mt. 6:33

Reflection. By seeking God and His Holy Will above all things you become liberated from the acquisitive spirit.  God frees you from yourself, and nothing tastes sweeter than freedom.

Prayer. Jesus, my Lord, let me taste the freedom that You offer to those who love You.  Let me grow in Your Spirit day by day, seeking You above all.

Love is patient …  - 1 Cor 13:4

Reflection. John Milton, in his sonnet on blindness, once wrote:  “They also serve who only stand and wait.”  The service of love can often take the form of waiting.  God waits.  The world He made is filled with waiting.  Waiting is one of the primary laws of nature.  Winter waits for spring.  Buds wait for warmth.  The earth waits for rain.  Nothing in life comes to instant maturity.

Prayer. Jesus, my Lord, help me to realize that You will be with me in my times of waiting.  Give me the patience of a Saint that I may serve You faithfully.

Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?  Who is led into sin, and I am not indignant?  - 2 Cor 11:29

Reflection. A Saint is someone who is weak enough to depend on God’s strength.  A Saint is cheerful when it is difficult to be cheerful, and patient when most people would be ready to explode.  A Saint pushes ahead when everyone says it is time to quit.

Prayer. Dear Lord, give me the weakness I need to turn to You automatically for strength.  With You and in You I know all will be well.

If your eye is pure there will be sunshine in your soul.  - Mt 6:22

Reflection. Basically this means that if you have your eye set on the prize, the Kingdom of God, all the rest will pale by comparison.  You will change and become light-hearted.  You will be free from the world of competition and greed.  “Sunshine in your soul” means that you are living joyfully.

Prayer. Lord, help me to be pure of heart that I might live without fear and needless anxiety.

Our present light afflictions, which are for the moment, are achieving for us an eternal glory that is beyond all measure.  - 2 Cor 4:17

Reflection. The secret to sanctity and happiness rests in our fidelity to the duty of the present moment.  - Jean Pierre de Caussaude

The will to bear discomfort in fulfilling that duty is the very basis of good character.

Prayer. Dear Jesus, help me to stay focused on the present moment, as I offer You all my joys and sufferings.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  - 1 Cor 13:7

Reflection. Someone would have a poor idea of human and marital love by thinking that affection and joy vanish when difficulties come.  This is when we really see what motivates people.  Here also is where gift and tenderness are consolidated, because true love does not think about itself, but about how to increase the good of the beloved.      - Pope John Paul II

Prayer. Lord God, transform me into the compassionate, tender person I want to be.  I give You my weakness in exchange for Your strength.

You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and have appointed you that you should bear fruit.  - Jn 15:16

Reflection. It is through a loving knowledge of God that the soul, under the influence of wisdom, is prompted to judge all things in their relationship to God.  Wisdom elevates the soul above reason, above common sense, to a sympathy for the Divine point of view.  It often conflicts with so-called “realistic thinking,” or logic.  God’s ways are not man’s.

Prayer. Dear Holy Spirit, You have chosen me and You lead me in directions I would not have chosen for myself.  Give me the wisdom to discern Your Will and the courage to follow it.

The Lord … answered me and delivered me from all my fear. - Ps 34:4

Reflection. A Bible that Abraham Lincoln often used as President falls open easily to Psalm 34.  There is a smudge at one spot where the President apparently rested his fingers and meditated.  The verse is:  “I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fear.”

Prayer. Calm my fears, O Lord, and relieve my anxiety.  Let me place all my hopes in You.  And when the storms threaten, assure me that You will guide me safely home.

Love … does not seek its own advantage … - 1 Cor 13:5b

Reflection. Teach your heart to swim in the ocean of love.  Do not take yourself too seriously.  Live in a state of awareness.  Know that your smile can bring peace and joy to others.

Prayer. Lord, I need Your help in this.  I want always to do Your Will.  I never realized that Your Will includes my happiness here and now.  I surrender to You, and ask You to teach me how to love and be joyful.