Spiritual Journey

Reflection 63: How do You Speak to Others?

Child’s First Prayer by Dawn Hudson, License: CC0 Public Domain, via publicdomainpictures.net

When speaking to others, the love and Mercy of God must flow from our lips. But how? What should our speech look like? One way to examine our speech to others is to look at it in the light of how we should speak to God. When speaking to God we should speak with honesty, simplicity, humility and confidence. Think of a sincere child praying to God. This pure soul exudes these qualities well. So should we. And if we speak to God with these qualities, they will also be a good guide in our speech to others (See Diary #215).

Reflect upon the people and conversations that you have. Do you speak from pride or sarcasm? Do you struggle with gossip or carelessness? Think about what your speech would look like if it were honest, simple, humble and confident in God’s grace. Joy will be present in each conversation guided by these virtues.

Lord, help me to speak with a merciful and kind heart. Help me to guard my tongue against malice and harshness. Forgive me for my past indiscretions and help me to be a mouthpiece of Your generous and merciful heart to others. Jesus, I trust in You.

March 4 – Saint Casimir—Optional Memorial

Reflection 62: The Small Sacrifices of Life

attributed to Georg Friedrich Stettner († 1639), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Do small sacrifices matter? Sometimes we can think that we should try to do great things. Some may have ideas of grandeur and dream of accomplishing some great feats. But what about the small, monotonous, daily sacrifices we make? Sacrifices such as cleaning, cooking, helping another, forgiving, etc.? Do the small things matter? Most certainly. They are a treasure we give to God like none other. Small daily sacrifices are like a field in the open valley, filled as far as the eye can see with beautiful wild flowers. One flower is lovely, but when we commit ourselves to these small acts of love all day, every day, we present to God a flowing field of endless beauty and magnificence (See Diary #208).

Reflect upon the small things today. What is it that you do each day that tires you and seems boring or unimportant. Know that these acts, perhaps more than any other, present you with a glorious opportunity to honor and glorify God in a magnificent way.

Lord, I offer You my day. I offer You all that I do and all that I am. I especially offer You the small things I do every day. May each action become a gift to You, offering You honor and glory throughout my day. Jesus, I trust in You.

Resources for Lent

March 3 – Saint Katharine Drexel, Virgin

Reflection 61: Where Happiness Comes From

Image by Kasun Chamara on Pixabay

Could you be happy if you were in prison? Or what if you were called at a young age to enter a cloistered monastery and live in seclusion throughout your life? Could you find happiness if you were living in the utmost poverty having barely enough to feed your family each and every day? The answer is “Yes.” You most certainly can find happiness within any situation of life. How? Happiness is not dependent upon the external circumstances of life that are out of our control. It is not dependent upon wealth, physical freedom, or even vocational callings. Happiness is found exclusively in the fact that we are intimately united with our Divine Lord, no matter what our vocation or life circumstances. The question is whether or not you are in love with God (See Diary #201).

Reflect upon your interior relationship with our Divine Lord. Do you know and love Him in a real and personal way? Do you daily communicate with Him and spend your day in His presence? Is your life of prayer alive and flourishing? Does your heart burst forth with a burning love? God loves you perfectly. Love Him back and you will find your source of your joy in life.

My dear Lord, help me to love you with a burning love. Help me to know You in the most intimate and personal of ways. I know that my happiness depends solely upon my love for You. May that love in my heart increase daily so that I may be one with You in all things. Jesus, I trust in You.

Resources for Lent

Reflection 60: Dealing With a Spiritual Drought

Sano di Pietro, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Does your soul feel like it is in a spiritual drought at times? Do you wish you could have greater spiritual consolation in your daily life? This is a common struggle and one that we should not worry about. The primary goal of our spiritual life is to do the Will of God. Often times, a certain spiritual dryness actually helps us live the Will of God more than powerful and emotional spiritual consolations. God knows what we need and will give it to us when we need it (See Diary #195).

Consider, today, how you feel inside. What does your spiritual life feel like today? Now set that thought aside and realize that there is only one thing that ultimately matters: doing the Will of God, not feeling the Will of God. “Doing” must be our food and our strength. Contrast your feelings with your doing today and ask our Lord for grace to live out His Will.

Lord, I recommit myself to Your most holy Will this day. I commit myself to doing that which You command. May I see all Your commands as commands of love. May my embrace of these commands bring strength and peace to my soul, especially during times of spiritual dryness. Jesus, I trust in You.

Resources for Lent

Reflection 59: “Oh, Blood and Water…”

Fra Angelico, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Featured Image: The Strike of the Lance By James Tissot, via Brooklyn Museum

After Jesus’ death, one of the soldiers came to Him and was ordered to make certain He was dead. So that soldier pierced His precious body with a lance and immediately blood and water gushed forth from His wounded Heart. This has been prayerfully reflected upon throughout the ages and has been seen as a sign of the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion and the fact that the Blood of the Holy Eucharist and the Water of Baptism spring forth directly from the ultimate sacrificial gift of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice of the Cross (See Diary #187).

Renew, today, your gratitude for these Sacraments of God’s abundant Mercy. Ponder the fact that they were made possible only because Jesus was willing to sacrifice His life out of love for us. Let His sacrifice, this day, fill your own heart with gratitude and awe as you think about the price He willingly and freely paid so as to redeem us.

Lord, Your love is seen clearly in the Sacrifice of Your Cross. You held nothing back from us as You poured out Your Mercy to the last drop on the Cross. Help me to see and understand this great mystery of sacrificial love. Fill me with gratitude for all that You have done and help me to imitate this total self-giving toward others. Oh blood and water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus, as a font of Mercy for us, I trust in You.

Resources for Lent

Reflection 58: Purification of Sin

Talskiddy at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sin is a topic that many avoid. We don’t like to think about our sins. We don’t like to admit to them, and we often rationalize them as if we do not have any. We can easily come up with excuses for this “sin” or that. But here is another perspective on sin. We should see our sin, no matter how grave or how small, as a little twig. And then we should see a huge and blazing fire. If you were to throw that twig into the fire it would immediately be consumed. The twig is our sin and God’s Mercy is so powerful that it can easily and quickly consume it. We only need to be willing to admit our sins and throw them into that burning fire of Divine Mercy (See Diary #178).

Can you admit your sin? Do you see your sin? No excuses, just honesty. And are you willing to confess your sins, all of them, in the sacramental fire of Reconciliation? If you are aware of the power of God’s Divine Mercy and His willingness to eliminate your sin, you will have no fear in honestly admitting it and letting Him consume it. Try to examine your conscience today and face that which you need to let God burn away.

Lord, Your Divine Mercy is infinite and most powerful. It is a flame of burning love. Help me to trust in You enough to face my sin honestly and to throw it into the fire of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. May I trust in this glorious Sacrament and, in so doing, may I trust in You. Jesus, I do trust in You.

Resources for Lent

February 27: Saint Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

Reflection 57: A Fire Within Your Soul

Image by Robert Cheaib on Pixabay

Is it possible to know that someone has a deep interior life of prayer? Even though this is “interior” and is a spiritual reality, is it possible to sense this externally? Most certainly it is. In fact, the deeper one’s life of prayer the more that this interior life will shine forth for others to see (See Diary #172).

How about you? What does your soul radiate? When people see you, what do they sense? Certainly our perceptions of people can be wrong at times, but when God is alive in an abundant way, those who have eyes to see will see. Those who are hungry for God will perceive His presence in your life and be fed by Him through you. Reflect upon how radiant your interior life is. And reflect upon whether or not that burning flame within is shining forth for others to see. And if it is not burning brightly and intensely, today is a good day to kindle that fire within.

Lord, I invite You to come live in my soul. I invite You to fan into flame the spark of faith that I have. May Your love and Mercy become a blazing fire in me so that I may be consumed by You and so that others may sense Your love through me. Jesus, I trust in You.

Reflection 56: The Good News of the Day

Image by Dan Fador on Pixabay

The secular world is filled with bad news. The newspapers, talk shows, and other forms of media thrive on sensational and exaggerated tragic events to keep our attention. And we, for our part, are often eager to share the latest gossip or criticism. But what about the good news? What about the news of God’s abundant Mercy? How often are you fascinated by this message and how often do you seek to tell the world about the Mercy of God? (See Diary #164)

Reflect upon that which you are most eager to share with others each and every day. Think about the joy you receive when you speak of the goodness and Mercy of God. Look for opportunities, this day, to share some joy about how great God is. Look for ways that God’s beauty and goodness have been evident this week and speak of His workings to those God puts in your path.

Lord, help me to turn from the sensationalism and negativity of the secular world. Help me, instead, to turn my eyes to You and Your glory. Give me courage, wisdom and love so that I may speak of You freely and joyfully. Lord, You are the Good News that must be shared everywhere. Help me to be a willing instrument. Jesus, I trust in You.

Reflection 55: Creation Reflects the Mercy of God

Image via Pixabay

Think of the most beautiful sunset possible, gleaming over the wide ocean in the evening with the sky radiant in color. Or think of the majestic mountain peaks piercing through a bright blue sky, or a mighty waterfall, pouring forth from the heights. All of these gifts of creation are glorious, beautiful and breath-taking. But none of them compares to the glory and majestic splendor of God’s Mercy (See Diary #158).

God’s Mercy, when properly perceived, will take our breath away and more. We will be left in awe of His perfect unfailing love for us. But sometimes we cannot see His Mercy for what it is. Reflect, today, upon your own experience of God’s Mercy. Do you perceive all that He is? Have you had moments when you have encountered His Mercy in an overwhelming way within your own soul? If not, spend time seeking to comprehend Him. Humble yourself before Him and ask Him to peel back the veil of His infinite love for you.

Lord, I know You are merciful beyond what I could ever imagine. But there are many times when I do not understand You and Your ways. I feel distant and lost. Help me to know Your love. Help me to see the splendor and beauty of who You are. And help me, as I come to discover You, to be drawn into a burning love for You. Jesus, I trust in You.